A church with close links to historic figures such as Robert the Bruce is under threat unless £500,000 can be raised for urgent upgrades.
Cullen and Deskford Church, which was established in 1236, is one of the oldest buildings of its kind in Scotland and boasts a string of notable connections.
But members fear its days could be numbered if they are unable to pull off an ambitious improvement project.
An increasing number of tourists have flocked from across the planet to the A-listed building to see where their ancestors worshipped.
But its bell has not tolled for more than two years amid health and safety concerns over the state of the cracked tower.
And parishioners fear a dilapidated heating system could give out at any moment.
They are now posting notes to every home in Cullen and the surrounding area, asking people to attend a crisis meeting on the venue’s future next week.
Church member Sheila Sellar explained that the extent of the historic venue’s problems became clear after the committee looked into repairing its ageing bell tower.
She said: “We learned that would cost in excess of £20,000 but then all this other work came to light.
“The building needs a lot of maintenance work and a new heating system, and we want local people on board helping in whatever way they can.
“Our congregation is getting older and we can’t pay for this process from church funds.
“It’s a lot of money involved, but the alternative is that we have to close it.
“That wouldn’t just be a loss for those who attend here, but for the whole area.”
The church’s visitor book displays heartfelt messages left by people from New Zealand, Canada and the United States.
And, with an ageing congregation, organisers are hoping to capitalise on the venue’s tourist appeal to raise the funds necessary to keep it open.
Mrs Sellar explained that new access ramps for disabled people will have to be fitted to truly capitalise on its potential as a visitor attraction.
She added: “People want to come to the same church their forebears went to, and that’s something we will need to explore more as a way of generating income.”
Fabric convener Bill Davidson is in charge of looking after the building – and has intriguing stories relating to almost every facet of it.
Mr Davidson is determined to keep it functioning, though he conceded members face a battle to accomplish that.
He said: “We have had to close the door beneath the bell tower, which was used for wedding photos, for safety reasons.
“The tower needs repaired as a matter of priority, there are some pretty big cracks in it.
“But then the outside needs repointed, there is damp on the walls that needs to be addressed, and a suitable flood drain needs to be created all the way around the church.
“What makes it so expensive is that we can’t just take machinery in, it’s a historic building and everything needs to be done with care.”
The group is hopeful that the repairs package could help the church reach 1,000 years of age if implemented in full.
Postcards bearing an image of the storied building have been sent to every address in Cullen and Deskford, inviting people to a meeting there next Tuesday, April 4, at 7pm.
It states that attendees will discuss the condition of the building, options to secure its future and “why it is so special”.
Forres architect firm LDN will give a presentation on how the venue could be maintained.
