to live among the dead

What do you think when you look at Kirkmichael?

A place of worship, prayers, peace, memory, and community?

Or do you think large kitchen-diner, open living space, and lots of character?

As an estate agent would put it: the answer to your prayers?

Kirkmichael is not one of the prettiest churches in Scotland but it has a certain appeal and certainly lots of space. It has access to a minor road and no houses anywhere in sight. Fields, woods and the River Avon complete the idyllic picture of a rural church in Scotland.

It was built in the early 19^th century and sold to a private buyer in the early 21^st. Apparently most house buyers favour property, that has been converted rather than moving into a house built especially for them. The trend has seen numerous church conversions especially in places where the price of a house is high and the available property scarce. Fewer people go to church so fewer churches are needed for worship.

workshed next to church

inside workshed

It certainly isn’t for everybody to move into a church. Kirkmichael is by far not the only one, people have moved into churches in Scotland, England, Germany and all over the world but Kirkmichael still an unusual choice considering the building sits in the middle of a graveyard.

Could you live in a house surrounded by graves?

Would you like to live among the dead?

sources and further reading

canmore.org.uk

scottishchurches.org.uk