REINVIGORATING A HISTORIC SCOTTISH KIRK

The charming 19th-century Kilmaronock Old Kirk has been out of use for several years. So, in 2017, the Kilmaronock Old Kirk Trust was set up to buy the building from the Church of Scotland, in order to restore it and run it for the local community.

We are delighted to have been chosen to help the Trust achieve their aim. They have been hard at work raising funds through grants and the community and are now at the stage of planning restorative and regenerative work on the beautiful building.

We feel very at home working on Scotland's historic kirks, and have considerable experience as RIAS accredited Conservation Architects in this field, so feel confident and enthusiastic about the very sensitive proposals for Kilmaronock Kirk. As a practice we're passionate about preserving historic buildings.

At this stage, we are considering phase one repairs to the building to make it compliant again for use, including general repairs to the stonework, lime pointing, leadwork and slating. And once the building is made good, we are hopeful to be able to create a multi-faceted space inside. This includes proposals for an upper-floor local history exhibition space, and adding a kitchen and toilet, so that the building can be used by the community for events and gatherings.

It's always positive to see a community project such as this come to life, to preserve the beauty of our built heritage, and reimagine it for modern use. Trust chairman Willie Roxburgh said, 'The intention is to develop the building as a suitable multi-use community meeting space, an arts venue and a heritage centre... The glebe field will be developed as a natural burial ground and outdoor recreational space.'

It's very good to see it being restored for the whole community to use. We look forward to working with the Kilmaronock Old Kirk Trust to achieve a wonderful new future for this pretty Scottish kirk.

Click here to read more about the project.

Photo credit Kilmaronock Old Kirk Trust