Plans for only Aberdeen Hindu temple unveiled

Old Stoneywood Church is in Aberdeen's Bankhead Road

Plans to convert a former church into Aberdeen's only Hindu temple have been unveiled.

Aberdeen Hindu Temple Trust has submitted plans to transform Old Stoneywood Church.

The organisation said Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire has thousands of Hindu religion followers, but that the nearest temple is in Dundee.

Old Stoneywood Church was built in the 1840s. It was converted into offices in the 1990s but is currently vacant.

The trust said it not only wanted to bring the church on Bankhead Road "back to life" but also back to its original use as a place of worship.

'Disadvantaged from worshipping'

The application states: "Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire combined has over 3,500 Hindu religion followers.

"In addition to this, there are other groups who follow certain aspects of the Hindu culture, for example yoga and meditation.

"There is no Hindu temple within Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire, which covers a large geographic area and therefore, this community is highly disadvantaged from worshipping.

"The nearest Hindu Temple which is in Dundee is 70 miles from Aberdeen and it is not really feasible for people of the Hindu religion to go there."

The Aberdeen Hindu Temple Trust was formed in 2014 to raise money for either a purpose-built temple or to convert existing premises to a temple.

It said there would be no changes to the external layout or historical features of the building.