Inverness Churches

Churches of Inverness

It’s been three years now since we moved up to Scotland, and I thought it’s about time I updated everyone as to how we’re doing and tell you a bit about some of the churches I’ve visited since moving up here. I haven’t been very regularly, as we’ve taken to going on family outings on a Sunday to visit nearby beauty spots, but if I have a Sunday morning free, I like to see what local churches have going on.

The first one I visited was a very big church with a congregation of about 500 every week. Pre-pandemic it was already live-streamed, a fact that was advertised on a local roundabout! In a modern building with a very large car park, it is a ‘Free church’, but its worship style was lively, with worship ‘songs’ instead of hymns, a little like a Baptist church. The sermon was quite evangelistic. I only went to the service once, although I did a few sessions of Scottish country dancing that were held there.

The second church I visited is our nearest, also a free church, overlooking Inverness with a wonderful view, although with rather a dire warning outside, for ‘All sinners to repent’! I was actually aiming for a different church, as it was Remembrance Sunday, but by a strange twist of fate, I got chatting to a lady in the toilets of a nearby garden centre, as I was en route, and ended up accompanying the lady and her husband back to this church. It was explained to me that ladies wear hats, but as I was a visitor, I was excused! The atmosphere was sombre, there was a lot of sermonising about ‘awe’ that was mixed in with sung psalms, without musical accompaniment – and no mention of remembrance. No tea and coffee afterwards either. I haven’t been back.

The church that I have been to most frequently is the nearby ‘Barn Church’ in Culloden. The congregation are very friendly and they remind me of St Barnabas in their welcome. They have a band, and all the music is of the worship song variety – no traditional stuff here (which I miss – I like a few traditional hymns in the mix), but it’s a very relaxed atmosphere and the service isn’t too long! I managed to persuade the family to come to church here the first Christmas we were here, but then the pandemic happened, and now Hannah and Zoë have grown older, there’s no persuading them. They have their own ideas, and sadly church isn’t among them – at the moment.

The final church I visited just today for the first time is St Andrew’s Cathedral in the city centre in Inverness. I sought it out, as I wanted to go to a Eucharistic service, as all the churches I’ve visited so far haven’t offered bread and wine. St Andrews is called ‘Episcopal’, but is broadly Anglican in its service. The vicar was female and English and the whole experience was most familiar to me, reminiscent of the wonderful services at St Barnabas. We had lovely organ playing and traditional hymns – I was a bit hoarse to start with, as I don’t sing regularly, but they had a choir replete in gowns to help out. There was tea and coffee afterwards. I shall be going back when I can.

So that’s my experience of Inverness Churches. In amongst the modern churches, there are quite a few of the free churches, which seem rather austere and traditional. Hannah and Zoë are friendly with sisters, who are not allowed to wear trousers or earrings at all as part of their church teaching - and they very definitely wear hats to church!

The sisters go to school with Hannah and Zoë - as do I at the moment, as I have a temporary job as a teaching assistant at Culloden Academy, where they go to school. I’ve been there a year and a half, so am hoping they keep me on, as it’s so convenient with the holidays. Roger is off on travels a lot since the pandemic rules lifted, and we all had a very nice summer holiday in Slovenia, which was a beautiful country.

I think that’s about all my news. We think of you all often and miss seeing you all. But when I go back to Inverness Cathedral, I will remember you all reciting the same words of the Eucharistic service and in the wonderful music. 

Much love to all, Liz (Marsden)