Saints Kentigern (left) and Columba (right) giving it their all in a famous no-holds-barred saint-off by the Molendinar. [Stained glass by Lorraine Lamond in St Alphonsus at the Barras.]

If you missed it at the weekend, there was a very touching piece on BBC Radio 4's "Sunday" programme from the journalist Paul English interviewing attendees at the final service at the Holy Family Church in Port Glasgow last month. Well worth a listen (6m35s in) here 👇 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Another of St Mungo's legends tells how he miraculously arranged for a fish to find a ring that'd been thrown by her husband into the River Clyde, thus saving Queen Languoreth from a charge of infidelity and execution. Glass by William Wilson, 1951 in Glasgow Cathedral. 1/3

The Carmelite or Whitefriars of Queensferry had a chapel under their patronage at Greenside - then just outside Edinburgh. It was used for a period after the Reformation as a leper hospital, where sufferers were confined on pain of death should they leave threadinburgh.scot/2022/09/22/t...

The Glasgow Wellspring in the city's cathedral. This well is believd to mark the location where St Mungo erected his cell in the 6th Century as he helped spread Christianity through Scotland. Cont./ #glasgow #glasgowcathedral #publicart #ceramics #tiles

The UK's most northerly cathedral, St Magnus in Kirkwall, features in this recent article in RIBAJ, the magazine of RIBA, where Scott Lindsay, partner at Edinburgh architects, Simpson & Brown, gives insight into how modern techniques contribute to quinquennial reports. www.ribaj.com/intelligence...

This very special building is believed to be the only medieval Carmelite church that is still in use anywhere in the British Isles and is our #ScottishChurchOfTheWeek. This remarkable 15th century Gothic church, in South Queensferry, was once part of a Carmelite friary, founded around 1330. 🧵1/3

This melancholy article mentions in passing the closure and sale by the Church of Scotland of St Columba’s Church #Kilmacolm - so active and bustling a community when I grew up there in the late 1960s

“Holy Family Church, Port Glasgow is no longer a sacred place and by this decree has lost its blessing...It may no longer be used for divine worship." Journalist Paul English reflects upon the poignant final mass at this remarkable A-listed Inverclyde church 👇 www.sundaypost.com/fp/last-rite...

Love the font and the window shape on the Govanhill Free Church on Belleisle Street on the Southside of Glasgow. They're both very Glasgow Style. #glasgow #font #architecturephotography #church #architecture

The church that used to stand at the junction of Brook St and Crownpoint Road in the Calton. maps.app.goo.gl/rBkyAUcAD1Sj... #Glasgow #gif

The Baptism of Christ, c1946 at St Mary's Catholic church, Inverness. It's attributed to 'pupils of Herbert Hendrie'. Hendrie was himself a pupil of Christopher Whall, and taught at Edinburgh College of Art. His work is mostly in Scottish churches, though he was in fact English.

Mary & Child. #photography #church #stmarys #dunblane #window

The magnificent blind arches decorating the exterior of St Athernase Church in Leuchars, Fife. Built 840 years ago, the arches have been described as "the second finest piece of Norman work in the whole of Great Britain". More pics and info: www.undiscoveredscot... #Scotland #Leuchars

One of the early medieval stones at Inchinnan Parish Church, near Renfrew in West Scotland. Dating to sometime between the 9th and 11th centuries, the stone is a product of the Kingdom of Strathclyde. 📸 My own. #StoneworkSunday #Inchinnan

“Holy Family Church, Port Glasgow is no longer a sacred place and by this decree has lost its blessing...It may no longer be used for divine worship." Journalist Paul English reflects upon the poignant final mass at this remarkable A-listed Inverclyde church 👇 www.sundaypost.com/fp/last-rite...

Jan 11: Feast of Suibne moccu Urthrí (†657), abbot of Iona. He was apparently the first holder of the title who was not a kinsman of Columba. Cumméne Find succeeded him. 📸August Schwerdfeger #medievalsky

St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #Panorama

I loved this #vibrant splash of light at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. #BlueskyArtShow

"With churches closing across Fife, here's how one family repurposed an empty building in Methil." Inner Leven Parish Church was bought by a local charity in 2015 who now operate it as a dance studio, wedding venue and community centre. Read more here 👇 www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife...

We're starting off the new year with a new blog post! Our latest heritage spotlight explores covenanting banners - powerful objects used in 17th-century Scotland to express belief, identity, and collective action. 👉 churchheritage.scot/2026/01/07/h...

What a lovely initiative to find a sustainable and innovative future for this historic Edinburgh church. St Oswald's in Bruntsfield was built 1899-1900 by Henry F Kerr, it closed in 1963 and was then used by Boroughmuir High School until 2018. It was bought by a local community group in 2020-21.

Morning views from Aberdeenshire.

