MAJOR repair work is now underway at Tundergarth Church.
The kirk’s trust this week revealed phase one of the £40,000 project has kicked off.
Meanwhile, the nearby Old Kirk ruins, which are in the corner of the site and date from 1771, have also had some attention.
A trust spokesperson said: “If you had previously visited you would notice that they were absolutely covered in thick ivy.
“We’re delighted to say that our licence for works from Dumfries and Galloway Council has been granted and we have been extremely busy on site.
“Our trustee Ian McLatchie has spent countless hours clearing the ivy, weeds and base, alongside a specialist tree surgeon. Once the initial ivy was given a ‘haircut’ we enlisted the expertise of a surveyor to not only identify and record the stones within the ruin, but also excavate three test pits. These test pits will allow us to find out what may lie beneath the base of the ruins.”
It has been explained that the work is all part of the exploratory phase for their plans to create a memorial museum on the site in future.
And it is being funded by the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie Legacy Foundation, which also gave £20,000 towards the main church repairs.
Anybody visiting the site is asked just to view it from outside of the ruins, and not to enter the area as it is a working site.
Pictured, the ruins before ivy was removed
