Undiscovered Scotland

 

The township of Geirinis is one of the largest in the northern half of South Uist, though today it is dominated by the military installations to the west (and on the hill to the south-east) associated with the missile range here.

About halfway through the township you pass a shrine on your left with, immediately beyond it, St Bride's Roman Catholic Church, dedicated to St Bride. St Bride's at first sight appears no larger than the bungalows and croft houses that make up most of the rest of Geirinis.

The external impression is misleading. The door opens into a small lobby, which in turn gives access to the north side of the church. What you actually find inside is a surprisingly large space, made to appear still larger by the way the ceiling has been raised part way into the pitched roof, adding a sense of height and space.

The church's windows all carry a simple yet extremely attractive design in stained glass. This does little to cut down light and the result is that on a bright day St Bride's is extremely well lit, adding still further to the sense of space within it. The icons and paintings carry on the simple yet attractive theme from the windows and the end result is a remarkably nice church with a very welcoming feel.

The east end of St Bride's is, as you would expect, home to the altar, above which a cross is mounted on a large wooden panel. Also on the east wall are two beautiful paintings, conveying aspects of the Christian message in an extremely contemporary way.

The shrine to the east of the church is one of a number alongside roads in South Uist, especially in the northern half of the island. This one is accessed by a set of steps leading up from the road through Geirinis.