An 800-year-old church has gone up for sale for just £45,000 – but you don’t get the whole thing.
The historic building dates back to the 13th century and is the final resting place of writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon, whose classic novel Sunset Song was inspired by the site.
It is being sold by the Church of Scotland but part of it, known as the Arbuthnott Aisle, is off-limits.
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The aisle, on the north side of Arbuthnott Church, near Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, isn’t owned by the Church and therefore isn’t included in the sale.
It was built around 1500 by the Arbuthnott family as a private burial chapel, as reported by Luxury Property News.
The property listing says: “The A-listed building could be used, without the necessity of obtaining change of use consent, as a crèche, day nursery, day centre, educational establishment, museum, art gallery or public library.
“It also has potential for a variety of other uses, such as a theatre, cinema or entertainment venue, retail space or community resource subject to obtaining appropriate consents.”
Included in the sale are the main worship hall, a secondary hall, plus a kitchen and bathroom, although the graveyard remains owned and maintained by the local authority.
But not everyone’s happy with the deal.
Local MP Andrew Bowie slammed the sale, saying: “Yet another historic church being sold by the Church of Scotland – this time 13th Century Arbuthnott Church, Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s home Kirk.
“Rural Scotland, entire communities, vast areas, are being abandoned.
“This panicked fire sale of the church estate is short-sighted and wrong.”
Members of the local community had tried to buy the church themselves, but their bid fell through.
The Church of Scotland has since confirmed the building remains on the market.
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