Earlier News – activities and events that took place before COVID

Dr Michael and Mrs Penny Simpson

Dr Michael and Mrs Penny Simpson were recognised with framed certificates of appreciation for their many years of service as elders in St Andrew’s Church during worship on Sunday, 8 March.

Dr Michael Simpson was also given a certificate of long service sent from church headquarters in Edinburgh and signed by the Moderator of the General Assembly. Thank you Michael and Penny! We deeply appreciate all your love and dedication to our church.

 

 

Thinking Day service for the local Guides, Brownies, Rainbows and the Trefoil Guild

On 23 February 2020 our church hosted a Thinking Day service for the local Guides, Brownies, Rainbows and the Trefoil Guild. Thinking Day always takes place on or near February 22, the birthday of both Lord and Lady Baden-Powell, the founders, and has taken place on every year since 1926. It remains a day for all Guides and Girl Scouts to think of each other and celebrate their sisters all around the world. Members of the units took part in door duty and readings during the service and several of the Rainbow

Service in St Andrews Golspie

Guides undertook their official promises as part of the service as well. The units handed out friendship bracelets which they had made to the congregation. It was lovely to have these young people and their parents and relatives participate in our service.”

 

Remembrance Day Service

A lovely arrangement for Remembrance Sunday was put together below the pulpit by ladies from our church.

 

Easter Service on the Beach

Easter was a lovely day again this year, beginning with our early service at the Shore Street Car Park by the beach, followed by breakfast in the Church Hall.

 

Mrs MacGruer’s Primary Class Visit Church

Mrs MacGruer’s Primary Class came and visited St Andrew’s Church and the minister on Wednesday 28 February to find out more about churches and Christian worship.  They enjoyed hearing the church bell rung and standing in the pulpit!

World Thinking Day

February 25 was World Thinking Day and the Brownies, Rainbows, Guides and Beavers joined our congregation in a special service for young people marking the day.  Also present were leaders, members of the Trefoil Guild and also a guide leader visiting from Japan.  The young people did all the readings during the service.  Nice to have a church full of children!”

SAILORS’ SOCIETY KNITTING PROJECT

Members of our congregation who like to knit have participated in knitting hats, scarves and mittens for sailing staff working on the cruise ships arriving at Invergordon.

We’ve made two trips to Invergordon to deliver our knitting directly to the sailors–most of whom are from warmer climes and need the knitted items to keep warm in colder, European waters.

SCOTTISH NIGHT

We celebrated a very merry “Scottish Night” this year, complete with mince and tatties, poetry readings, a belly dancing display and traditional Scots folk tunes played by a wonderful youth band and a married piper/fiddler duo.

CHRISTMAS

Fun was had by all as we “decked the hall” and the church this Christmas season!

 

Local Area with Pictures in and around the Church and Golspie

 

Local Area

The parish of St Andrew’s Church covers the area from the Rogart junction to the Sputie Burn and without doubt it is an area of outstanding natural beauty and wonderful wildlife.
Seals, herons, eider ducks, geese and even ospreys visit the Fleet. Occasionally an otter can be seen playing in the area near the Mound where the cliffs are home to birds of prey such as the kestrel.
From the mouth of the Fleet estuary to Golspie is a beach four miles long, mostly sand and shingle, largely deserted where the water is clear and the beach clean. Small grassy dunes, heather, woods and Ben Bhraggie with its monument on top form the backdrop to the beach.

The village nestles below  Ben Bhraggie and for a small place has much to offer, golf course, tennis courts, a swimming pool, karting track, mountain biking and walks of every kind detailed in the Golspie Walks book.
One of the most spectacular walks almost within the village is up the Big Burn to the waterfall and close by there is an all abilities walk round the old mill pond. This walk is signposted from the Backies road.  We are indeed fortunate to be able to enjoy living and worshipping in this beautiful area.