A nineteenth-century church has acquired an energetic new family use while retaining its gables and campanile as a George Street landmark.
Quick facts
- Date
- Built 1844; additions and remodelling 1896
- Architect / designer
- W. Middleton; A. Marshall Mackenzie
- Type
- Tudor-detailed former church and hall adapted for indoor play
- Designation
- Listed building, Category C (LB38153)
- OS grid reference
- NO 71494 57648
Architecture and continuing use
Sandstone walls, Tudor openings, steep gables and a campanile organise the church and hall group. The historic exterior remains legible around the adapted interior, which once had a fan-shaped seating arrangement.
Its story
W. Middleton designed the church in 1844 and A. Marshall Mackenzie remodelled and extended it in 1896. After a congregational union and closure for worship, Scallywags converted the building for soft play.
Why it is included
It is a vivid example of a redundant place of worship retaining public, social use through a substantial but recognisable adaptation.
What to notice
- Tudor-detailed windows and doors.
- Campanile rising beside the gabled ranges.
- Different masonry and forms created by the 1844 and 1896 phases.
Reading the surroundings
This is a commercial family venue. Enter through the operator’s normal booking and opening arrangements, protect children’s privacy and do not treat play areas as unrestricted heritage access.
Timeline
- Built 1844 W. Middleton designed the church in 1844 and A. Marshall Mackenzie remodelled and extended it in 1896. After a congregational union and closure for worship, Scallywags converted the building for soft play.
- Present Operating soft-play and family leisure venue in the former church.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The supplementary HES text still describes the building as being in church use, but current operator and places-of-worship evidence record closure after the 2023 union and adaptation as Scallywags. Current use was checked on 2026-08-23.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Scallywags Soft Play at former St Andrew's Church, LB38153 — Designation category, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural interest.
- Scallywags Soft Play: locations — Current Montrose venue, operator, address and family-leisure use.
- Places of Worship in Scotland: former St Andrew’s Church — Independent building history and recent change from worship to soft-play use.
Location
OS grid reference NO 71494 57648 · Location confidence: High: the HES designation provides an official mapped National Grid Reference and the current source confirms the Place relationship or present identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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