I thought I started my interest in photographing Scottish churches in the local village a couple of years back. However, scanning through my images of old I see it has been a repeating almost unconscious theme in my photographic journey with a church picture often captured regardless of where I was travelling. Of late, it has become obsessive, borne out of a love of the architectural styles which range from 12th Century Norman style to 20th Century contemporary and even “Brutalist”.
I now plan my travel itinerary based around Scottish churches that are on my “to do” list. I am indebted to the books of Scottish Churches by John R Hume.
Image 1 – Fenwick Parish Church, in my village and therefore often photographed. Circa 1645 Greek Cross Style
Image 2 – Whilst I often always capture the exterior there are some cases where the interior stuns. This is the Italian Chapel in Orkney built by Italian POWs in 1943, an incredible symbol of the human spirit.
Image 3 – Glen Lyon, Perthshire. It is often simplicity and symmetry that attracts me to the building. The church was built in 1828 similar to T-plan churches built by Thomas Telford, but designed by W. Thomson to be simpler and more basic.
Image 4 – St Andrew’s Livington. This reminds me of the Riverside Transport Museum with its dramatic, sweeping curves. An example of dynamic architecture often missing from New Towns.
Image 5 – St Brides East Kilbride. Early 1960s and the most controversial of all Scotland’s post war churches. Designed by Gillespie, Kidd and Coia who have made an incredible contribution to architecture in Scotland
Image 6 – Canisbay Parish Church, the most Northerly on the UK mainland and welcomes royalty when visiting at Castle Mey.
Image 7 – St Sophia’s, Galston. Domes are rare in Scottish Churches however, modelling a church on the great Byzantine Church in Istanbul is rarer still. Built 1885.
Image 8 - Old Latheron Parish Church, originally built circa 1730 and now a museum in a stunning location on the North Coast.