Undiscovered Scotland

 

When we first wrote this page we said that services are held at Altnaharra Church twice a month. On our most recent visit, on 28 September 2020, we found a sign on the door saying that ther ceiling had collapsed. We are not clear what the future holds for the church. For the moment the rest of this page remains as originally written.

The Parish Church of Altnaharra and Farr lies towards the north end of the strung out hamlet of Altnaharra. It stands on rising ground to the west of the A836, looking towards the west end of Loch Naver.

Altnaharra Church was built as a Free Church in 1855. The main external decoration is reserved for the east gable, facing the road. Here a Celtic cross was added later in the 1800s giving the church a much more striking appearance.

Entry is through the door in the East Gable. This admits you to a lobby area, beyond which another door takes you into the nave itself. Internally the church is extremely well preserved.

The focus of attention is the large, throne-like pulpit at the west end of the church. All the internal woodwork was the work of Thomas McIver. Even the original Victorian oil lamps remain, though now converted to electricity.

Either side of the pulpit are beautifully decorated windows, one carrying the wording Goodwill to Men, the other Peace on Earth. But the most striking stained glass in the church is reserved for a window towards the west end of the south wall.

Here is a window depicting the figure of St David of Scotland. The wording in the glass at the foot of the window reads: The the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of Kathleen Joan Kimball, 1st March 1899 - 3rd June 1963.