Asking price for Inverness' oldest church cut

The Old High Church was put up for sale in 2022

The sale price of Inverness' oldest church has been cut by £50,500 in an effort to find a buyer.

Old High Church on the city's riverside was built using parts of a medieval kirk that had stood on the site.

The Church of Scotland, which owns the kirk, put it on the market in 2022 for offers over £150,000 but it has now dropped the price to £99,500.

A spokesperson said the vacant property continued to be a financial burden on the local congregation due to rates, insurance and maintenance costs.

A potential sale fell through last November following 12 months of negotiations.

The price cut was first reported in the Press and Journal newspaper.

The Church of Scotland said it hoped dropping the price would lead to a successful outcome for the congregation, the A-listed building and wider Inverness and Highland community.

The spokesperson said: "The decision to sell the Old High building was taken against the background of radical reforms under way across the Church of Scotland to provide well-equipped, accessible and sustainable spaces in the right places.

"The Church owns thousands of properties, far more than required to achieve our primary mission of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and serving our local communities."

They added: "Having fewer congregational buildings reduces pressure on congregational finances, freeing up funds and general income for other Church missional activities and a more sustainable and realistic situation."

The Old High Inverness charity hopes to raise enough funds to buy the building and put it to community and cultural use.

The organisation is working on a feasibility study and has secured an offer of some funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund.

A spokesperson said: "We do understand that it is very frustrating for the local congregation to have to support a building which they can no longer use.

"We hope that they will have the patience whilst we take the necessary time to put a full bid together."

Jacobite prisoners

The mound on which the Old High was constructed is believed to be the site where Irish missionary St Columba converted King Brude to Christianity in 565.

The saint is also linked to the mythology of the Loch Ness Monster.

An account of the missionary's life thought to have been written in the 7th Century tells of him encountering a strange beast in the River Ness.

The oldest part of the Old High was used as a prison after Bonnie Prince Charlie's defeat at Culloden, and captured Jacobites were executed in the church grounds.

This connection with Culloden has led to the church featuring as a stop on local walking tours, and made it of interest to Outlander fans.

The TV hit, based on the books of author Diana Gabaldon, follows the adventures of World War Two nurse Claire, played by Caitriona Balfe, and Sam Heughan's 18th Century Jacobite Highlander Jamie Fraser.

The church is a prominent landmark on Inverness' Riverside

A bell believed to have been rung daily for more than 300 years forms part of the sale.

The curfew bell dates back to 1703 when Queen Anne - the last Stuart monarch - was on the British throne.

According to the Church of Scotland it was originally rung at 17:00 to signal a night-time curfew before a later tradition started for ringing it at 20:00.

The bell is listed in the sales schedule for the Old High, and the new owner would take responsibility for it.