Loth Parish Church (Former), Lothmore

Modelled on Kintore Church by Archibald Simpson, Aberdeen. Gothic; rectangular; coursed stugged ashlar, tooled ashlar dressings and rusticated quoins. Wide advanced centre bay at west gable, with hoodmoulded centre entrance and dated plaque above; centre hoodmoulded gallery window with simple Perpendicular tracery; diagonal buttresses terminating with crocketted pinnacles with stiff leaf finials; similarly detailed apex bell-cote.

Church no long in ecclesiastical use. Former church site and old Burial Ground just below present church; modern burial ground to east. Helmsdale and Navidale in Loth Parish until transferred to Kildonan Parish in 1841. Plaque over door reads; IMPENSIS NOBILISSIN GEORGII GRANVILLII
LEVESON GOWER STAFFORDIENSIS COMITATUS MARCHIONI ET NOBILISSIME ELIZABETHAE SUTHERLAND EUJUSDE COMTATU MARCHIONE-SSAE SUTHERLANDIAE COMITISSAE. ANNO MDCCCXXII Loth church copy Kintore Church, Aberdeenshire; Archibald Simpson, 1819, as directed by Countess of Sutherland. "The kirk at loth is well up. It is taken as your Ladyship directed, from the one at Mintore". (letter from James Loch
to Countess. 12 Aug. 1821.) Built at cost of $1,504.2s.3d. "A modern, handsome and commodious edifice" (c.1858). (Historic Scotland)

June 1996: External inspection reveals the church to be vacant and unused. SCT understands that it was sold by the Church of Scotland in 1984, and then subsequently sold again. The pulpit, sounding board and communion table have now been removed to the Timespan Heritage Centre in Helmsdale. May 2000: Local planners are unaware of any change. November 2002: Local planners report that the property remains vacant. June 2006: LPA reports no change to property

September 2008: External inspection reveals that the church is overall in a fair state of repair. However, the leaded windows are corroded with some missing glass. The roof appears sunken in places and the guttering is blocked with vegetation. Local planners report some initial discussions had taken place with the building owners in the past, but no formal development plans have been received as yet.

19 June 2012: External inspection finds gutters are being kept clear and repairs are being made to the windows, though further breakages are occuring.

2 October 2013: External inspection finds no significant change from the previous site visit.

18 September 2018: External inspection finds the church in poor condition. There are slipped slates and damaged rainwater goods. There is damage to some of the pinnacles and finials. There is a boarded window on the South Elevation that has been damaged and the glass beneath broken. Some repairs have taken place but deterioration continues. Condition moved to Poor.

22 February 2024: Desk-based assessment suggests the building remains disused.