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23 March 2023
Our services continue as normal on Sunday 26th March with morning worship at the Kirk from 11:30 a.m. led by two members of our own congregation. This will be the fourth Sunday in Lent which, traditionally, is a period of forty days leading up to the festival of Easter. The period of Lent is used by many churches as an opportunity to remind ourselves of why it was necessary for Jesus to die on our behalf.
Following the service, there will be an opportunity to meet for light refreshments and chat together in the Friendship Room at the rear of the church building.
This beautiful rural parish, at the western extremity of what used to be Perthshire, now comes under Stirling Council. Farming remains a major part of life here, despite the inroads made by the Forestry Commission and the predominance of tourism.
The backdrop of mountains, lochs and rivers, combined with a sense of history, appeals to country-lovers and tourists and the parish is now part of the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park which was established in 2002. Visitors to the area appreciate the variety of attractions and, in coming to see the church, enjoy some tranquil moments in their busy schedules.
The parish extends nearly six miles beyond the end of the public road at Inverlochlarig in Balquhidder Glen and, at its widest point, measures some ten miles between the summit of Glen Ogle in the North and Ardchullarie by Loch Lubnaig to the South. Much of the parish boundary follows a watershed which takes in summits over 3,000 feet, such as Ben Vorlich and Stùc a' Chroin in the East and Ben More and Stob Binnean in the West.
The parish church is situated in Balquhidder Glen on a site where Christianity was introduced by St Angus some 1,200 years or more ago. Nowadays, a total population of almost eight hundred is divided between the two main centres of population, namely: Lochearnhead (at the junction of the A84 and A85) and Strathyre (five miles to the South on the A84). The Kirkton of Balquhidder is loosely referred to as “the village” but the glen is officially described as a “dispersed rural settlement”.
Railways were at the heart of nineteenth century developments, with stations at Lochearnhead and Strathyre. Balquhidder had its own station midway between the two, plus a halt at Kingshouse. The railway route is now followed by a good cycle track all the way from Callander to Killin. Landslides (plus Dr Beeching) closed the railways and, in 2004, affected the A84 road badly, necessitating considerable engineering works which have worked well to cope with extreme weather.
