‘Fabric of Cumbernauld has fallen apart after church fire’

The destruction of a Cumbernauld church in a devastating fire will have lasting repercussions for the area, locals fear.

The blaze that wiped out the St Mungo’s Church building on Saturday came just over a week after another fire wrecked the nearby Cumbernauld Cottage Theatre.

Community groups that used the church for events have been left scrambling to find replacement space.

There were no injuries in the blaze, which took until Sunday to put out.

Caroline Noble, a volunteer with Cumbernauld and Carbrain Community Hub, told BBC Scotland News she feels like the original landmarks and heritage of the North Lanarkshire new town are disappearing.

She said: “The full fabric of Cumbernauld has just fallen apart, really. It kind of feels like there is going to be nothing left, which is sad.”

The 1960s church, designed by Scottish architect Alan Reiach, is a B-listed building – meaning it is classed as being of regional or local importance.

The community hub, based minutes away from the church, would use the building for some bigger events or activities, including a weekly café offering free breakfasts.

Organisers have since found an alternative site for the café, but Ms Noble believes the loss of the church – and in particular the distinctive triangular roof visible across the area’s skyline – will take time to get used to.

She added: “It’s such an iconic building in Cumbernauld. Everyone was talking about it because it’s just such a shock.”

Rhona McMillan, a member of the Cumbernauld Gaelic Choir that used the church as a rehearsal space, said the news was terrible.

She told BBC Scotland News: ” It is a huge loss to the community and our thoughts are with the congregation and ministry team.

“The choir have been rehearsing there for three years every Monday night, and it was an ideal space for singing and learning Gaelic.”

The St Mungo’s Church building was part of Trinity Parish Church, a union formed from Cumbernauld Old Church and Kildrum and St Mungo’s churches in August 2024.

Any decision on what happens next with the building will partly lie with the Church of Scotland, whose moderator the Rt Rev Rosie Frew said she was shocked by the fire.

She said: “As well as being the focus of much of the life, work and worship of the congregation, St Mungo’s has been both an iconic landmark and a place of special memories for the people of Cumbernauld.

“My thoughts and prayers, and those of members of the Church of Scotland, are with the congregation and community at this difficult time.”

She is scheduled to visit the site later.

Rev Alastair Duncan, the interim moderator of Cumbernauld Trinity Church, said the congregation had been left devastated and that the building was “cherished by many”.

He added: “Aside from its distinctive architecture, the B-listed building is held in great affection by the people of Cumbernauld, and its location remains a significant presence for the Church of Scotland.”

Online speculation has already intensified for what will happen next to the site, including calls for it to be rebuilt.

Ms Noble, who studied the area’s heritage for her masters degree, believes the building’s importance to the overall community should not be underplayed.

She said: “I truly believe that heritage spaces are more than buildings, they are places where people’s stories and memories are all held.

“When the building isn’t there, those stories still exist, so it has been more than just a building – not just for the church but for the whole community.

“It’s going to be odd not having it there.”