Roman Catholic Church of St Edward The Confessor, Sanday

St Edward’s Church stands on the small island of Sanday in the Inner Hebrides. It is a deconsecrated Roman Catholic building, built between 1886 and 1890 as a memorial to Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Glossop. The church was a gift from his daughter, Gwendolyn Fitzalan-Howard, the 3rd Marchioness of Bute, who owned the islands at the time. The architect was William Frame, who later worked on Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch. The nave’s corbel course was carved by Thomas Nicholls, who also contributed to buildings in Cardiff. Before this church was built, the islands already had a Catholic chapel on Canna, dating from around 1770. The church served the islands until the 20th century, when falling populations led to its closure in 1963. Services returned to the older St Columba’s chapel on Canna, and the building fell into disuse. It was briefly used as a hostel, then in 2001 converted into a Gaelic study centre at a cost of £860,000. The centre never opened and by 2010 was already damaged by water. By 2016 it stood empty once more. Visitors find a simple stone church with a nave and corbelled details inside. The building is now disused and shows signs of neglect, though it remains a quiet landmark on the island. The surrounding area is rural, with few buildings and open views across the Hebridean landscape. The old St Columba’s chapel on nearby Canna still holds services, while the former post office has been replaced. Sanday and Canna together now have around thirty residents, so the church stands as a reminder of a time when the islands were more populated.