Lorne & Lowland Parish Church

Lorne & Lowland Parish Church
Lorne & Lowland Parish Church
Lorne & Lowland Parish Church
55°25′28.7″N5°36′31″W / 55.424639°N 5.60861°W / 55.424639; -5.60861
Location	Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute
Country	Scotland
Denomination	Church of Scotland [1]
Previous denomination	United Presbyterian
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Category B listed building
Designated	28 August 1980
Architect	John Bennet
Style	Greco-Italian
Completed	14 July 1872
Construction cost	£11,000 (equivalent to £1,240,600in 2023) [2]
Specifications
Capacity	950 persons
Spire height	150 feet (46 m)
Administration
Presbytery	Cleir Eilean I
Parish	Campbeltown
Clergy
Minister	Rev Steven Sass

Lorne & Lowland Parish Church is a Category B listed building ^[3] in Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute.

History

The church began life as a United Presbyterian Church. In the early seventeenth century a colony of Lowlanders crossed from Ayrshire and settled in Kintyre. A second influx came during the Protectorate of Cromwell which comprised Covenanters. This was followed by Lowland emigrants from Galloway and Wigtown around the start of the eighteenth century. As they spoke no Gaelic, they kept themselves separate from the local population and by voluntary effort built their first church. By 1706 it was too small and a new building was opened. This was replaced again in 1767 by the Longrow Relief Church just to the north of the site of the present building. ^[4]

Construction of the new church started in June 1870 and it was opened for worship on 14 July 1872. It was built to the designs of Glasgow architect John Bunnet. ^[5]

In 1989 the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland ruled that Campbeltown should reduce the number of ministers in the town from three to two. The presbytery of South Argyll was left to make the necessary changes. Lorne Street Church merged with Lowland Church and the decision taken to close Lorne Street. ^[6]

In 2023 Highland Parish Church, Campbeltown was closed and the congregations joined to create Campbeltown Parish Church.

Organ

The organ

The church contained a 2 manual and pedal pipe organ by Brindley & Foster dating from 1895 but this has now been replaced. ^[7]

References

1. "Campbeltown". Church of Scotland. Church of Scotland. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
2. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
3. Historic Environment Scotland. "Longrow, Lorne and Lowland Church (Church of Scotland) with hall, boundary walls, gates and gatepiers (LB22925)" . Retrieved 21 November 2025.
4. "Campbeltown United Presbyterian Church" . Glasgow Herald. Scotland. 22 July 1872. Retrieved 9 November 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
5. Walker, Frank Arneil (2000). Argyll and Bute (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Scotland). Yale University Press. p. 156. ISBN   0300096704.
6. "Closure of Lorne Street Church a bitter pill" . Campbeltown Courier. Scotland. 14 December 1990. Retrieved 23 November 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
7. "Strathclyde, Campbeltown, Lowland Church of Scotland, Longrow [N00574]". National Pipe Organ Register . British Institute of Organ Studies . Retrieved 21 November 2025.