The first Church of Scotland parish church built for Glenrothes combines a practical hall plan with a sharply profiled detached-looking tower.
Quick facts
- Date
- 1953
- Architect / designer
- Peter Sinclair
- Type
- Functionalist hall church with bell tower
- Designation
- Listed building, Category C (LB42983)
- OS grid reference
- NO 28559 00232
Architecture and continuing use
A long harled rectangle under a steep roof emphasises horizontal lines, while a square pyramidal-roofed bell tower provides the vertical marker. Small high windows and a cruciform east light create a restrained modern interior.
Its story
Peter Sinclair designed the church in 1953 for Woodside and Auchmuty, the first New Town neighbourhood opened in 1951. Later extensions accommodated expanding parish activity without obscuring the original hall church.
Why it is included
Foundational New Town history, surviving modernist character and continuing community use support this representative Category C record.
What to notice
- The bell tower attached lightly at the northwest corner.
- A run of small windows tucked below the eaves.
- The cruciform stained-glass opening at the east end.
Reading the surroundings
Heart of Fife publishes rotating worship and group activity. Check the current calendar and respect services, children's groups and private pastoral meetings.
Timeline
- 1951 The earliest planned housing area began receiving its new community.
- 29 September 1953 A datestone records completion of the new parish church.
- 1978 A stained-glass cross marked the New Town's twenty-fifth anniversary.
- 2024 Congregational union brought the building into Heart of Fife Parish.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Service locations rotate within the united parish, so the church is active without necessarily hosting the main Sunday service every week.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: St Margaret's Church, Glenrothes, LB42983 — Designation category, mapped location, date, fabric, authorship and architectural or historical interest.
- Heart of Fife Parish — Current parish union, worship rotation and community activities at St Margaret's.
Location
OS grid reference NO 28559 00232 · Location confidence: High: the statutory designation supplies 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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