The Old High Church was made redundant for religious worship and the Church of Scotland placed the building on the market. The Old High Inverness charity was set up to purchase the building wanting it “…to be saved, preserved and developed as an affordable non-profit venue, providing benefit to the community and continuing to be an important asset for the city, locals, and visitors”.

Their website can be found at www.oldhighinverness.co.uk, and their crowdfunder to raise funds at Charities Aid Foundation.

The Old High Church on St Michael’s Mount in Inverness has for many centuries been the centre of civic life in Inverness and the Highlands, and as such is a storehouse of memories and memorials for many local people. It is a Grade A-listed building and a focal element in the Inverness townscape. The site and building are significant in the cultural and historical development of Scotland, neatly book-ending the rise and decline of Gaeldom.

St Columba is reputed to have preached here in 565AD in his mission to convert the Picts. As the cradle of Christianity, there has been a religious building on the site for the past 1,500 years, which in itself makes it a very important part of local history. The Church was used as a prison by opposing sides before and after the Battle of Culloden in 1745.

Standing on Church Street, it is the oldest church building in the city and was one of the few local churches regularly open to the public.

Generations of Invernessians have links with the Old High Church, memorials to local people and families surround the internal walls along with stained-glass windows erected and dedicated by family members. The building held artefacts from the local regiment, The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, including the Regimental Colours and the memorial books naming the soldiers who fell during periods of conflict.

Many of these men were members of the Old High Church congregation and are listed on the War Memorial on the outside wall. It is still classed as the Regimental Chapel and the grounds are a designated Commonwealth War Grave.

Despite this rich history, the underlying archaeology of the site has been little explored. The Old High can become a focus for exploring personal, genealogical, national, and international historical and archaeological interests.

This building belongs to the people of Inverness. We all have a duty to protect the few remaining historic buildings in our city and the fate of the Old High Church should not rely solely on the wishes or views of the people of today, but by appreciating its long history and preserving this important building intact and accessible for future generations.

We are reminded of the words of Inverness businessman, Joseph Cook, who wrote in 1935: “We as a community — as a Highland community — have lost much. Old Inverness is almost gone, its manners, its customs, its institutions; let us try to preserve what we have left, and let it not be said of us that when an opportunity arose to improve the amenities of the town, we were found wanting.”

The Old High Inverness SCIO has been set up and is managed by a small group of volunteers. There is  a main Board and more informal working groups, for example, to look after the finances or to manage the building itself. The vision of the group, now it owns the building, is to ensure it becomes a ‘must visit’ place in Inverness and a flexible resource to support the regeneration of the city centre. To engage local residents and the business community in the protection and enhancement of the character and potential of this internationally important site and building. To create a setting where residents and visitors can contemplate the culture and history of Scotland — which is bled into the stones of the the Old High — and add their own stories. To offer intimate performance and exhibition spaces where the cultural and commercial vibrancy of Inverness and the Highlands can be sampled.

Many people have already donated very generously. If you too think you can give financial help contact them at [email protected] or visit their crowdfunder at the link above. They are very happy to talk to possible donors about the best ways they can aid the project.

The Joseph Cook Collection fully supports the aims of The Old High Inverness.

The Old High Inverness: Scottish Charity No:SC054234