Historic Campsie High Kirk Church to reopen as community arts centre after £1 purchase

A historic church in Lennoxtown which was previously destroyed in a fire is set to begin a new chapter as a community arts centre.

Campsie High Kirk Church lay empty and without an owner for years after a devastating blaze in 1984.

Friends of Campsie High Kirk acquired the building from the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer for just £1 in May.

The building will be formally transferred to the local community and to East Dunbartonshire Provost Gillian Renwick in a milestone ceremony on Wednesday, July 9.

It will then undergo a major restoration project to reopen as an open-plan space that can host community meetings, arts events, and theatre performances.

The building is set to undergo a major restoration project The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service via Supplied

It will also involve replicating the damaged tower that was torn down in the aftermath of the fire.

The new ghost tower will see a frame constructed on the top of the remaining clock tower, which would light up at night.

A balcony will be put up around the interior of the building, which has been on the buildings at risk register since 1990, and a Celtic Garden will be created in the middle of the space paying homage to the story of Lennoxtown.

The church is being transformed into an arts hub under the Ownerless Property Transfer Scheme (OPTS), launched last year by the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR).

It has been hailed as ‘a landmark moment in Scotland’s heritage-led regeneration journey’.

John Logue, the KLTR, spoke of his enthusiasm for the Campsie project ahead of the visit.

He said: “The Friends of Campsie High Kirk presented a really compelling case for not only rescuing this magnificent building from further decline but also providing a community arts hub with the potential to give a huge economic and cultural boost to the Lennoxtown area.

“We are delighted to see the opportunities provided by the OPTS used in this way and look forward to watching the transformation.”

Craig Brooks, Chair of the Friends of Campsie High Kirk, said: “It’s not just about saving a building. It’s about something much bigger. It’s about communities being empowered by those in a position to give them the tools to make it happen.

“That applies from government right down to communities like ours.”