Dunrossness kirk sells – but is put up for auction soon after

THE DUNROSSNESS kirk is set to go up for auction – only weeks after its new owner bought the building from the Church of Scotland.

The B-listed kirk will feature in an online auction on 18 April with a guide price of £37,000.

But it has emerged that the building was only sold by the Church of Scotland last week.

It was placed on the market by Church of Scotland last year, asking for offers over £40,000, as part of the kirk’s ongoing disposal of assets in Shetland.

A spokesman for the Church of Scotland told Shetland News: “It was with great sorrow that the decision was taken to close Dunrossness Church back in 2018.

“The intention to sell has been publicised locally on numerous occasions since then and a closing service was held in August 2023.

“The congregation held off selling this building for more than a year to allow the local community time to consider taking it on, but this option failed to gain any momentum.

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“The building was on the market for some time without any interest when an offer was received from the current owner.”

The spokesman added that the organisation “prays that after the auction, a truly interested party may become the new owner of the church”.

The church dates back to the 1790s.

The situation with the Dunrossness kirk echoes somewhat that of the Tingwall church.

The Church of Scotland sold the Tingwall church – which is also B-listed – to a private buyer last year.

But it was then put back up for sale again via estate agent Anderson Strathern later in 2023, and it remains on the market.