The Legacy of St Andrew’s Church

Thurso OnBoard has a spectacular home. This much is beyond question. St Andrew’s Church has a long and storied history here in Thurso and has already had many incarnations since its foundations were poured in 1868.

The church was designed by an Aberdeen architect, J Russell Mackenzie, and reading the Historic Environment report, he was certainly one for the grand flourish. Sentences like “Recessed centre gabled porch with nook shafts and trumeau…”, “louvred vents and truncated angle pinnacles, supporting lucarned and facetted ashlar faced spire…” and “galleried interior with ornate bombe cast-iron gallery front..” leap out of the report like a foreign language. Admittedly these were all probably standard for a church build back in the days of Gothic grandeur but when you stand in the centre of this incredible building, long unloved, these trumeaux, vents, pinnacles and fluted square capitals stand tall with the bearing of elder statesmen.

The foundation stone was laid in 1868 by Ulbster’s Sir George Sinclair, who sadly died months later and did not live to see the first service conducted. Nonetheless, a memorial to Sir George sits in the front porch to commemorate the local foundations for which the church was built in the first place.

By 1870, the opening service was conducted and reported upon on 6th August 1870 in local newspaper, the Caithness Courier - another local institution still standing despite the passage of time. By 1875 the Free Church was established (after the notorious 1843 Disruption separating the Free Church from the Church of Scotland), before the first of many institutional changes over the years. A switch to the United Free Church in 1900, before being claimed (back) by Church of Scotland in 1929. A merger with St Peters followed in 1940 and services were alternated between the two buildings and two ministers.

Sadly, the theological writing was on the wall as Thurso moved into the 1960s and the Church finally closed its doors to the congregation in 1968. Perhaps a sign of the times, as the similarly long-standing banking corporation next door, The British Linen Bank, slid into slow obscurity by merging with the Bank of Scotland in 1969. The same building and the same bank stand there even today, so perhaps it was in the best interests of local finances.

Since closing to its parishioners, it has been both a building merchants and a funeral undertaker. Remnants and relics of both remain within the walls and the antique discoveries have been both educational and eye-opening. You can see more in our gallery pages.

Thurso OnBoard aims to give the building another new life and another incarnation – this time to channel the energy and creative empowerment of our young people. St Andrews Church was built on foundations of kindness, community support and pastoral care and this version of its inhabitants will be no different. Our first port of call will be to restore the Gothic architectural glory designed back in 1868, before making sure that the facilities and support on offer within the walls will inspire, motivate and empower our local Gen-Z. 

St Andrews Church may have given shelter to many souls since its inception but we hope that this incarnation will stand the test of time, just like it’s “crow stepped gabled flanks”.