Vision
Our vision has multiple strands
- At its core, the church will continue as a site of Christian worship, but with a specific intention to return to its singular root in the Celtic church prior to any divisions. Thus, the group is extending across the Christian traditions to work together in creating a place for unified, ecumenical worship.
- The church has always been important to the local community, not just as the site of collective worship, baptisms, weddings and funerals, but also a place of solace and individual contemplation. We want to honour and develop that deep sense of connection to the building, facilitating the community to continue using it for key rites of passage, but also exploring new ways of gathering and making use of the space.
- We also treasure the site’s long history of an open door and are committed to enabling all people, of any faith or none, from anywhere in the world, to be welcomed, whether attending events or for personal reflection.
- At a time of increasing global crisis and conflict, with the anxiety and despair this can evoke, Loch Insh Old Kirk is a sanctuary: a place for healing, peace-making and restoration. This will happen both through communal events and inner spiritual work.
For all the reasons above, the Kirk is ideal for development as a site of pilgrimage, both as a destination and a way point along routes to places such as Iona and Holy Isle. This opens up relationships with other sites, organisations and communities, including British Pilgrimage Trust and faith groups around the world.
The site is ideal as a hub for local history and heritage interpretation, much of which is not told in any other local museum or visitor centre. We will ensure this is provided in ways that are creative, flexible, non-intrusive and accessible across multiple needs.
Sited within the Cairngorms National Park, above Loch Insh and the Spey and near to Loch Insh Marshes, the area around the church is already a haven for bird watchers and other nature lovers, and our vision includes partnerships with local nature organisations, providing shelter, interpretation and special events. This builds on the church’s special relationship with birds through the legacy of Columba (whose doves frame the bronze bell) and the legendary link to the swans.
We hope to creatively remodel the interior with the right balance of respect for history and imagination for the future so that it can have diverse uses. We anticipate these including talks, exhibitions, concerts and more intimate gatherings. Ideas for these include:
Honouring the Gaelic heritage of the site through guided walks, talks and worship, including Gaelic psalm-singing
Art and photography exhibitions that celebrate the local area and local artists
Talks exploring themes of relevance to the site from local history to Celtic theology to book launches
Gatherings around a wood-burning stove for storytelling, poetry, singing and sharing
The church will continue to be available for external bookings for weddings and other appropriate events, which will provide an important source of income and will complement other venues in the area that can offer reception facilities
Ultimately, the goal of Loch Insh Old Kirk is to draw deep from the well of our Celtic origins and rich story to provide fresh ways of celebrating this special place and nourishing our community, both the settled and the sojourning.
