Community / Church of Scotland agrees to sell Lunna Kirk to community group
THE CHURCH of Scotland has agreed to sell the historic Lunna Kirk to the group set up to keep the building in the community.
It comes after the Lunna Kirk Preservation Group was awarded £10,000 towards the purchase.
The building, which is the oldest working church in Shetland, has not yet changed hands as legal formalities are ongoing.
Church of Scotland’s Rev Fran Henderson said: “Here in the Parish of Shetland, we have always been mindful of the exceptional historical importance of Lunna Kirk.
“We were delighted when the Lunna Preservation Group was formed, and want to pay tribute to their incredible hard work over the last 18 months.
“It has been great to see them get such support from the community, and now also from the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland.
“We look forward now to the time when all the legalities are completed, and we can hand the building over in the knowledge that its future has been secured.”
Dating back to the 11th century, the Lunna Kirk’s historic significance goes far beyond the boundaries of the Lunnasting parish, mainly due to its close association with the Shetland Bus wartime operation.
The Church of Scotland announced in 2018 that it would be closing around two thirds of its kirks in Shetland to make its operations more sustainable.
Whilst some have been sold to private buyers, some churches have remained in the community.
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