This church united with the other church on the right in this photograph. I believe there was once a Sunday when a technical problem with the sound system meant the congregation in one church was hearing the service in the other. A legacy of Scottish Presbyterian fissiparousness

Borders Council have granted permission to relocate three family memorials and a war memorial from Ashkirk Parish Church, prior to its conversion to a community hub, subject to conditions. Read the story here 👇 www.bordertelegraph.com/news/2571471... (Images: Church of Scotland sales brochure)

As we've seen in earlier posts, many Scottish churches held their final services at the end of the year Our director had a conversation last month with historian & broadcaster Dr Louise Yeoman about the human, heritage & wider cultural impacts of the extensive church closures of recent years (1/2)

The Troon Development Trust has warned that "time is running out" for their bid to raise funds to purchase for the local community a gorgeous late 19th century local landmark church designed by celebrated Scottish architect Hippolyte Blanc. Story here 👇 www.ayradvertiser.com/news/2572977...

#Epiphany By #DouglasStrachan in New College Library, Edinburgh.

Jan 8: Feast of Nathalan († c.678). Patron of north-east Scotland churches Tullich, Bethelnie and Cowie. He is probably the same Pictish saint as the Nechtan found in place-name Abersnithock, linked with early Christian centre Nér. Tullich Pictish stones 📸Aberdeenshire Council #medievalsky

Irvine Valley Church in Galston, our #ScottishChurchOfTheWeek, contains two war memorial stained glass windows, for #WindowsOnWednesday, by artist Oscar Paterson. He was one of contemporaries such as Charles Rennie Macintosh and Margaret MacDonald. 👇 www.visitstainedglass.uk/artist-page/... 🧵1/2

"End of an era as Greenock West United Reformed Church closes" The Greenock Telegraph reports on the recent final service of this historic church in Inverclyde 👇 www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/2574345...

Edinburgh, winter afternoon

The crown spire of the 1898 Kelvin Stevenson Memorial Church in Glasgow standing above the main arch of the Belmont Street Bridge as seen from the Kelvin Walkway. #glasgow #architecture #church #architecturephotography #bridge

The roof lantern on James Sellars' 1879 Greek Revival style former church on Derby Street in the Kelvingrove area of Glasgow. Its design was inspired by the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, which was erected in Athens in 335 BCE. #glasgow #church #architecture #architecturephotography #kelvingrove

This morning at the Sandyford Henderson Memorial Church on Argyle Street in Glasgow. Designed by J.T. Emmett and completed by John Honeyman, this Gothic style church was built in the 1850s. #glasgow #architecture #architecturephotography #church #argylestreet

Explore 19th-century UK organ design with Chris Bragg of Sowne of Organe in our first lecture of 2026: 📅 Thursday 22 January, 7:30pm 📍 St Andrews West Church, Glasgow 💻 Also streamed live via Zoom 🎟 £6 / £2 students: buff.ly/clPnfb3

Murals in Edinburgh by Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852-1936), Irish-born artist Arts and Crafts artist. In the former Catholic Apostolic Church, now Mansfield Traquair Centre.

St Stephen’s Church by night, Stockbridge, Edinburgh

Lovely to see that. An adoptive great uncle was organist there before training for ordained ministry in the Church of Scotland & serving as a chaplain to the Black Watch in WW2.

A landmark Georgian church in Galston, Ayrshire, is #ScottishChurchOfTheWeek. It was called Galston Parish for most of its life but became Irvine Valley in 2024 which includes churches in Darvel and Newmilns. The 120 ft spire has an 1885 bell from the Gorbals Brass and Bell Foundry. 🧵1/2

We are aware that a number of churches across the country, very sadly, held their final ever services to coincide with the end of the old year. We saw accounts of the following closures (let us know below any reports that we may have missed): 🧵

Happy New Year everyone. That's our office reopened, we hope you have had a lovely holiday wherever you're reading this! We'll take down the decorations & bunting soon, but right now our wee team is busy working its way through the festive inboxes, we'll get back to all enquiries as soon as we can.

Moon atop Barclay Church. Happy back to work day 🥶

If you’ve always wanted the chance to ring handbells, then here’s the ideal opportunity for you! 🎵 RING HANDBELLS with Dunblane Cathedral Handbell Ringers 🆓 FREE TASTER SESSION 📍 Dunblane Cathedral Halls 🗓️ SUN 11 JAN 📝 REGISTER: 🔗 tinyurl.com/HandbellTast...

The drive from Strontian to Lochaline in Morven is stunning. Now at the Ionian Cross at Kreil Church, overlooking the Sound of Mull.

The Round Church, Bowmore, Islay.

Back to it this week after being pretty good at switching off over the break. These are just some of the wonderful places I'll be working with in the coming weeks & months. Always room for more! #churchcommunitydevelopment #churchbuildingdevelopment #christianministrysupport #CommunityEngagement

In Port Ellen this morning. #Islay #Scotland #snow

Carmyle Parish Church in the East End of Glasgow. Designed by Alexander Petrie, it was built in 1906. It is unusual in having a bell tower with a wooden belfry topped by a wooden dome. #glasgow #architecture #architecturephotography #church #carmyle

Tullibardine Chapel is 3.5 miles from Gleneagles station. Built by one of the wealthiest families in Scotland. The Murray's founded Tullibardine chapel around 1446 as a place of private worship and burial. It features in my cycle route to Drummond Castle: bit.ly/2pjOEfl