Church of Scotland in Inverness prepares to mark 125th anniversary
Tours of an Inverness church will feature among a programme of events as it marks its 125th anniversary.
The congregation at Crown Church of Scotland is preparing for the milestone occasion later this month.
The church will open its doors for tours between noon - 2 pm each day between September 16 - 28.
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• Guided tours and free refreshments to be offered at open day at recently-upgraded historic church
Former minister Rev Dr Peter Donald, now preaching in Airdrie, will return on Sunday September 22 to join in a special anniversary service. He was minister when the church celebrated its centenary.
Many church groups will celebrate the anniversary with their own special events including a choral event on Saturday September 21.
There will also be an exhibition of posters celebrating the life, work and witness of the church over the years.
Further details of events will be posted on Crown Church’s social media platforms.
The current minister is the Rev Douglas Robertson.
The first minister of what was then a Free Church congregation, Rev William Todd , was inducted to Crown Church on September 19 1899.
Initially, the congregation worshipped in the hall which had been built on the initiative of the local Free Church ministers but the present church building followed within two years.
The congregation agreed in 1929 to join the Church of Scotland.
By 1964, the congregation was filling the church and needed more accommodation for its varied youth programmes.
A large hall and stage were built above the original hall, followed in 1981 by the building at the Crown Primary School side of the church which now houses the office and the Olive Grove.
Although the outer shell of the church remains unchanged today, the interior is much altered and is widely used by various church and community groups.
The lower hall has been taken over by Highland Council on a long lease to house Crown Primary School’s early learning centre.
The upper hall has been significantly improved with insulation and is now served by a suite of new toilets, a fitted kitchen and utility room, a covered fire escape, additional storage and a lift, as well as excellent AV facilities and a secure entry system.
To compensate for the loss of the space provided by the lower hall, the pews in the main area of the sanctuary have been removed and the space is now used every day of the week.
The Olive Grove which had been a Crown Church hospitality outreach in the Kingsmills shopping area before the coronavirus pandemic is now re-established in what had been a lounge area in the 1981 building.
Further plans will see the final phase of the redevelopment first conceived in 2019 - a new main entrance for both the disabled and able-bodied through glass doors into a welcoming foyer which leads into the sanctuary.
