BY Martin Dunlop | February 21 | 
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Scotland’s first post-Reformation Catholic church wins restoration funding
‘Places of worship are such a key component’ of Scottish heritage, says Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop after lottery award to St Gregory’s Church, near Buckie, and six other sites
The first post-Reformation Catholic church to be built in Scotland is among seven distinguished places of worship across the country that will benefit from a funding package from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland.
St Gregory’s Church (above), near Buckie, in Aberdeen Diocese, was built in 1788. It is one of seven churches set to benefit from a £1.3million funding package that will ensure the church buildings can have essential restoration work carried out on them.
Commenting on today’s funding announcement, Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for culture and external affairs, said that ‘places of worship are such a key component of our rich cultural and architectural heritage across the country.’
“It is important that we invest in their conservation and upkeep to ensure they continue to play a vital role for the congregations they serve and communities in which they are based,” Ms Hyslop said. “I am delighted that both Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund are making this funding available for these projects which will breathe new life into these churches through essential repairs and maintenance. I look forward to seeing the results this investment will deliver.”
The grants are the last to be awarded under the Repair Grants for Places of Worship scheme. A new programme, Grants for Places of Worship, has just been launched to replace the former programme. The new scheme is designed not only to help address the backlog of urgent repairs, but also allows applicants to apply for funding for new works, such as kitchens and toilets, improvements to heating and electrical systems, and improved energy efficiency, so that these historic buildings are fit for the future and can be used and enjoyed more widely as community spaces.
The main repair works at St Gregory’s, a building that boasts an elegant Italian Baroque façade, will take place to the church roofs to strengthen parts of the structures; resolve problems of water ingress and initiate beneficial natural ventilation.
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