Islanders dismayed at sale of church with cemetery
(From The Orcadian dated May 3, 2001)

Islanders on Hoy are said to be outraged at the sale of a church which stands in a still-used cemetery.

St John's Church, Walls, came on the market a few weeks ago and is "open to offers", but the graveyard in which it stands is not for sale.

People were buried in the kirkyard only last year, and some islanders own family plots there.

One islander, who did not wish to be named, said: “It is really a very sad situation that people should think they can go and sell a property surrounded by graves that people have paid for.

"There are graves right up along the wall of the church – who in their right mind would want to live in a cemetery?"

The islanders may now look at discussing the possibility of setting up a trust to buy the church, which sits right on the edge of the shoreline.

"People own plots there and have family buried there, it is not right that an individual or group can come along and buy the church, do goodness knows what to it and trample among the graves at any time they want," the islander added.

The building, which was used until recently for occasional worship, was put on the market by the Church of Scotland. It received a stay of execution five years ago when Orkney Presbytery called for the church to be closed. The islanders appealed to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, who agreed that St John's remain open until such time as St Columba's Church in Longhope, which will become the island's main church, be repaired to a high standard.

St John's kirkyard contains more than 50 named and unnamed graves.

Around 20 inquiries have been made about the property from across the UK, according to sale agents, Lows Orkney.

Property manager Mr Andrew Bonner said: "There has been interest from Longhope, South Ronaldsay, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Wick, Brighton, Hawick, Wolverhampton and Warwick-shire."

"The interest is such that we have put a closing date of May 17 on the sale."

Councillor for Walls, Mrs Ann Sutherland said she had received phone calls from concerned islanders.

"I do not know the feelings of the Hoy folk, but I know there are people at this end of the island and North Walls that are concerned about the sale of St John's, which has an active kirkyard around it still."

"People have friends and family buried there, and have plots there themselves," she said.

She questioned who would want to live in a cemetery. "It is a lovely peedie kirk, but it makes you wonder who would want to buy something like that."

Another kirkyard, which is still used on the island is in Longhope where all but one of the eight men who perished in the Longhope lifeboat disaster of 1969, are buried.

Orkney Presbytery clerk, Rev Trevor Hunt, explained that the Church of Scotland were progressing a decision made five years ago.

"The Church cannot go on maintaining buildings that are not of practical use. If the community want to keep it as a monument, then maybe they could form a trust to do that. The cemetery belongs to the community."

He said that St John's did not have an electricity supply or running water, "although it looks great and is in a very romantic setting".

The Hoy Church in the north of the island is also up for sale and interest has been keen for the building.

The church, which is said to have fantastic acoustics, was once used by composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Money raised through their sales will be available to the congregation to spend on fabric purposes in remaining island churches.

Anyone with specific inquiries is being referred to the Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh, or the properties can be viewed on Lows website at www.lowsorkney.co.uk