An Inverness priest who transformed his garden shed into a chapel has been shortlisted for a national award.
Father Len Black from Inverness has spent the last decade transforming his six foot summer house at the foot of his garden, into a tranquil place of worship.
Since being ordained as a Catholic Priest in 2011, he has held mass daily at The Oratory Of St Joseph for his small congregation of ex-Anglicans in Scotland.
His unique creation has now received national recognition, securing him a place in the finals of the 15th annual Cuprinol Shed Of The Year competition.
Father Black said: “The Oratory of Saint Joseph has been a work-in-progress for a decade now.
“Those who come to Mass each week describe it as a haven of tranquillity for them.
“Pope Francis has made this year The Year of St Joseph, so I decided there was no better time to enter it into Cuprinol Shed Of The Year.”
Place of worship
Mr Black first purchased the shed in kit form from a charity auction 22 years ago, valued at around £100.
The single storey structure stood at the bottom of the rectory garden, acting as a quiet retreat for the city priest.
After being ordained a Catholic priest 10 years ago, Father Black put his woodworking skills, taught to him by his father, to the test to begin its transformation into The Oratory Of St Joseph.
At 14ft in length, it is now twice as long as it originally was and contains a three-part altar-piece modelled on an Italian one from the 14th century.
His wife Ruth, a textile artist specialising in Celtic design, designed and made three stained glass windows which now reside inside the entrance of the chapel.
During the first lockdown, he turned to streaming his services via Zoom, resulting in up to 120 worshippers logging in from as far as Australia, the USA and a drilling platform in the South Atlantic.
Cuprinol Shed of the Year
The annual competition, founded by Andrew Wilcox, celebrates the best of the great British Shed, from traditional structures to the most unique creations.
A total of 22 finalists have been shortlisted to go head-to-head across the nine categories, ranging from: lockdown; pub/entertainment; nature’s haven and cabin/summerhouse to workshops and studios to the unexpected and unique
A winner from each will be decided by public vote, before a panel of shed experts decide the overall winner.
Alongside eternal shed glory, the winner will also receive £1,000, a plaque and £100 of Cuprinol products.
Members of the public can now cast their votes for the 15th annual competition until it closes on Monday, July 12.
Highland priest broadcasts his masses from garden shed during lockdown
Last year’s winner wowed judges
Last year’s shed-building superstar Daniel Holloway walked away with the coveted title of Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2020 after wowing judges with his nature-inspired refuge Bedouin Tree-Shed, built around two tree trunks in his back garden.
Ashley Bates took home the competition’s first ever Special Commendation in 2020, after setting up The Shed School to help educate children while lockdown closed classrooms.
Head judge and founder of the competition Andrew Wilcox said: “The past year has been an incredibly challenging time for all of us and, now more than ever, we’re aware of how important the humble shed can be.
“Sheds are not just unloved, brown structures at the bottom of the garden that house tools and household junk, they are vital spaces where you can go to relax, work on a project or burn off some steam.
“The high-calibre entries this year really prove why we set up the competition in the first place – to highlight the valuable role sheds can play in our lives, in our businesses and the positive impact they have on our wellbeing.”