A church leader urged action to protect historic churches across the Highlands and Islands during a recent conference in Inverness.
Mario Conti, the Roman Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Glasgow, made the plea during his opening address at the Church Buildings Renewal Trust conference at the Old High Church in the Highland capital.
Right Reverend Conti, who is patron of the trust, spoke about the restoration work required and on the shared heritage of the region’s older churches.
The trust has long been at the forefront of conserving Scotland’s ecclesiastical heritage and has been key in advocating the renewal of all church buildings across the country to prevent redundancy, regardless of denomination.
He then explained the restoration work which he had undertaken on Glasgow’s St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic Cathedral on Clyde Street.
Representatives from all faiths and various churches around the Highlands attended Friday’s conference.
Parishioners at St Columba’s RC Church, Culloden, received a welcome surprise and an esteemed guest on Friday evening at their Lenten Station Mass, with Rt Rev Conti as chief celebrant.
Prior to his appointment as Archbishop of Glasgow, in which he spent 10 years between 2002 and 2012, Mr Conti was Bishop of Aberdeen for 25 years, during which time he purchased land for St Columba’s in Culloden.
He led the Saturday morning Mass at St. Mary’s on Huntly Street, before visiting family and friends in the Elgin area, where he is originally from.
Rt Rev Conti was also the chief celebrant at St. Ninian’s RC Church on Culduthel Road for Sunday’s 10am Mass, before returning to his home in Glasgow.
Charlie Anderson, church manager for Smithton Church, also gave a talk on the use of their church facilities and how churches can maximise the use of worshipping space and use it to generate revenue.
Mr Anderson said about 35-45 different groups use their church each week, and that use of the community area can be extended to Highland Council elections counts, NHS seminars, police meetings, public presentations and “keep fit” classes.
Other talks were given by conservation architect Andrew Wright, as well as Elsie Normington on her work with the Merkinch Community Centre.
