NAIRN OLD PARISH CHURCH
History
The foundation stone of the present Church was laid in 1894 by Sir James Augustus Grant and the building completed in 1897, replacing the original Parish Church by the riverside. It was formally opened and dedicated for public worship on 23rd July 1897. The church is considered by many to be the finest structure in the area, designed by John Starforth. The Architecture is of Early English Transition period, being transeptal in form, with Gothic references. The square tower is almost 100 feet high and the inside of the church has a lovely light interior.
The church organ was built in 1903 by Norman and Beard and has 1700 pipes. In 1950 the organ was converted to electro/ pneumatic, and was rebuilt and enlarged with 4 extra stops added in 2006 by David Loosely.
The glorious stained glass windows on the lower floor are by Ballantyne & Gardiner. The window above the organ loft represents the Last Supper. On either side of this large window there are two windows in memory of the fallen in the Great War, the one on the left represents the agony of our Lord in Gethsemane with an angel ministering to him, while the one on the right depicts the faithful warrior and the figure of Eternal Victory.
The North Transept window show the Ascension of Our Lord before His disciples and the window in the South Transept shows the Three Graces,- Faith, Hope and Charity.
High up in the South Transept is the window designed by Dr Douglas Strachan who made, in addition to much notable church work, the stained glass in the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle. This centre window shows the Crucifixtion scene, above which is the figure of the Enthroned Christ, with the sacrificial lamb at his feet and below the women around the Cross. The left hand window portrays one of the Shepherds and one of the Wise Men as spectators at the Crucifxion while the right hand window portrays Roman Soldiers at the Cross. At the base of the three windows are The Good Samaritan, St Ninian and the Good Shepherd.
Two recent additions to our stained glass windows are in the North Transept, designed by Eilidh Keith. One to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Nairn Old Parish Church and the other gifted by the families and men of the 51st Division of the Highland Division in memory of those who fell in the Second World War and to commemorate their association with the Church.
The Pulpit is a replica, in beautifully grained Norwegian pine, of a stone or marble pulpit.
The Communion Table, made of oak, was presented in 1900 by Lady Frances Balfour.
The Baptismal Font was presented in 1898 by the late William Whitelaw, grandfather of the late MP Willie Whitelaw, deputy PM of Margaret Thatcher. It is made of Sicilian marble.
Notices
1. Offerings
Please contact our Treasurer, Finance Team Leader or your Elder if you would like a Standing Order Form or our Bank Account details for Online Banking.
2.Highland FOODBANK (Inverness & Nairn) –
Donations welcomed - tins of corned beef, tins of potatoes/ smash, tins of custard, Weetabix/cornflakes, cartons of long life juice or UHT milk, toilet rolls. Also ‘bags for life’, new or old. (no beans, pasta or soup required meantime).
3. Pennies for the Green Bucket Appeal -
Our Mission and Outreach Team is encouraging us to support Water Aid. All loose change welcome!
4. Please contact
Rev Linda Walker on 07842 311057to discus any pastoral matter.
Thank you for taking time to visit our website, we hope it will be of interest to you and that you will be encouraged to find out more about our church and its congregation. Nairn Old Parish Church has seating for approximately 1200 people on two levels and is accessible to wheelchair users and fitted with a loop system. Music is provided by the Organist and Choir who sing an introit and anthem most Sundays. The Sunday morning Service has a traditional feel, led by our Minister with readers from the congregation and hymns mostly from CH4. The membership role is about 350 with 140-160 people attending on a regular basis. You will be made very welcome if you visit us for morning worship and are invited to join us for tea or coffee after the service. There is a Creche in the Hall for under 5 yr olds to be cared for during the Service.
Data Protection Act.
The Purpose of the Data Protection Act 1998 is to ensure that any personal data an organisation holds about an individual is stored and used in an appropriate way. Nairn Old Parish Church (Charity Number SC000947) through Inverness Presbytery is registered with the Information Commissioner and strives to comply fully with data protection law. The Information Commissioner's website provides in-depth informatiom regarding the requirements of the Data Protection Act: https://www.ico.org.uk/for-organisations/charity
Nairn Old Parish Church is committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal data. We shall use the information you have provided us with for Church purposes and related matters and will only keep the data for as long as necessary/or you decree otherwise.
If you have any queries, please alert our Data Protection Co-ordinator, c/o Kirk View Office, Seabank Road, Nairn. IV12 4RN
Safeguarding Policy
Ensuring a Safe Church for All
The Church of Scotland has a deep concern for the wholeness and well-being of each individual. Through its congregations, working together with the Safeguarding Service and statutory agencies, the Church seeks to safeguard the welfare of all people who come into contact with the Church and its services.
The Gospel proclaims that it is the reponsibility of everyone within the fellowship of the Church to prevent harm, be it physical, sexual or emotional, and we will always seek to reduce risk.
The Church's commitment to safeguarding reminds us that God cares passionately about the welfare and well-being of all people.
