Minister shows off Scottish landscape in lockdown sermons

A clergyman using lockdown to broadcast services in remote locations said it has been “amazing” to reach a worldwide audience.

Rev Neil Glover is the minister at Aberfeldy Church in Perthshire which is linked with the nearby towns of Dull and Weem as well as Grandtully, Logierait and Strathtay.

Lockdown measures have prevented Mr Glover from delivering sermons in front of the congregation – and have instead presented an opportunity to show off the Perth and Kinross countryside.

He and colleagues have been recording services and uploading them to a YouTube channel, reaching people as far away as North America.

Mr Glover said: “It’s an amazing feeling. Two weeks ago I stood in a field above Pitlochry, knee-deep in snow, and spoke into a tripod reading a verse from the Bible.

“It’s amazing to think that’s been seen by hundreds and hundreds of people, and we have showcased the landscape around us.”

Services have been delivered from locations including a boat on Loch Tay, Glen Lyon, Soldier’s Leap, as well as from inside churches.

The minister has also recorded a service at the Birks of Aberfeldy, which inspired work by Scotland’s national bard Robert Burns.

But despite the online success, Mr Glover said nothing can compensate for the loss of human interaction.

He added: “You still miss being face-to-face, being together, that feeling we have of just being around each other.

“We have tried our hardest to replicate that, but I think there can be some Zoom fatigue setting in at times.

“We are humans we are hardwired for natural physical connections.”