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St Gregory's Church, Preshome

Preshome was the secret headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church in northern Scotland during the time after the Reformation when Roman Catholicism was officially disapproved of. After things relaxed in the late 18th century, this was the first new Roman Catholic church to be built in Scotland. It was designed by John Reid, then the priest in charge, and was planned to hold a congregation of 700. The estimated cost was £350, but just like modern projects the actual cost was almost twice as much. It is a plain structure, with an Italianate Baroque west façade which is, sadly, completely obscured by trees during the summer (see NJ4061 : St Gregory's Church, Preshome) The laird of nearby Letterfourie and his brother took a close interest and helped to meet the cost. They laid the foundation stone on 29 May 1788, and the church was opened on Whit Sunday, 23 May 1790. The church is still in regular use. NJ4061 : St Gregory's Church, Preshome shows the interior of the church.