Is community ownership on for Insh Church?
What’s to become of Kincraig’s historic church?
In a country-wide audit of their properties, the Church of Scotland General Trustees have decided to sell, lease or otherwise dispose of the building by the end of 2026.
Now a group of local people have decided to form a charity to bring it into a new season of community ownership.
“Its core identity will continue as a place of Christian worship and welcome to all, adding opportunities to highlight its historical significance and hosting a programme of events that enrich community life and are in keeping with its character,” reports church member David Hull.
“We warmly invite everyone to a community engagement event on Sunday, June 29. There will be a presentation about the history of the church and its architectural features; an explanation of the building’s current status and opportunities for buyout and future uses.”
There will also bea time for people to share their own stories of the church, such as christenings, weddings, funerals and other special events.
“If you have photos of any of these, please bring them to show. This is an opportunity to share our experiences and ideas and to learn together how the community would like to use the building: what kind of events and opportunities would you like to see there? How would you like to get involved? Can you support the new life of this old and precious place?”
There will also be refreshments and plenty of time for people to mingle, chat, share memories and ideas.
The holy ground here is thought to have been a site of Christian worship for well over a thousand years, since the time of Columba and his disciples in the 6th Century.
The little hill is called Tom Eunan from the Gaelic where ‘tom’ means mound or hillock and ‘Eunan’ is the shorter form of Adamnan, so it means ‘Adamnan’s Mount’. Adamnan was born around 625 in Ireland and came to Scotland as a monk, eventually becoming the 9 th Abbot of Iona.
The monks of Iona travelled around and established Christianity in northern Scotland.
A strong tradition maintains that the site of Insh Church is one of the few places in Scotland where Christian worship has been held without a break since that time.
