Whiting Bay
Whiting Bay (St Donans) Worship Centre
The present church at Whiting Bay, originally a United Free congregation without its own premises, was funded by subscription and built on a field at Sandbraes donated by the Marquis of Graham. The foundation stone was laid in August 1909 and the building opened with a special service led by Professor Mackintosh of New College in June 2010 - ten months in the construction, very impressive! But defects in the building soon were soon noted - rain coming into the tower windows, draughts, weak framework in the bell hanging, inferior sticky varnish on the pews. In 1929 when the Church of Scotland united with most of the UF churches, ours was named Stewart Memorial in honour of the Rev Angus Stewart who had served the congregation for twenty six years until 1902. In 1993 the church was re-named Whiting Bay and Kildonan Church in following a union with St Donan’s, Kildonan.
At first praise consisted of psalms and paraphrases sung unaccompanied. However in 1912 Baillie Kilpatrick of Glasgow presented the young church with an ‘American Organ’, possible the old harmonium still present in the sanctuary. In 1957 a ‘University Reed Organ’ was purchased and in 1984 this was replaced by an ‘Eminent’. The current electric organ, a Kawai, has been in use since 2010. In 1913 the decision was taken to make use of the newly published Church Hymnary, which in turn was superseded by the Revised Church Hymnary, then CH3, in use today along with Mission Praise, first introduced in 1989. Since the covid restrictions, words for the singing have been projected onto the rear wall, although books are kept for those who would prefer to use them. Large letter song words are provided for a partially sighted member and there is a loop system for people who use hearing aids.
The four large stained glass windows behind the pulpit depict the Four Seasons as seen on or from Arran and were given by Mrs Betty Ure in 1997. She had intended to leave money for them in her will, but the Rev Elizabeth Watson (by far the longest serving minister at 39 years) persuaded her that it would be good if she was to enjoy them too!
There have been ten ministers in post since 1910.
