The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Community needed to save at-risk old church
Religion: Review could shut building
A Highland community is hoping for divine intervention from locals to help save an iconic church from closure.
The future of little-used Dunlichity Church, at Farr, hinges on the result of a Church of Scotland review of its portfolio.
Amotion to the last presbytery mooted uniting it with Dalarossie and Tomatin – a move that would result in the closure of both Dunlichity and Dalarossie.
A decision is expected in early 2018.
The church has historic links with the Clan MacGillivray, with senior figures buried in the cemetery. The clan makes regular visits during gatherings in Scotland.
It is believed that many Jacobites made their escape via the church after the Battle of Culloden.
However, it is now little used and only hosts services once a month in the summer.
Congregation leaders are still keen to keep it open – and called on more people to come along to show their support.
Session clerk of Daviot and Dunlichity Church, Kathleen Matheson, said: “We’re safe at the moment but we need to be planning for the future, what we’re going to do with it.
“I think they want to close it. I think they’ll come back and say it’s not used enough.
“We use it only once a month, the first Sunday in the month in summertime from April to October for an evening service. We want to encourage more people to come, obviously.
“We’re hoping for more support from the local community. It’s such a historic place.”
The first church on the
“We’re safe at the moment but we need to be planning for the future”
site was built in the seventh century. There has been a church there ever since.
A Church of Scotland spokesman said: “Inverness Presbytery discussed the possibility of closing Dunlichty and Dalarossie churches in January as part of its regular review and planning work and the question arose again in March in connection with the charge being vacant.
“At that time the presbytery deferred any decision on closure until after a local church review, scheduled for later this year.
“Any decision on the possibility of closing Dunlichty or Dalarossie churches is not likely to occur before 2018.”