Sanday

The Sanday Kirk was purchased from the Church of Scotland in 2024 by the Friends of Sanday Kirk for continued use as a place of worship and to hold other community events and activites.

The North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme was in its final year, but were very keen to work with the group on a small project to create new stained glass window panels for the Kirk.

Stained glass artist Shona McInnes was commissioned to work collaboratively with the community to design panels that reflected different aspects of Sanday’s heritage.

Shona ran practical stained-glass workshops, including sessions at the Sanday School. These all proved very popular and the intricate painted glass work made by participants was incorporated into the edges of the completed panels.

Discussion in the practical sessions helped to decide themes and ideas for the finished pieces, and drop-in sessions were held for the wider community to put forward their suggestions too. Shona then created the final designs and fabricated the stunning finished pieces in her studio.