Kinlochleven Church

The village as we know it dates from around 1907. A number of missionaries and Christian workers are associated with the population in the early days, and the Church of Scotland and United Free Church were working together. A church building was opened on the Argyll side of the village, and it had basic living quarters for the Christian worker or ‘lay missionary’’ Kinlochleven was considered then an outpost of Glencoe parish.

With the growing population it was felt important that Kinlochleven should be a parish in its own right. The new church and manse next door which opened in 1930 offered superior worship accommodation and a fine home for the minister.

The present building was opened in November 1930. It was built to a simple but elegant design by J Jeffrey Waddell with a high arch at the chancel end. Chancel area is a round bell-shape with stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes. Two stained glass windows in the south wall of the nave depict St Andrew and St George. Other stained glass windows were added in the late 1950s.

The communion vessels for the new church were gifted by an Edinburgh church from Morningside, Braid United Presbyterian Church. These are still in use.

In the 1920s various places in Argyll were to benefit from evangelical revival and the visit of Faith Mission workers in 1922 left its mark in Kinlochleven. It was particularly during the ministry of Rev David Black in the 1970s that the evangelical fervour of te congregation was consolidated, and it has defined the ministry ever since.

Over the years the congregation has enjoyed a varied congregational life. Some of the church organisations that once provided children’s activities are no more, such as Girl’s Brigade, but present activities include a Guild, a Bible study and prayer group, a knit and natter group, a lunch club and the Faith Mission comes to run a Bible based summer activity week.