An Inverness church will be celebrating two significant milestones in coming weeks.
It is 250 years since the famous evangelist John Wesley visited the congregation at Inverness Methodist Church to meet the thriving society founded locally just three years earlier.
And it is also 50 years since the church moved to its present day Huntly Street base, after a fire destroyed the previous building in Union Street.
According to records, it was raining heavily on June 10, 1764 – but that did not put off a crowd who packed into the Old High Kirk to hear Wesley preach.
Wesley is credited as being the co-founder of the methodist faith with his brother Charles, and to this day the current congregation meet under a window depicted the founding father riding into Inverness.
This important anniversary is being marked by a number of events including a visit by the president of the methodist conference.
The Rev Ruth Gee will be welcomed by the provost and city councillors at a civic dinner on June 3 and will follow in Wesley’s footsteps when she will preach in the Old High Kirk at an ecumenical service at 7pm on Wednesday, June 4.
Other visiting preachers include Rev Dr Phil Meadows in late May, and Rev David Leese, who will present An Evening of Gospel Magic at the end of June.
A highlight of the celebrations will be a weekend festival on June 14-15 which includes a flower festival, arts and crafts exhibition and sale, recitals by organists from a number of churches in and around Inverness and an opportunity to look at the church’s archives.