Coldingham Priory Today
The Church of Scotland Parish of Coldingham & St Abbs is linked with nearby Eyemouth Parish. The two congregations of Eyemouth and Coldingham & St Abbs share a common vision for our happily linked parishes. The linkage has been in place now since 1986.
The parish of Coldingham & St Abbs is situated in the South East of Scotland 8 miles north of the border with England. Our Parish's economic life is characterised by the industries of tourism, agriculture and fishing and other marine activities.
The coastal village of St Abbs with a population of around 120 has a small harbour and continues to enjoy a strong community spirit. The harbour has a lifeboat station and it is still used for fishing for crab and lobster though most of the small boats now take recreational divers out to explore the marine reserve. Many of the cottages are holiday homes so the emphasis is now on tourism.
Coldingham lies 1.5 miles inland from St Abbs and has a population of around 700. Coldingham's residents are largely permanent though there are some holiday homes and two caravan parks. There is a popular 'blue flag' beach at Coldingham Sands.
The coastline north of St Abbs has high cliffs and belongs to the National Trust for Scotland. It is a popular tourist area both for bird watchers and walkers.
In 2006 when the St Abbs congregation fell to single figures the decision was taken to close the church building at St Abbs and for the congregation to unite with Coldingham. The merger with St Abbs and the linkage with Eyemouth have meant that the Parish had significant financial resources from the sale some years ago of St Abbs' church and the Coldingham Manse, and this has permitted the recent renovation of the Priory Church to provide modern facilities.
A grant made thanks to the 2012-13 Capital Grant Scheme from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, administered by the National Churches Trust.
The funding was to support the Priory Church Plan to enhance access, provide new facilities and improve the flexibility of the interior space to attract more users. The plan involves providing a wheelchair lift and emergency exit, new disabled toilet, a kitchenette and meeting room and a switch from fixed pews to flexible seating.
