One of the late Queen Elizabeth’s places of worship is set to be converted into a "luxury party venue" after Swiss art dealers purchased the historic Aberdeenshire church, Braemar Kirk.
Iwan and Manuela Wirth are believed to have acquired the church late last year for more than double its £160,000 asking price after the Church of Scotland sold the property.
The multimillionaire couple, who own the luxury Fife Arms hotel, intend to convert the 155-year-old B-listed building into a venue for weddings, parties and cultural events.
Their plans involve removing the church pews to create what they describe as "an extension of the Fife Arms's hospitality" in the village of 800 residents, The Times reported.
A church frequented by the late Queen Elizabeth is set to become a ‘become luxury party venue’
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Braemar Kirk, a Gothic revival church, held its final service this year after congregation numbers declined, forcing the financially struggling Church of Scotland to sell the property.
In previous years, the late Queen regularly attended services at the building during her stays at Balmoral.
It served as a dual place of worship for the Royal Family, who also attended the nearby Crathie Kirk, with members of the Firm being photographed at the church during their summer break this year.
The B-listed landmark had served as a spiritual centre for the Aberdeenshire village for over a century and a half.
Braemar Kirk was a place of worship for the late Queen and Royal Family during visits to Balmoral
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Its sale marks the end of an era for the community, with the royal family expected to visit Braemar this Saturday for the annual Highland games gathering.
The Wirths' hospitality company, Artfarm, confirmed the conversion would proceed with consideration for residents' views.
"Our first priority is one of preservation, to fix the roof and repoint the building, before opening it up for use both as an extension of the Fife Arms's hospitality and as a complementary space to the village's other venues," a spokeswoman stated.
Planning documents submitted to Aberdeenshire council detail the removal of church benches, supporting structures and heating pipes.
The historic church was sold to Swiss art dealers, who own the nearby luxury Fife Arms hotel, late last year
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The application notes these elements aren't original to the building and their removal would increase the space's versatility whilst maintaining its historic character, The Times reported.
The venue will operate on a commercial basis, with the Artfarm spokeswoman confirming residents must pay to use the space.
"No space in the village is free. All have a hire fee of some description," she said.
One former congregant expressed disappointment about the church's future.
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The late Queen would visit Braemar Kirk alongside the more famous Crathie Kirk
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"It's very sad. The kirk didn't go to the buyer the community wanted," he told the paper.
The Fife Arms, which opened in 2018, caters to wealthy clientele with rooms exceeding £3,000 nightly.
It displays artwork by Picasso and Brueghel the Younger, and has welcomed guests including Queen Camilla, Dame Judi Dench and Will Ferrell.