Offers close on historic church with council 'unable' to confirm offers received

Daily Record

4 days ago

The iconic St Kessog's Church in Callander has been on the market for several months and the local authority this week confirmed that the closing date for offers passed last week.
The offer period to buy an historic former church in the heart of Callander has been closed with a report on the building's future due in the coming weeks.
St Kessog's has stood in the town's Ancaster Square since 1773 but has been unused in recent years after falling into a state of disrepair.
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Back in February this year, Stirling Council placed the building on the market.
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The council have this week confirmed that the closing date for offers passed last week, but refused to reveal any further details.
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: 'We are unable to disclose details of any offers received for St Kessog's but can confirm that a closing date of June 20 was set as part of the marketing process for the building.
'A report recommending next steps will be considered in the coming weeks based on information provided by the marketing agent.'
The iconic building had been listed by property firm Graham & Sibbald with the agent indicating that 'offers are invited for the benefit of our client's heritable interest in the subjects'.
The almost 6,000 square foot property was open for offers and the agent said that it has potential for alternative uses, subject to consents.
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Graham & Sibbald said of the category B-listed former church: 'The subjects comprise an impressive Category B Listed former church building, with a tall central steepled entrance, which was converted to a visitor centre around 1990.
'Internally the subjects have been stripped of fixtures and fittings and are generally in a shell condition at ground and first floor levels.
'There is a plant room at basement level. The ordinance survey extract, which is for identification purposes only, shows Callander's location within Central Scotland.'
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In June last year, we told how Stirling Council had earmarked plans to sell the building. At that time, a council spokesperson said: 'Following the exploration of all options for commercial and community use, we can confirm our intention to market the former St Kessog's Church.
'We recognise the importance of the building within Callander and will consider benefits to the community as part of any offers received.'
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A community effort to safeguard the property was launched, with the town's community council urging locals to 'join our efforts to save and revitalise St Kessog's'.
A community Facebook group, titled Save St Kessog's, has been set up to try and drum up fresh ideas to save the church from being sold.
St Kessog's was previously occupied by The Clanranald Trust from early 2015 after the category B-listed building was placed on the market for £100,000.
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The Trust, a recognised charity, is an educational organisation established in 1995. The members of the trust are dedicated to promoting increased awareness of Scottish Culture and Heritage through interactive education and entertainment.
Clanranald had been exploring opportunities to purchase the building from Stirling Council. However, in September 2018, we told how the deal had fallen through and Clanranald had withdrawn its interest in the purchase.
The deal to take over ownership was held up over uncertainty about the ownership of the surrounding fixtures. The church then suffered severe water damage to walls and floorboards following a burst pipe in 2018.
The Clanranald Trust opted to move its operations from the town back to Duncarron, a full–scale replica of an early medieval fortified village in the Carron Valley.
St Kessog's ceased operation as a church in 1985 and was purchased and converted by Stirling Council into a tourist information centre prior to being taken over by the Clanranald Trust.