Church that inspired Sunset Song up for sale

Parts of Arbuthnott Church date back to the late 1200s

A historic church that played a central role in one of Scotland's most-loved novels, Sunset Song, has been put up for sale.

Arbuthnott Church in Kincardineshire was the inspiration for the setting of the 1930s novel, and the remains of its author Lewis Grassic Gibbon are buried in its graveyard.

The Church of Scotland has said it needs a significant reduction in the properties it owns.

A community group had hoped it might be possible to take over the building but the A-listed church is now officially up for sale, with offers over £45,000 being sought.

Lewis Grassic Gibbon, real name James Leslie Mitchell, based the fictional estate of Kinraddie on Arbuthnott

Sunset Song was written in 1932 by Grassic Gibbon, the pen name of James Leslie Mitchell.

It was the first book in the trilogy - A Scots Quair - telling the story of Chris Guthrie, a young woman who lives and works on her family farm in the Mearns, the farming areas south of Aberdeen.

The novel is set on the fictional estate of Kinraddie which Grassic Gibbon based on Arbuthnott, where he lived as a child and where his ashes were buried after his death at the age of 33 in 1935.

The story told by the trilogy begins just before World War One and follows Chris from the countryside of her childhood to city life, touching on class, war, religion and female emancipation.

The church's stained glass windows feature in Sunset Song

The oldest section of the Arbuthnott church building dates back to the late 1200s.

The Arbuthnott Community Development Group had looked at raising money or applying for funds to take over the church.

The Church of Scotland said it had been "supportive" of a community sale.

"The group was given time to acquire the property but ultimately they were not able to do so after a feasibility study concluded that it would be difficult to purchase and maintain the building," a statement said.

"As a result, it pulled out, and Arbuthnott Church has been remitted to our solicitors to begin the process for an open market sale."

The Church of Scotland added: "The Kirk Session remains committed to providing worship in Arbuthnott, even after the church building is sold, and the hope is that the church will be available for special services, such a Watch Night and Harvest."

The author is remembered in the church graveyard

The sale schedule states: "The A-listed building could be used, without the necessity of obtaining change of use consent, as a crèche, day nursery, day centre, educational establishment, museum, art gallery or public library.

"It also has potential for a variety of other uses, such as a theatre, cinema or entertainment venue, retail space or community resource subject to obtaining appropriate consents."

The graveyard is owned and maintained by the council.

In 1971, a six-episode television adaptation of the novel was the first colour drama made by BBC Scotland and was greeted with huge acclaim.

It was credited with reigniting interest in Grassic Gibbon, and Sunset Song was put on the Higher English syllabus.

In 2016, it was voted Scotland's favourite book in a BBC poll, ahead of the Wasp Factory by Iain Banks and Lanark by Alasdair Gray.

In an introduction to the novel, published in 2020, the then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote of her love for the book, which she said was her favourite novel.