The goal is to transform the former Keiss Church into a welcoming and flexible community destination where heritage, culture, learning, enterprise and wellbeing come together under one historic roof.
Estimated Cost
£12,500,000
Keiss is a historic village in Caithness Scotland with a history that stretches through millennia. From Neolithic settlement and Pictish roots, Viking settlement and Victorian industry. Every community has landmarks that quietly shape its identity. The former Keiss Church is one of those landmarks. Not because of the stone from which they were built, but because of the generations served, the stories witnessed and the memories and legends passed on.
For generations it has stood as a familiar landmark, today it presents an opportunity not simply to preserve an important heritage asset, but to thoughtfully reimagine it as a vibrant, year-round destination that strengthens community life, celebrates Highland heritage, supports local enterprise and contributes to the long-term prosperity of Caithness and the wider Highlands.
The Keiss Heritage Collective proposes the conservation-led restoration and adaptive reuse of the former church as a flexible community destination where heritage, culture, education, enterprise and wellbeing come together under one historic roof. Rather than preserving the building as a static monument, our vision is to give it renewed purpose while respecting its architectural and cultural significance.
The restored building has the potential to accommodate a broad range of community-led activities, including heritage interpretation, exhibitions, educational workshops, performances, arts and cultural programming, local markets, community gatherings, celebrations, wellness activities, private events and opportunities for social enterprise. Future uses will continue to evolve through consultation with the local community, ensuring the building remains relevant, inclusive and financially sustainable.
One potential enterprise currently being explored is a Highland Honey and Mead Heritage Experience, celebrating Scotland’s rich beekeeping traditions while supporting biodiversity, education and partnerships with local producers. This represents one possible component of a wider vision focused on heritage, enterprise and community benefit.
This project is important because many rural communities across Scotland are seeking ways to preserve significant heritage buildings while creating sustainable economic and social value. Heritage buildings that once formed the heart of community life often struggle to remain viable without new purpose. The regeneration of the former Keiss Church offers an opportunity to protect an important part of Highland heritage while creating a welcoming destination that serves residents, visitors, schools, artists, businesses and community organisations alike.
The project aligns strongly with the principles of heritage-led regeneration and Community Wealth Building. Wherever practical, restoration will prioritise Highland contractors, local tradespeople, Scottish suppliers, traditional building specialists and locally sourced materials, helping to retain investment within the regional economy while supporting employment, apprenticeships, traditional skills and local enterprise.
Beyond the restoration itself, the project has the potential to encourage visitors to stay longer within Caithness, increase local spending, strengthen the year-round visitor economy, celebrate Scottish craftsmanship, provide opportunities for artists and makers, support local organisations and create a welcoming shared space that reduces social isolation and strengthens community pride.
Success will not simply be measured by the completion of restoration works. It will be measured by life returning to the building: children attending educational programmes, residents gathering for community events, artists exhibiting local work, traditional skills being shared, visitors discovering the stories of Caithness and local businesses benefiting from increased activity.
The project is being led by local resident Peter Gordon Smith and Karen Sealy award winning interior designer and renovation expert through the newly established Keiss Heritage Collective.
Several important milestones have already been achieved. Ownership of the building has been secured, the founding partnership established, the Keiss Heritage Collective vision developed, preliminary research undertaken and early funding opportunities identified. This application represents the next step in transforming that vision into a sustainable community asset.
Community participation will be central to every stage of the project. As development progresses, local residents, community organisations, businesses, heritage specialists, educators, artists and volunteers will be invited to help shape future uses, programming and governance. We also intend to explore an appropriate charitable or community-benefit governance model to ensure long-term public value and broad community participation.
Ultimately, this proposal is not simply about restoring an historic building. It is about investing in the future of Caithness. It is about demonstrating how one thoughtfully regenerated heritage building can strengthen community life, support local enterprise, celebrate Scottish heritage and contribute to a stronger, more resilient regional economy. The church is the catalyst. The wider outcome is rural regeneration.
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