Christianity arrived in Shetland in the 7th century, a century or so before the Vikings beached their galleys on our shores. Early settlements may be found at St Ninian's Isle, and at Papil in Burra Isle. Thereafter Christianity spread gradually throughout the Islands.

Tingwall Kirk dates back to the 12th century, though not in its present form. Originally it was St Magnus Church, one of three steeple churches in Shetland. This building survived five to six hundred years, and part of this building may be seen in the burial crypt adjacent to the present church. In charge of the Church, and indeed of all Christianity in Shetland, was the Archdeacon of Tingwall, an office that dates from 1215AD, and which lasted until the final establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland in 1690AD.

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POINTS OF INTEREST

Our present building was opened for worship in November 1790, making it the second oldest church building currently in regular use in Shetland. (The oldest being at Lunna).

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CHURCH BELL

The church bell was installed in 1902 by the second longest serving minister, the Rev Dr Alexander Bayne. A picture of the church before the bell tower was erected hangs in the Vestry.

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SIR WALTER SCOTT

On the lefthand rear pew on entering the church there is a small brass plaque to commemorate a visit to Tingwall Church by Sir Walter Scott in August 1814. Writing in his diary about the minister of the time, the Rev John Turnbull, Scott says, 'He is doing his best with great patience and judgement to set a good example, both in temporals and spirituals, and is generally beloved and respected by all classes. His glebe is in far the best order of any ground I saw in Shetland. He gave us an excellent address and remarkably good prayers.'

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BURIAL VAULT

To the south of the church is the old burial vault, a relic of the former old spire kirk. The vault was retained when the former building was pulled down, with the stones being used in the construction of the present church. Inside are a number of ancient tombstones.

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BOX TOMB

Between the church and the War Memorial is a box tomb. This was used for many years as a meeting palce for the men of the congregation who would arrive early, and with eight sitting around it, they could exchange all their local and personal news, if not in comfort, at least with the weight of many miles of walking off their feet!

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REV JOHN TURNBULL

Just outside the south side of the church is a memorial erected in memory of the parish's longest serving minister, the Rev John Turnbull. His ministry lasted just over 60 years, from Sept 1806 to Feb 1867. (Within the church on the pulpit wall are memorials to two of his children). On Christmas Day 1836 Mr Turnbull's wife, two of his children, and a maid were crossing an ice-frozen Tingwall loch when the ice broke beneath them, and all four were drowned. Mr Turnbull was summoned home from helping an old colleague in the south of the island, but as no one liked to break such terrible news to the minister, he was left to make the terrible discovery of the four bodies laid out in the manse for himself. Despite the shattering impact this must have had upon him, he was back in the pulpit for his Sunday service, taking as his text, 'So I spake unto the people in the morning, and at even my wife died, and I did in the morning as I was commanded.' (Ezekiel 24.18). Ten of his eleven children had predeceased him when he died at the age of 92, leaving the memory of a great and godly man behind him.

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LAW TING HOLM

Across the road from the church is the former Manse, and to the right of that, at the end of the loch, is a small promontory of land. At one time when the water level in the loch was high this was a small island, reached by a series of stepping stones. This is reckoned to be the site of the Alting, the supreme ancient law court in Shetland.

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