Talk:Inverness-shire Towns and Villages P

Portree

The history of the church within Scotland can at times be confusing and although not unique to Portree it is possible to find places of worship associated with different Protestant organisations as well as Catholic buildings within a small town. Within the last 160 or so years the Established Church has seen splits and re-union and many buildings have been known as Free Church, United Free Church and Church of Scotland within their history.

The current Church of Scotland building dates to the mid 1850's, designed by John Hay of Liverpool and was originally built as a Free Church. By the early 1900's it had become a United Free Church building and by 1929 (following the unification of the Established Church and The United Free Church) it became a Church Of Scotland property. Much of the stained glass is quite a late addition and the church layout is slightly unusual being east to west.

A minority of Free Church followers did not wish to be part of the United Free Church, giving rise to what were called "The Wee Free" another building was erected for them within Portree. The Free Church building is not unlike the former building in appearance.

A now empty and unused smaller Church of Scotland building remains, dating from 1820 it is less ornate than the building now used it lacks stained glass in the large windows.

The Free Presbyterian Church has a more imposing and larger appearance than the other buildings, (certainly from the front aspect) and is less enclosed than the other properties. Designed by John Mackenzie and completed around 1895.

The Church of St. Columba, (Episcopal), attributed to Alexander Ross dates to around 1884. Now lacking a tower, removed during the 1950's for structural reasons.

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