AN iconic Largs church is undergoing a £140,000 facelift after almost 130 years of weather damage began to take its toll on the building.

The Clark Memorial Church is currently undergoing works to preserve the stain glassed windows and sandstone structure of the Victorian building.

It is hoped the revamp will preserve the huge church - which would cost around £30m to build now due to its size and scale - for generations to come.

Revered David Watson said: "Global warming and climate change have give the building a real battering over the years.

"The church when it was built in 1892 is believed to have cost £30,000. It would cost £30m these days to put a church up of this size in any town."

A grant £54,100 has been secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for conservation repairs and improvements.

In addition, Historic Environment Scotland is providing a grant of £81,100.

These funds will be directed to improving key components of the building’s fabric which require urgent repair.

These includes the roof, stonework and windows. In particular, the stonework supporting the windows needs urgent attention to maintain the condition of the stained glass.

Rev Watson, 58, added: "Drones were used to do a detailed photographic and video survey of the building to see what was needed and the results have been surprising."

Rev Watson has served in Oban and Prestwick during his ministry which has spanned 30 years, and the well travelled minister has been based at the Clark Memorial for the past four years.

He said: "We have also looked at the interior of the church to see how it can be modernised. We are also looking at the upgrading of the toilet facilities within the church."

Clark Memorial Church was a gift to the town from John Clark, owner of the Anchor Thread Mills in Paisley. It is an ‘A’ listed building, meaning that it is of national importance due to its special architectural features. The stained glass includes work by celebrated Victorian artists Stephen Adam and Christopher Whall.

Rev Watson said: "It is one of the iconic buildings of Largs, and it is a massive church for the size of congregation. As such there are massive costs associated with the upkeep of the building, which is an ongoing cause of anxiety for everybody. We have around 50-60 in the Kirk Session who have been working hard on the project.

"The works are expected to be concluded by the middle of May, and it means that we will be able to host many community events and open the building up more to the public.

"It is a condition of the lottery funding that we make the church more accessible and it is something we wanted to do anyway, with audio and guided tours.

"Historically Largs has a strong church faith. The churches all work well together including the school chaplaincy, and we have all been singing from the same hymn sheet with Largs Churches Together including at the recent Remembrance services.

"It is important for churches to now co-operate as opposed to competing.

The Clark Memorial Church Hall building within the grounds is one of the most popular venues in the town for local functions and fundraisers.

Rev Watson added: "Apart from the Opportunities in Retirement group and youth organisations, the church hall is used by the community resilience team. There are so many things, including a music group for people with dementia, while the Largs Operatic Society also use it. There is always something on."

The Clark Memorial Church also hosts Largs Foodbank every Thursday from noon till 5pm.