Arbuthnott Church, Linked to ‘Sunset Song,’ Sold

Why this is here: Lewis Grassic Gibbon, author of Sunset Song, lived in Arbuthnott as a child and is buried in the church’s graveyard after his death at age 33 in 1935.

The Church of Scotland recently completed the sale of Arbuthnott Church in Kincardineshire, Scotland. The building served as inspiration for the setting of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s 1932 novel, Sunset Song, and holds his remains in its graveyard. A local community group attempted to purchase the A-listed church, hoping to preserve it, but their bid was unsuccessful.

The Church of Scotland cited a need to reduce its property holdings as a reason for the sale. Arbuthnott Church dates back to the late 1200s and features prominently in the first book of Gibbon’s A Scots Quair trilogy, which follows the life of a young woman on a farm near Aberdeen.

Though Aberdeenshire Council will continue to maintain the church’s graveyard, the future of the building itself remains unclear. The Church of Scotland declined to share details about the buyer or their plans. The community group expressed disappointment, and work to find a new purpose for the historic structure will likely continue.