A church could be given a new lease of life after plans to restore it were revealed by new owners.
The A-listed Kirk O’ The Muir Church, which dates to 1744, is one of only four Seccession churches in Scotland but has fallen into a ruinous condition, with a collapsed roof and extensively crumbled walls.
In 2018, the church was put up for sale along with the derelict C-listed manse, which has been empty for 50 years.
A planning application has now been made to turn the Kinclaven manse into a family home by transforming the interior, demolishing the derelict coach house and adding an extension.
Documents also revealed restoration of the church is planned as part of a second phase.
A statement submitted to Perth and Kinross Council by architects Ben Scrimgeour Building Workshop said: “The project brief is to restore the main house to its former glory, celebrating its traditional features and history, and to build a super contemporary extension ‘of our time’ to create an open and flowing interior full of natural daylight.
“A clear contrast between old and new will allow Kirk o’ the Muir to tell its story of past and present.
“The former manse’s first life is in the past and now let’s focus on repairing the form of the house, bringing the building back to life and creating a conversation between the Kirk o’ the Muir of the past (with a maid, no central heating or bathrooms) and the 21st century version where insulation, energy efficiency and central heating make it possible for us to have open plan living, large windows flooding the interior with natural daylight, and a much stronger connection between inside and outside.
“The owners hope to submit a planning application in 2023 for the faithful restoration of the church using traditional materials and methods (sooner if funds allow).”
The Kirk o’ The Muir manse, which lies near the villages of Stanley and Bankfoot, was built in 1870. The three-bedroom property, along with the church and former coach house, sold for £200,000 in May 2018.
The Original Secession Church was a Presbyterian denomination formed in the early 1800s from a group of ministers that refused to merge with the Church of Scotland.
Some of its members later merged with the Free Kirk, while the remainder finally merged with the Church of Scotland in the 1950s.
