COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: As per the instruction of the Government and the Church of Scotland, all public acts of worship and associated activities shall cease until further notice. We hope to trial some online gatherings and worship in the very near future, so please bear with us in these difficult times. Further updates on these and on any further implications will be given in due course. Remember if you need a chat or need any help or support, feel free to drop us a line on e-mail, or by phone. We may not know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future. God bless. You can access a livestream of the worship from Eyemouth Parish Church’s YouTube Channel at the following link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzx0YuWkQ3IPip5VOoGn9zw

The Parish

The Church of Scotland Parish of Coldingham & St Abbs is under the charge of Rev. Andrew Haddow, and 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.