One of the joys
of church-going up here on the north coast of Scotland is the sheer beauty that
surrounds me on the way to and from every service. As I've mentioned before, the church buildings I've known and loved in my life all matter
hugely to me, but here the journey to worship itself can be as unique and
awe-inspiring as any beautiful and ancient building.
I think a bit of
background is probably needed to begin with, to show just why Holy Week and Easter here are so busy and
yet so very special for me. The history of church life in Scotland since the
reformation is very different from that south of the border. Here the parish
churches found in every town and village belong to the Church of Scotland,
which is Presbyterian. Anglicans such as myself are always made very welcome at
their services, but if I want to attend worship in my own tradition, I have to
find a congregation of the Scottish Episcopal Church and these are few and far
between in this remote and sparsely-populated area.
Two years ago a
new Episcopal congregation was inaugurated here in Tongue and we meet once a
month on a Friday at a local retreat house, almost in the shadow of Ben Loyal,
for a Eucharist followed by a very enjoyable shared lunch. People travel from a
wide area to get here, with only a minority of people actually living in the
immediate locality, and they need to be fed and watered before they make the
journey home.
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| The view from the retreat house |
We are part of
what is known as the Northwest Charge, which covers the whole of the top
left corner of the Highlands as far south as Ullapool. Our Rector lives 60
miles away and has 5 very scattered congregations in his care. I hate to think
what his monthly mileage total must be! If we want to attend a Eucharist more
than once a month, we too have to be prepared to travel.
Holy Week began of course with Palm Sunday and the Church of Scotland parish service was held
across the Kyle on the Melness peninsula, in the most northerly church building
on the British mainland.
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| The view across the Kyle of Tongue to the Melness peninsula |
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| Melness church, built by local men for local people |
Later in the week, on Maundy
Thursday I went with 3 friends to an Episcopal Eucharist being held in one of
the most unusual places of worship I’ve ever experienced. Once a month on a
Thursday at mid-day, people gather from across an apparently empty landscape at
the Crask Inn, about 20 miles south of here, and one of the most remote
hostelries in the British Isles. As in Tongue, the service is followed by a
shared lunch and the chance for a good chat to catch up with everyone’s news.
Sadly the weather that day was so bad, with strong gales and driving sleet,
that none of the photos in this section were taken by me. However the service
was so moving that the battle against the elements faded into complete insignificance
and only the experience of worship remains.
The Crask Inn in sunshine and storm
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| The view from the inn car-park |
Thankfully that
was the last kick of winter and Good Friday dawned bright and sunny, as did the
rest of the Easter weekend. On Easter Day I walked happily along the road,
under a totally cloudless sky, to the parish church for a packed and joyful morning service.
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| Saint Andrew's Church, Tongue |
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| The view from the church gate |
Later that day, still
in glorious sunshine, I drove with the same three friends along 50 miles of
mainly single-track road across the hills and around the coast to the council day centre in the little
fishing port of Kinlochbervie to make my Easter communion at a wonderful
service, which was followed by an equally wonderful Highland tea. The drive
home at sunset, with tendrils of mist beginning to curl up from the surface of
the lochs, and the deer coming down from the hills to the water to drink, was
so beautiful that it brought me close to tears at times.
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| The River Hope on its way from Loch Hope to the sea |
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| Glorious Loch Eriboll, snapped from the car |
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| The Pentland Firth, not the Mediterranean |
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| Sangobeg Sands |
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| Along the shore of the Kyle of Durness |
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| Don't wake the sleeping dragon |
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| Loch Sheigra and Loch Inchard at sunset |
Yesterday a
very special Easter celebration was rounded off by our monthly Eucharist at the
retreat house. The sun may have disappeared behind a layer of thick, grey
cloud, but nothing dims the warmth of the fellowship we enjoy and the
significance we attach to the worship we travel so far to attend. And there isn't a pew or a stained-glass window to be seen anywhere….