Churches have been scattered across almost every part of the UK’s landscape for centuries, and mountainous areas are no exception.
These brilliant buildings can be found near many of the UK’s highest peaks and add their own charm to much-loved scenery. Sheltered in hidden valleys underneath our highest mountains, offering places of comfort after a day exploring the surrounding fells.
Whether as a shelter from rain, a source of inspiration for artists or a site to remember lives lost on the peaks, churches close to mountains are wonderful places to discover. But each has its own story to tell.
Find out about some of the UK’s mountain churches and what makes each of them special.
Click each of the churches to find out more about them.
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Found in a magnificent setting at the upper end of Eskdale, with Scafell Pike as a backdrop. St Catherine’s dates back to the 12th century. It sits on the 'corpse trail', so called because bodies were carried by pony and cart over the mountains and along the coffin route to St Catherine’s.
The smallest church near the deepest lake and the highest mountain in England. In the churchyard are the graves of many climbers who have died on the surrounding fells. One of the church’s plain diamond shaped windows contains an etching of Napes Needle, a rock formation on Great Gable.
A little whitewashed at the southern end of Thirlmere reservoir, in the shadows of Helvellyn, you’ll find Wythburn church and a solitary group of houses, all that now remain of the submerged village. Wythburn’s lonely position attracted the attention of the Romantic poets including Coleridge and Wordsworth.
Hitting the Nevis range, weather systems from the Atlantic make Fort William one of Scotland’s wettest corners, many tourists look for shelter at this church in the town of Fort William. Three windows are associated with the Ben Nevis Peace Cairn. The mountains also have a darker side, casualties airlifted from the hills are brought to the hospital near the church.
This mountain pass is probably the most celebrated high level trail in all of Scotland. Once a drovers road, the Lairig Ghru takes you through the heart of the Cairngorms, home to four of Scotland's highest munros which soar over 4000 feet. Near the end is the chapel of St Ninian. It was used privately by royalty for 60 years. Today, its awe inspiring surroundings offer a sense of peace and tranquillity.
The ruins of St Duthac, Kintail rest with the Clachan Duich burial grounds on the shore of Loch Duich, underneath the serrated edge of the massif Beinn Fhada in the Scottish Highlands. Once the parish church of Kintail, today it is a late medieval, gabled, rectangular ruin.
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A true mountain church with Snowdon and its neighbouring mountains towering above it on all sides. The Llanberis Mountain Rescue team has its base next door to St Peris, Nant Peris, with the search and rescue helicopter having a designated field close by for landing and taking off. The graveyard is a reminder of these beautiful but sometimes treacherous mountains.
Hidden under the Black Mountains near Abergavenny is this tiny church. This medieval church sits on a south facing slope looking over a tiny valley to the slopes of the Sugar Loaf mountain. An ancient wall painting featured the striking figure of Time, in the form of a skeleton, holding the traditional scythe and hourglass, as well as a spade.
Built in 1822 to serve the people of the mountain sheep farms, the chapel nestles in the valley of the river Camddwr in the Cambrian mountains. In 1968 Soar was threatened with closure in 1973, but public support against this proposal has meant that its status has been secured. It was painted for example by Welsh artist, Ogwyn Davies in 1933 and has featured in poems by Harri Webb and Iwan Llwyd.
Set against the rugged beauty of Binevenagh Mountain, which served as the Dothraki Grasslands in Game of Thrones, Tamlaghtard is surrounded by natural wonders. Classified as an Area of Special Scientific Interest and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Binevenagh is a haven for adventurers, offering hiking, rock climbing, and hang gliding.
The slopes of Binevenagh are steeped in history, the name derived from the Irish 'mountain of Fiobhne', a legendary son of an ancient chieftain. Nestled against these timeless, wooded hills, the church stands quietly in the shadow of ancient ruins, offering a serene connection to centuries of faith, folklore and enduring traditions.
Nestled deep in the rolling hills with Knocklayde mountain rising in the distance, the the picturesque village of Armoy in County Antrim is roughly about thirty miles as the crow flies from Slemish. Set in a landscape steeped in myth and legend, the site of St Patrick’s church stands testament to the long tradition of Christianity in the land of saints and scholars.
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