Abbey site community buy-out from Church of Scotland set to move forward? Local feasibility study finds ‘overwhelming’ support for community ownership of the Lamp of the North - Fearn Abbey
Ambitious plans for a community buy-out of the historic Fearn Abbey look set to proceed after a feasibility study showed “overwhelming” local support.
The community was awarded a grant at the start of the year to explore the possibility of purchasing the A-listed church - dubbed the Lamp of the North - amid moves by the Church of Scotland to sell off some of its sites to save costs. Locals hope buying the abbey will safeguard it for future generations.
The feasibility study, commissioned by the Friends of Fearn Abbey with backing from Fearn Amenities, has now come back with a number of recommendations - including that the Friends push ahead with a bid to buy the abbey, its grounds and a portion of the car park.
It comes amid a backdrop of numerous blows for Fearn in recent years, with Highland Council closing and selling off the village hall, and a lack of investment in the sports pitch and pavilion - among others.
And the Friends are hopeful that the abbey could halt that trend and become a vital community asset, bringing more visitors to the area while also preserving and better highlighting the long history of this important site - which dates back to the 13th century and is the northernmost monastic establishment in Scotland,
As well as recommending that the Friends of Fearn Abbey should press on with an application to the Scottish Land Fund to buy the abbey and grounds, the report also recommends exploring the re-opening of the abbey for public access as well.
Elsewhere, options to promote the abbey for weddings, funerals and events will also be explored, as too will an option to create a small tearoom facility for visitors.
And Friends chairman John Scott has urged people to hear about the next steps in the community buy-out process and plans for the future at a special event in the Seaboard Centre in Balintore on Tuesday, October 29 at 7pm.
“The abbey is a wonderful building and a really good opportunity for the community to pull together and preserve for the future,” he said. “I’ve been blown away by the community response. We’ve had a lot of support and it’s really good.”
He added that the meeting later this month is a chance for people to “refine” and “finesse” the plan for the building as well as getting more people on board at the steering group to help push things forward.
He continued: “It is said that ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ hence the Friends of Fearn Abbey have taken that step and are now on their way.
“An initial approach has now been made to the Scottish Land Fund, with the understanding that the feasibility study and business plan will demonstrate community support and evidence of need for a sustainable business model.
“Fearn has seen in recent years, a reduction in locally available community facilities and services. This includes the loss of the village hall following its sale by The Highland Council, the imminent closure of the local shop and Post Office, and hotel along with the lack of investment in the local sports pitch and pavilion.
“The feasibility study demonstrates overwhelming community support and evidence of need for the acquisition of Fearn Abbey as a community asset.”
