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AN historic building at the heart of a Black Isle community could be set for a fresh chapter if local residents desire.
Locals in Avoch and surrounding villages are being encouraged to attend a meeting on Tuesday (June 4) to discuss the future of the Avoch Parish Church.
It closed its doors in late 2023 and the Church of Scotland has since indicated it will sell the building.
A meeting of 20 people held recently in the Avoch Pavilion discussed whether there is a will within the area to explore a community right to buy.
It has been confirmed that the Church of Scotland has deferred advertising the sale of the property until the outcome of that meeting. The church has confirmed the valuation price as £40,000.
The informal group decided it was necessary to hold another meeting involving more people and other key organisations within the community.
The next meeting, to be held in the Avoch Parish Church, will establish whether there is broad local support and capacity within the community to develop a business plan for sustainable ownership and maintenance of the building for local benefit.
It will also give people the opportunity to gather, see inside the church and consider its potential use.
Applications for a community right to buy must be made by an eligible community body and be approved by Scottish Ministers.
Possible uses of the church that have been discussed so far include a community meeting space, heritage centre, a men’s shed or a multi-use facility.
There has been a church on the Braehead in Avoch since 1493. The current building, with a seated capacity of 400, was rebuilt and opened in 1871 and sustained a strong congregation for well over a century.
At the meeting, members of the group noted that villages and towns all across Scotland are taking steps to ensure historical community assets, such as churches, are retained for community benefit.
Taking on the management of assets like this can generate income for the benefit of the whole community.
There is a clear process for registering a community interest in such buildings, but purchasing a building takes time and effort. It needs a group of people to work together to spread the load and to either work within an existing eligible community body or set up a new body – such as a community trust – that has a constitution ensuring that it operates on behalf of the community.
The group noted that the Church of Scotland has been very responsive in its communication and has kindly deferred advertising the sale of the church on the open market until the village has had the opportunity to consider whether there is capacity to take it into community ownership.
The meeting – to which all interested people are welcome – will be held in Avoch Parish Church, Braehead, on Tuesday at 7.30pm-9pm.
Contacted for comment, Black Isle councillor Sarah Atkin said: “I personally find it extremely sad to see churches closing, given they are so steeped in our culture and history.
“As well as for worship, they do have community at their heart. Therefore, it is great to see this initiative to explore whether this piece of Avoch’s history can be reimagined for today’s village community.”
