A Scots church with a remarkable double life has gone on the property market for offers over £195,000.
Stunning Glenaray and Inveraray Parish Church has stood at the heart of picturesque Inveraray on the shores of Loch Fyne for more than 200 years.
Behind its classical façade lies a story of Highland clearances, divided congregations, changing traditions and a vanished spire.
The A-listed Kirk, in Church Square at the heart of the famous Georgian town in Argyll and Bute, was designed by noted architect Robert Mylne in 1792 and built between 1795 and 1802.
No ordinary church, it was designed to accommodate two entirely separate congregations.
Behind its elegant exterior are two virtually identical halves, divided by a massive internal wall around 25in thick.
One side was intended for an English-speaking Lowland congregation while the other served the Gaelic-speaking Highland community.
The stunning Glenaray and Inveraray Parish Church has stood at the heart of picturesque Inveraray on the shores of Loch Fyne for more than 200 years
Those travelling down to the Mull of Kintyre drive around the church, with the main road towards Campbeltown splitting either side of the historic building
Each had its own entrance and portico, making the building a remarkable reflection of the linguistic and cultural divisions of the time.
A tall central tower and slender spire rose from the dividing wall, giving the church an imposing silhouette over the planned town, but was demolished in 1941, changing the appearance of the building permanently.
In 1930, the two local congregations united and by 1957, the former Gaelic half had been transformed into a church hall, while its gallery was enclosed to create the Paul Fraser Memorial Chapel.
Today’s building is the surviving legacy of a period when language, faith and architecture were woven into the fabric of Inveraray.
The church was built as part of the grand redevelopment masterminded by the Dukes of Argyll after the original village was cleared in the 1770s.
The 5th Duke was an early pioneer of town planning. But his vision for a more secluded Inveraray Castle resulted in the old medieval settlement outside its gates being swept away and its inhabitants dispossessed and relocated to a brand-new planned town further south along Loch Fyne – out of direct sight of the castle.
The result is the picture-postcard Inveraray visitors know today – a distinctive whitewashed town steeped in the history of Clan Campbell and often described as the traditional capital of Argyll.
The sale comes as the Church of Scotland offloads hundreds of surplus kirks and manses as part of its mission to downsize its massive property portfolio, amid shrinking congregations and soaring maintenance costs.
The Kirk’s property footprint stretches the length and breadth of the country, offering buyers the chance to purchase properties in stunning coastal, countryside and city locations, often at very attractive prices.
A Church of Scotland spokesman said: ‘Reducing the number of buildings we own has been one part of a raft of radical reforms being undertaken by the Church in recent years, aimed at ensuring we are lean and fit for mission in the 21st century and have well equipped spaces in the right places.’
