Reay Parish Church facts for kids
Reay Parish Church is a special church in Reay, a small village in the very north of Scotland. It's one of the most northern communities on the Scottish mainland. The church serves the local people, and it's located a few miles west of a larger town called Thurso. Many people in the area work at the Dounreay nuclear facility, which is the biggest employer nearby.
A Look Back: The Church's Story
Building the Church
Reay Parish Church was built a long time ago, in 1739. It has a unique "T" shape when you look at it from above. This design is quite old and interesting. The outside of the church is painted white, making it stand out. It is also a very important building, protected as a category A listed building. This means it has special historical or architectural value.
Inside, the church has a wooden pulpit (where the minister speaks). This pulpit is probably from when the church was first built. It even has an old "sounding board" above it, which acts like a canopy. The pulpit is on the longest wall of the church. People sit on dark wooden pews, facing each other along the two arms of the 'T' shape. One part of the 'T' was made into a vestry (a room for the minister) in the 1950s.
Special Celebrations and Changes
In 1989, the church building turned 250 years old! To celebrate this big birthday, the church had a major restoration. This means they fixed up and improved many parts of the building. As part of the celebrations, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visited the church. The leader of the Church of Scotland, called the Moderator, also came to visit.
Over the years, the church has seen some changes in how it works with other local churches. In 1994, Reay Parish Church joined with two nearby churches, Strathy and Halladale, in an arrangement called a "link." This meant they shared the same minister.
Then, in 2006, the three parishes (Reay, Strathy, and Halladale) officially joined together. They became one big congregation called the "North Coast Parish Church" (NCPC). Even though they were one congregation, they still used their separate church buildings for services. The first minister for this new united church was Reverend Paul R Read. Later, Reverend David Macartney became the minister in 2017.
