Immaculate Conception Church, Stratherrick is in the Dalcrag area of Whitebridge,

Inverness-shire Inverness-shire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Nis) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. Covering much of the Highlands and Outer Hebrides, it is Scotland's largest county, though one of the smallest in populat ...

, in the

Highlands of Scotland The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sc ...

and is a part of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen The Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen ( la, Dioecesis Aberdonensis) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. Foundation The see is the successor of that founded in 1012 at Mortlach by Beyn, which was moved t ...

. It is an active parish church served from

Fort Augustus Fort Augustus is a settlement in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff, at the south-west end of Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands. The village has a population of around 646 (2001). Its economy is heavily reliant on tourism. History The Gae ...

with regular weekly Vigil Mass at 5pm on Saturdays. It forms part of the grouping "Loch Ness Catholic Parishes". It is also a place of local pilgrimage as it has the shrine to 'Our Lady of the Highlands' within its grounds. A new altar at this shrine, or grotto, was dedicated by bishop

Hugh Gilbert Hugh Gilbert OSB (born 15 March 1952) is an English Catholic Benedictine monk who currently serves as the Bishop of Aberdeen. He previously served as the Abbot of Pluscarden Abbey, of which he is a member, also in Scotland. Life Early life On ...

in March 2017.

History

The church was built in 1859 by Ross and Joass. The original wooden altar was later replaced by one in marble which was removed from

St Mary's, Nairn ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy a ...

. Prior to the church being built Mass was said in a house in Dalcrag by a priest based in

Glenmoriston Glenmoriston or Glen Moriston ( gd, Gleann Moireasdan) is a river glen in the Scottish Highlands, that runs from Loch Ness, at the village of Invermoriston, westwards to Loch Cluanie, where it meets with Glen Shiel. The A887 and A87 roads pass ...

who rowed across

Loch Ness Loch Ness (; gd, Loch Nis ) is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. It takes its name from the River Ness, which flows from the northern end. Loch Ness is best known for clai ...

to say Mass.

St. Mary MacKillop Mary Helen MacKillop Religious Sister of St Joseph, RSJ (15 January 1842 – 8 August 1909) was an Australian religious sister who has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church, as St Mary of the Cross. Of Scottish Australian, Scottish desce ...

visited this church on 12-13 December 1873, during a visit from Australia and remarked upon the clean and simple quarters of the Parish Priest, Fr. Bissett.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stratherrick, Immaculate Conception Church 1859 establishments in Scotland Churches in Highland (council area) 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom History of the Scottish Highlands