the parish church

The local church was built back in 1766, and was renovated quite recently—in 1922. The interior is beautiful, elegant in its simplicity, but with an amazing sense of age: once inside you can feel its deep and complex history.  The balcony area (from which the photo above was taken) originally faced the altar, which in the past sat in the center of building. Back in the 1800s, this balcony was reserved for the landowners and upper class of the island.  Today, the balcony is home to a small library, governed (as are many things on this island) by the honor system.  Inside a glass cabinet stands an old Gaelic bible, presented as a gift to the people of the community in 1896.  In a separate upstairs room adjoining the balcony is a gallery of sorts, displaying hundreds of old photographs of the people of the island, neatly catalogued and labeled and open to anyone interested in seeing the timeline of the community as far back as photographs were being taken.

Church 4.jpg