Touched by Tarfside

St Drostan’s Lodge, in the Diocese of Brechin, opened in 1983, providing basic self-catering accommodation next to St Drostan’s Church in Tarfside, Glenesk. In 2003, it was re-opened after extensive modifications and addition of extra bedrooms, with the assistance of a lottery grant. A condition of this grant was that the Lodge had to be open to all, not just members of Brechin Diocese.

This has resulted in perhaps the greatest ongoing outreach programme in the Diocese of Brechin.

Since 2003, churches from throughout the UK have visited, from the South Coast of England, through the borders, to the North of Scotland, every denomination has been involved, however the greatest number of users have been non church groups including yoga retreats, youth groups, walking, cycling, social work and charities.

Why do people keep coming back? Not least for the absence of TV and radio, but mainly for the peace, tranquillity and spirituality of beautiful Glenesk, and even for “non-church” people, the possibility to just sit and spend quiet time in our ever open church.

We are now seeing people returning who came to the Lodge as children and remember it as a very special place, which they want their children to experience.

There is one instance of a man who came as a child, bringing his prospective wife up from London, for a week in the Lodge, followed by being married in our church.

The troubled teenagers, who attend in social work groups, introduced to the concept of housekeeping as well as life in the countryside, who now return as youth leaders in similar groups.

The little girl who acted as carer for her parents, on a respite visit with other such children, who was amazed to see so many books in our small library, and was absolutely overjoyed to be given one to take home.

The young lady who asked her social worker to bring her back to the church again so that she could write her name in the visitors book as she thought that it was such a special place, these and all the other returnees have all been “Touched by Tarfside”

Perhaps it’s time for your group to consider a short period of reflexion away from it all to think about your way ahead? or perhaps a family reunion?

Don’t be afraid, you have only your everyday stresses to loose!