Every child in every community needs to know about his/her home surroundings in order to feel part of and have pride in his/her own community.

Lumphanan’s heritage goes back to Neolithic times to the burial of Howeburn – but more importantly to the 6th century AD when St. Finan settled there and built its first church. Unfortunatley St Finan’s church was sold in the 1980′s. This left the old Free Church known as Stothert Memorial Church to carry on the tradition of 1400 years.

The Free Church was completed in 1870, built by Lumphanan people with mainly money from Lumphanan for the Free Kirk community of Lumphanan. After taking on the mantle of Lumphanan Parish Church it was and still is a part of Lumphanan’s rich heritage – one of the few notable buildings in the community, situated on a commanding site overlooking the village.

It was therefore with some shock and not a little anger that people of Lumphanan in March 2005 learned of Mid-Deeside Church’s plans to concentrate all church activity on Torphins, close Kincardine O’Neil and sell Lumphanan Church and manse. The congretational meeting in Lumphanan Church which followed the intimation of the plans to was intended to secure a majority vote for the adoption of the plans – but was cancelled after members were seated on the lame excuse that non-members were present. As the session had lists of all church members, ballot papers need have only been supplied to listed members, but on that evening the session would have lost the vote! S0 – the session moved the goalposts and the postponed ballot was held in Torphins in order to secure the vote. On that occasion a speaker put forward the case for the proposal but no-one was invited to speak against the proposal neither was there any check on church membership – making the show of hands ballot which followed scarcely credible. However, the session got the majority that was required by whatever means.

Now that Lumphanan church building has been emptied and closed by the session of Mid Deeside Church. In spite of the fact it was maintained by Lumphanan money for 100 years it would appear that legally the church belongs to the Church of Scotland. Morally however, the church building belongs to the people of Lumphanan whose forefathers built it and whose prayers are embedded in its stones. It is an itegral part of Lumphan’s heritage – a basic human right. Add your name to the membership of Lumphanan Heritage Society and let the world know were not all village idiots…

Lumphanan Heritage Society 

(Website address to follow)