Peterhead Muckle Kirk: Church means more than bricks and mortar

I have noticed recently that I am turning into a bit of a Grinch around Christmas time.

As the years go on and I get older, it takes that little bit of extra effort to get me into the festive spirit.

Multiple reasons may be the cause of my buzzkill attitude. Firstly, since becoming a journalist, it has been rare to experience a work-free winter holiday. I also don’t have kids and, as an only child, Christmas Day is now usually always a small occasion.

But I have not always held such Scrooge-like views. And it may surprise many to know where my festive spirit used to get its spark.

For the first half of my life, I was a regular churchgoer. In fact, I was such a regular, I had 14 years of perfect attendance at Sunday school. And, of all the awards I have had in my life, it’s the one my mum reminds me about the most.

Probably unsurprisingly, as I grew up, my church attendance became less frequent until I stopped going altogether. But I was reminded last week of just how special those days were, when Church of Scotland put my old place of worship up for sale.

Peterhead’s Old Parish Church, or the Muckle Kirk as it’s fondly known in the town, has not been used by its congregation since 2016, when it closed its doors for the last time. Now, it is hoped that a new buyer will breathe new life into the building, which sits like a beacon in the heart of the town.

The 200-year-old, A-listed church was, for most of my young life, the place where I would spend a lot of the festive period. And it’s where the build-up to Christmas would begin, months before.

Church and choir enriched my life

For me, church wasn’t just a place where I would go for an hour on a Sunday – it was where I first really felt like part of a community. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the congregation felt like my extended family.

I was one of a handful of children who sang in the church choir. My Auntie Mary had been a member for years before me, so when I moved from my Sunday school at Meethill Primary, she took me under her wing.

The carol rehearsals would kick off around October, after the harvest festival. Santa hats were regularly adorned, and clashed terribly with our ancient, maroon gowns. But none of that mattered.

A recent carol singing choir rehearsal at Ellon Parish Church. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

We were led by our choir mistress Isobel and organist Adam, who I adored. And I may be romanticising it somewhat now, but when we came together to sing, it was a thing of beauty.

It may sound clichéd, but it was such a wholesome thing to be part of. And, looking back, it’s because the experience gave me a little bit of joy.

It’s that joy I seem to be lacking these days.

It’s no secret that I would not class myself as religious anymore. But the benefits I received from my many years attending the Muckle Kirk can’t be denied.

And I am not the only one who will have lived a more enriched life because of the camaraderie of the congregation there over the last 200 years.

Let’s keep our sense of community alive

While Church of Scotland’s attendance numbers dwindle, it is no surprise that it needs to merge congregations and sell buildings.

Just this past Sunday, the community of Bourtie near Oldmeldrum bid farewell to their 200-year-old church building. Until then, there had been a place of worship on the site for more than 800 years.

Understandably, communities are concerned about the future of these historic buildings in their towns – but they are so much more than just bricks and mortar.

The final service at Bourtie Parish Church, which has closed after 825 years. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson

Times have definitely changed, even since I was a little girl, singing in that choir. But, as our kirks close their doors, the sense of community doesn’t need to disappear with it.

Aberdeenshire Council has not ruled out investing in the Old Parish Church if there’s no interested buyer. I would hope that such a prominent building could continue to be used for the next two centuries to benefit the people of Peterhead.

The lessons learned in church need not all be from the bible; I am proof of that, and still look back fondly at my formative years in the Muckle Kirk.

And, as I know all too well, it can make for a great performance venue. How I would love to take in a Christmas concert there again… That would be enough to put any Scrooge in the festive spirit.

Rebecca Buchan is deputy head of news and sport for The Press and Journal and Evening Express