East Church Awarded Heritage Lottery Fund Stage One Pass

Overwhelming support from the public has helped Cromarty East Church secure a stage one pass for a grant of £641,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), together with development funding of £24,200.

Colin McLean, HLF Manager for Scotland said: “There is a huge amount of public support for this building so we are delighted to be involved in saving it from ruin. It will be magical to see such an historic church once again take its rightful place as a hub for community life. The Scottish Redundant Churches Trust and the people of Cromarty should take great pride in what they have achieved. The East Church will now be as important a part of their future as it has been in their past.”

The stage one pass means that £641,000 has been earmarked by the HLF for the project, and that an additional £24,200 will be given upfront to enable the SRCT to begin archaeological investigations and environmental monitoring over the next few months. The project will then be further developed and a stage two submission made to the HLF with a view to major work beginning at the church in 2008.

Helma Reynolds of the Friends of Cromarty East Church welcomed the news of the HLF award and said: “The East Church is the old parish church of Cromarty and has been worshipped in and loved for generations by local people. The building makes a strong impression on anyone entering it for the first time – seeing the old pews, the furnishings, and the light coming through the fine arched windows. The atmosphere created is very special and should be conserved for everyone to enjoy.”

The HLF grant is conditional on the balance of funding for the project (estimated at £1.1 million in total) being raised through other grants and donations. The SRCT is therefore continuing to fundraise for the church and all contributions are warmly welcomed. For more information on the East Church and how to make a donation, please click here.

See BBC report and watch video clip: BBC Reporting Scotland.