Scottish Christian.com

Home > News > Scottish Christian News Monitor

Baptism of Inverness street upgrade

A Shower of rain, a sprinkling of River Jordan water and the mysterious appearance of a £1 coin baptised the first phase of the Inverness Streetscape Programme yesterday.

The £6 million programme promises to transform the appearance of certain city-centre streets, with new pavements, lighting and artwork.

A ribbon was cut in Church Lane to mark its official re-opening after a makeover involving new paving, wall cleaning, more traditional railings and special lighting.

The lane runs past St Stephen's Church, so a spiritual flavour has been added through the artwork incorporated into the new paving slabs by artists Fin Macrae and Al MacInnes. The pair, known as DUFI, have been commissioned to develop a series of "Street Texts" for engraving into the paving. For Church Lane they chose two Biblical quotations which have been carved into two of the slabs: "Many waters cannot quench love nor can rivers wash it away"; and "Whoever believes in me streams of living waters will flow from within them."

The stones were 'hallowed' by the Rev Douglas Clyne, acting minister of High Street/St Stephen's church.

He said: "Good art and spirituality have always been intertwined, and this is an area of great spirituality." He invited graphic designer Al MacInnes to sprinkle water from the River Jordan on each of the carved slabs.

Full story at the Aberdeen Press & Journal.