Campsie High Kirk Campsie High Kirk, which is at the heart of Lennoxtown’s community, is to be transformed into a community arts hub.

The move is the culmination of a flagship case for the new Ownerless Property Transfer Scheme (OPTS) launched last year by the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR).

The church, one of Scotland’s best-known kirks, will be ceremonially handed over by the KLTR, John Logue, to East Dunbartonshire provost, Gillian Renwick.

The transfer takes place after the Friends of Campsie High Kirk successfully applied to acquire the building from the KLTR for the nominal sum of £1 plus the costs of transfer.

The OPTS provides opportunities for properties which have fallen to the Crown as ownerless to be brought back into purposeful use for the benefit of local communities. The scheme allows local authorities and community groups to apply for ownerless properties to be transferred to them for a nominal sum.

To be successful, applicants must clearly demonstrate that the planned use is supported by the community, sustainable and in the public interest.

The KLTR spoke of his enthusiasm for the Campsie project ahead of the visit.

He said: “The Friends of Campsie High Kirk presented a really compelling case for not only rescuing this magnificent building from further decline but also providing a community arts hub with the potential to give a huge economic and cultural boost to the Lennoxtown area.

“We are delighted to see the opportunities provided by the OPTS used in this way and look forward to watching the transformation.” 

Craig Brooks, chair of the Friends of Campsie High Kirk, said: “It’s not just about saving a building.It’s about something much bigger.It’s about communities being empowered by those in a position to give them the tools to make it happen.

“That applies from government right down to communities like ours.”