Iconic Church of Scotland spire restored to golden glory following £400k renovation

And now an iconic Church of Scotland spire in the heart of Linlithgow has been beautifully restored, with the highest point of St Michael’s Parish Church saved from potential collapse following a £400,000 renovation project.

The Crown of Thorns spire – a piece of public sculpture first erected in the West Lothian town in 1964 – has been brought back to its original glory, with new bronze alloy cladding returning the peak’s colour to the traditional golden glow.

Modern sealing technology used for the cladding has been designed to retain the golden colour by keeping the Scottish weather at bay for decades to come. Extensive rot in the spire’s structural timbers has also been extensively repaired.

Retired architect Brian Lightbody, who led the project, said: “From investigative surveys, we knew that the timber structure under the external cladding had been badly affected by water ingress. But the extent of the damage uncovered as all the old cladding was removed has demonstrated that the only alternative to major restoration would have been removal of the entire Crown – in itself a demanding and costly project, and a deeply unattractive prospect for funders.

“The location, design and materials involved have made this an unusually complex project – whether designing a unique scaffolding structure, replacing timber sections in situ without destabilising the whole structure, or sealing sections of cladding perfectly around complex pyramidal shapes at height. We’re confident the spire will stand proud for generations thanks to the quality of work.”

A church was first built on the site of St Michael’s in 1138, although the more modern building was completed in 1540 and would serve as a place of worship for Scottish monarchs, most notably Mary Queen of Scots.

More than half – almost £220,000 – of the funding for the spire’s restoration came directly from public donations. Further grants from Historic Environment Scotland (£90,400), the Church of Scotland General Trustees (£40,000), the Scottish Landfill Trust (£30,000) and the Pilgrim Trust (£10,000) helped pay for the works.

Rev Dr Liam Fraser, minister of St Michael’s, said: “Sixty years on from the installation of the spire in 1964, the excitement this project has generated locally is astonishing. Linlithgow’s Facebook groups have been awash with images of the renewed spire as it has emerged from the scaffolding.

"Both a beloved symbol of the town and a representation of Christ’s Crown of Thorns, it speaks to people in many different ways: of certainty, of renewal, and even of eternity. But the most common reactions on the street at present are simply ‘wow’ or ‘amazing’.”

Dr Fraser added: “It’s fair to say the spire was far more controversial in its early days. Driven forward by the vision of then St Michael’s minister Very Rev Dr David Steel, the design was variously dismissed as a rocket, a wigwam or even left-over scaffolding. But over time, it has come to be hailed as a masterful marriage of modern design to historic architecture.”