West Lothian landmark church gets £90,000 boost

dailyrecord.co.uk:

One of Linlithgow’s best-known landmarks has been awarded £90,000 by Historic Environment Scotland (HES).St Michael’s Parish Church has been awarded the funding to repair the internal timbers and replace the cladding on its unique Crown of Thorns spire, first installed in the 1960s.The restoration project is proceeding at pace, with the tower currently wrapped in scaffolding and a large platform at the top to access the structure.

Once the works are complete, the Crown of Thorns will be restored to its original dusky gold colour that has faded over the decades to the current silver-grey.The refurbishment of the Crown of Thorns is the first stage of a wider project that looks to upgrade the church and redevelop existing spaces into a multi-agency community hub, which has been supported through grant funding and community donations.Alan Miller, leader of the ‘Aspire Linlithgow’ fundraising campaign at St Michael’s Parish Church, said: “On top of nearly £300k raised through our community campaign and other funders, the HES grant of over £90k was the clincher that allowed us to appoint the contractor and begin this important part of the project.

Once the new gold-coloured bronze alloy cladding is in place, the spire will undoubtedly attract widespread interest in the church and the site it shares with historic Linlithgow Palace.”Dr Susan O’Connor, head of grants at HES, added: “It’s special for HES to be able to play a part in the restoration of this iconic local landmark.

The generosity shown in the community fundraising highlights how well-loved the Crown of Thorns is to the people of Linlithgow.