2020

Inverallan 20/20

Conceived in early 2017, the Inverallan 20/20 project aims to redevelop our wonderful building to become a place of worship suitable for the 21st century whilst also meeting identified needs within the wider community. You can read more about the background to the project here and have a look at the plans we've had developed here. (If you are interested in more of the history of Inverallan church from its inception just look here).

November 2025 Update

The small team of people working on the Inverallan 20/20 project are acutely aware that it is some time
since an update on progress was offered to the congregation. This does not reflect any lack of work and
effort by the team, but rather a long series of hold-ups regarding the securing of all the planning
permissions required for what is a major and complex development of our lovely listed building.

The team is pleased to be able to announce that all necessary permissions have now been obtained, with
only one or two minor issues still to be resolved. As most will already be aware, we are planning to
undertake our whole ambitious project in 2 or 3 distinct phases, with Phase 1 being the most important to
enable our church building to survive and prosper.

Phase 1 will be to:

a) install solar panels on the church roof, along with associated new and effective heating systems in
interior spaces
b) re-develop the existing nave and chancel area (the main “body of the kirk”) by removing the pews to
make a comfortable, adaptable and well heated area, for both church services and a variety of other church and community activities
and c) develop the Manse wing (where the current children’s area and other pews are located) into a cafe
area with an upper 1st floor level for further church and community uses.

The hope is that work will start on Phase 1 within the next couple of months, with the solar panel
installation (largely grant-funded) probably being the first visible signs of progress. Allied work on new
heating systems will follow. Then, when all details of the plans for the interior alterations are finalised,
tenders will be sought to undertake this work.

Phases 2 and 3, which involve re-development of the entrance area and of the Meeting Room wing
respectively, will not proceed until some time after Phase 1 is up and running.

During all work we will be meeting on Sundays, as usually happens during the winter months, in the
church Hall.

Clearly there will be a need for us as a congregation to resume our fund-raising efforts for the 20/20
project, and this will serve two purposes:
a) it will add funds to those we have already raised in the years we have been living with this project and
to the grant awards we have already secured and those we hope to secure
b) it will re-awaken the awareness of the community in what we are doing and how it will benefit us all
in Grantown and the surrounding area.

The background to our project

Inverallan Church was opened for worship in 1886. Since then there have been some internal changes to the building, but faced with rising maintenance costs and the different needs of modern day church goers, the congregation is keenly aware that the time has come when new ideas of how our church fits into, and serves, our community must be put into place.

A feasibility study produced concept plans which showed what sort of exciting change was possible, and was followed by a development phase during which revised and costed plans, based on initial community consultations, were been produced.

We consulted with local (and national) organisations, as well as individuals to see how these plans might meet recognised requirements. Any comments on what we hope to achieve are always most welcome.

Partnerships with various bodies were developed, funding opportunities investigated, and the plans were further refined as a result of these discussions.

Some of the questions considered when thinking of the suitability of our plans were:

What does Grantown and the wider area need from its public buildings?
How can Inverallan Church serve some of those needs?
What is important to preserve and what could be changed?
How can locals and tourists alike enjoy Grantown’s built heritage?
Are there projects or activities you’d like to see happening in Inverallan?

Remember always that our aim is not to compete with, but to complement, existing providers of space and services. We see our place probably as being largely a provider of an excellent large facility for concerts and conferences etc, and an accessible venue where disadvantaged or hard to reach groups might find their needs being met. Of course our primary function will always be as a place of worship and our intention is that the versatility of the finished building will allow many types of activity to take place in comfort in a warm and welcoming environment.

We were successful in securing £35,000 of funding from LEADER, and a £5,000 grant from the National Park. This, together with some £58,000 of the funds we raised ourselves since the project began, is what allowed us to engage an architect-led Design Team and a Development Consultant team. These two teams worked together and alongside our own 20/20 group to complete the plans for our building and further develop our community activities and partnerships to bring Inverallan 20/20 to the start of its final (delivery) stage. The congregation and the local community will continue to be fully involved in these vital development activities.

Our local fundraising will continue, and we are enormously grateful to all who have given, and who continue to give, their support in their donations and their help in our fundraising activities.

We’d love to hear what you think. If you can help with time or expertise or by way of donation or regular giving, please contact us at inverallan2020@gmail.com.

This project has been part-financed by the Scottish Government and the European Community (Cairngorms Local Action Group) LEADER 2014-2020 programme