The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)

Fife to fore as Kirk takes new look at pilgrimage

Church out to 'revive rural communitie­s and use powerful tool to reach people

- Craig Smith csmith@thecourier.co.uk

Fife is at the centre of new efforts by the Church of Scotland to raise the ancient practice of pilgrimage’s profile across the country.

Europe’s most famous pilgrimage route – the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain – attracts 250,000 pilgrims annually, up from just a few thousand during the 1970s.

The tradition is seeing a massive resurgence in Scotland, with six major pilgrimage routes under developmen­t and enthusiasm for spiritual journeying rising every year.

Last month the National Lottery announced new funding of £399,000 to develop the Fife Pilgrim Way, a 70-mile route that will travel from Culross and South Queensferr­y to St Andrews.

On Easter Sunday – which will mark the 900th anniversar­y of St Magnus’ death – a new pilgrimage route in his honour will be launched in Orkney.

The Rev Dr Richard Frazer, convener of the Kirk’s Church and Society Council, said: “Worship comes in many forms and pilgrimage is one of them.

“The habits of Sunday morning services, as noble and as good as they are, do not necessaril­y reach people who have a profound spiritual hunger but have never developed those habits.

“People who walk the Camino may not be convention­ally religious, but very few who reach Santiago de Compostela would deny the journey there was a spiritual experience. In a time when the Church is looking for new ways to touch the hearts of all people, pilgrimage is a very powerful tool.”

Nick Cooke, secretary of the Scottish Pilgrim Routes Forum, said the new Fife route will bring tourism to rural communitie­s which need a boost.

“Fife was a huge pilgrimage centre in the Middle Ages and by bringing walkers and cyclists to the middle of Fife, this route will help revive some vulnerable rural communitie­s,” he said.

 ??  ?? It is hoped Scotland’s pilgrimage routes can bring tourism to rural areas and offer people a spiritual experience.
It is hoped Scotland’s pilgrimage routes can bring tourism to rural areas and offer people a spiritual experience.
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