St Athernase, Leuchars

St Athernase, Church of Scotland. Serving the communities Leuchars, Guardbridge, Balmullo, St Michaels and

Standing proudly above the picturesque village of Leuchars in the historic Kingdom of Fife is the truly remarkable St Athernase church.Possibly the finest Romanesque ecclesiastical building in Scotland, the church is unique in that the finest decoration is on the outside of the building, giving it a grandeur becoming of its hilltop situation.

Its stones have stood firm through some turbulent times in Scottish history, and some of the names you will read about in this section of the website are closely linked to events of national significance.

In more recent times, industrialisation has brought a great many changes in the parish. The arrival of the railway, the building of the paper mill in Guardbridge and the establishment of RAF Leuchars all brought new occupations to supplement or replace traditional agriculture and sailcloth weaving.

Nowadays, over a thousand years after Christians began to worship on the site, the parish of St Athernase covers not only the village of Leuchars but also the neighbouring communities of Guardbridge, Balmullo, St Michaels and Drumoig.

It is the aim of the congregation both to preserve this historic place of worship and to engage with the world around us. Church members support Christian Aid and Traidcraft and in the 11.00 am Sunday Service there is an attempt to link the word of God in the Bible with what is happening in society at large.

Through the changing times, beneath the roar of modern fighter planes, the Kirk of St Athernase faces the future – still an active symbol of the community it serves. If stones could talk, what a story they would have to tell!

Tags: Church,Religious Organization