A historic Moray church that is set to celebrate its 200th anniversary on Christmas Eve was a hive of activity over the weekend as the community rallied to help with renovations.
Following a public appeal St Peter’s Church in Buckie saw people rally to assist in two ‘open days’ that saw the railings outside the church in perfect order in time for the special day.
Moray Council’s common good fund pitched in with financial backing while local business also came to the aid of the church – including Springfield Properties from Elgin.
The church has been an important part of Buckie life since it first opened its doors in 1814 and was later consecrated in 1854.
Several major issues with the state of the building have had to be addressed with around £300,000 now spent on repairs that have seen the walls taken back to their original state.
The original iron railings outside the church were commandeered for the war effort in the 1940’s. It was only during the 100th anniversary of the church’s consecration in 1957 that new wrought iron gates were put in place.
Now the railings put in place by volunteers compliment the distinctive entrance to the building.
Parish priest Father Tad Turski said he was “overwhelmed” by the help the church has received: “My sincere gratitude goes to Springfield Properties for sponsoring this project and to the kind-hearted team of men who gave up their free time to do the work.”
Local councillor Gordon Cowie said the work was part of a larger project that was coming to fruition: “This weekend was not a massive project, renovating the railings outside, but it was important because that is what people see.
“Around £300,000 has been spent on improvements such as taking the walls back to their original level, pointing work outside the building and the spire. But there is a lot more to come.”