St Mary’s parish church in Kirkintilloch is facing closure and a possible sale under restructuring plans by the Church of Scotland, prompting a campaign to protect a building regarded as central to the town’s character and religious life.
A landmark at the centre of Kirkintilloch
The church’s position and scale have made it a defining feature of the town for generations. Its architecture, stained glass and continuing congregation have helped establish it as more than a place of worship, with the building forming part of the visual and historical identity of Kirkintilloch.
That significance will be especially visible during the remembrance period, when poppy wreaths are displayed at the church. The symbolism carries additional weight this year because the memorial stained-glass window overlooking the sanctuary was inaugurated a century ago. The window has long been associated with remembrance of those who died in war and has remained a source of pride for worshippers and visitors.
The story behind the memorial window
The artwork was designed by stained-glass artist Alf Webster for the opening of St Mary’s in 1914. Webster died on the Western Front in 1915, before he could see the completed work. His workshop subsequently finished the design, leaving the church with a memorial whose history is closely bound to the sacrifice it commemorates.
Inside St Mary’s, the window is part of a wider collection of historic and artistic features. The building also contains stained-glass work by Willie Rodger, adding to the range of material that campaigners believe makes the church important beyond its immediate congregation.
What the restructuring proposal means
Church of Scotland trustees based in Edinburgh have identified St Mary’s as surplus to requirements within a programme intended to create a more limited and modern estate of church buildings. The plans have already resulted in numerous churches being sold, according to the source material, and the proposal places St Mary’s future in the context of a wider national reorganisation rather than a decision affecting Kirkintilloch alone.
The proposal is not presented as an immediate disappearance of worship from the town. Instead, members of the St Mary’s congregation would be encouraged to attend St David’s, another Kirkintilloch church described as handsome but smaller and without the same scale, visual presence or historical features. For worshippers, that raises questions not only about where services would take place, but also about what happens to the traditions, memories and community connections associated with St Mary’s.
- St Mary’s: identified for closure and sale under the Church of Scotland’s restructuring plans.
- Memorial window: designed by Alf Webster and completed by his workshop after his death.
- Proposed alternative: the congregation would be encouraged to attend St David’s in Kirkintilloch.
| Feature | Significance |
|---|---|
| St Mary’s church | A prominent landmark and long-standing place of worship |
| Memorial window | Inaugurated 100 years ago and linked to wartime remembrance |
| Future proposal | Closure and sale, with worshippers directed towards St David’s |
For those opposing the plan, the issue is therefore both practical and symbolic. The proposed change would affect a congregation, but it would also place a much-recognised part of Kirkintilloch’s built heritage at risk. The memorial window, the church’s skyline presence and its collection of stained glass all form part of the argument for retaining the building in a town where its history is visible from outside and experienced within.
The trustees’ decision has not erased St Mary’s role in local life, but it has created uncertainty over whether that role can continue in its present setting. As remembrance approaches and the centenary of the window’s inauguration is marked, campaigners are urging attention on what Kirkintilloch could lose if the church’s future is determined solely by the requirements of a reduced estate.
