She has spent 21 years on the busy – and occasionally mean – streets of Lanarkshire.
But now, Church of Scotland minister The Reverend Dr Lindsay Schluter has been appointed to lead two congregations in the Outer Hebrides that have been vacant for years.
Dr Schluter was inducted as minister for Barra and South Uist congregations this month – a long way from her last spritual home at Trinity Church in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire.
The charge of Barra became vacant on the demission of the Rev Eleanor D Muir on March 11, 2008, while South Uist has been without a minister since May 31, 2011, when Rev Jacqueline G Petrie left.
Dr Schluter, who has moved into the Manse at Cuithir on Barra with her 12-year-old black Labrador Calag, said she was very much looking forward to her new role.
She paid warm tribute to local people for their herculean efforts to keep the two congregations going in the absence of a minister.
Dr Schluter, who is fluent in German and once worked as a translator, interpreter and guide at the Glenfiddich distillery in Moray, said: “I am very pleased and excited to be here.
“I feel very content and it feels like the right place to be.
“I like the Hebrides a lot and I have family connections here which means I had an idea of what life would be like before I moved.
“I am settling in and need to work out how to deal with a linked charge because there is an awful lot of water between the two parishes.
“A single boat trip is about 40 minutes.”
She added that she would miss her old parish in Larkhall and had a “very good time” there.
Dr Schluter was inducted as minister by the Moderator of Argyll Presbytery Marilyn Shedden, in Cuithir Parish Church, Barra.
The service was followed by a reception and a Ceilidh in North Bay Hall.
Barra Church session clerk Sheila Flower said: “We are delighted to have Lindsay with us because it was a long eight and a half years.
“People rallied round, we had lots of support from the Catholics on the island, and we were getting by.
“But we needed a shepherd because we have thousands of sheep and then out of the blue we heard that Lindsay was interested.
“It is lovely to have a professional minister to lead us – people prefer to turn to a minister in times of crisis to talk to and Lindsay has lots of experience in that field.”
