Heritage lottery fund grant for Cromarty East Church

The award of a Project Planning Grant of £26,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled the SRCT to fund a range of specialist studies and reports at Cromarty’s historic East Church. The work is vital in gaining a detailed understanding of the history, significance and condition of the building prior to undertaking a comprehensive repair and conservation project. Covering a range of specialisms from historic furnishings to engineering and archaeology to timber infestation, the information gathered by the studies will define and guide the project and the long-term management of the building.

The aim of the project is to regenerate the Category A-listed church and to enable access and use of a nationally significant building to be enhanced and developed for the enjoyment of all. Following extensive repair and conservation, current community activities and uses will be extended and much-improved access and interpretation provided, tailored to a variety of visitors including young people and those researching family history.

The process, not simply the end result, is seen by the SRCT as an important aspect of the project – an exciting opportunity to involve and interest a wide variety of people at a critical stage in the building’s history. Training, education and skills development at various levels will be incorporated to allow everyone from members of the public to apprentice craftsmen to learn, take part, and to share in the regeneration of a part of Scotland’s heritage.

The SRCT’s last repair and conservation project at St Peter’s Kirk in Orkney won a European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award, an RIBA Conservation Commendation and a Civic Trust Commendation.

Conservation Plan

The East Church Conservation Plan by Andrew PK Wright is available as a pdf file. Please note this is a large file (12.6Mb). Click here to download.