Scalpay Congregation of the Free Church of Scotland
The Free Church of Scotland was formed because of the Disruption of 1843 when most of the evangelical ministers of the Church of Scotland left the church because of state intrusion into the government of the church. The Outer Hebrides was arranged into two presbyteries: Uist and Lewis. Harris belonged to the Presbytery of Uist and two charges were formed: Tarbert in 1848 and Harris in 1849. Scalpay was part of the Tarbert charge. One of the ministers in Tarbert in the nineteenth century was the well-known Gaelic scholar, Dr. Macintosh Mackay (1862-1873). Dr. Mackay, who also ministered in Australia, was the editor of a Gaelic Dictionary as well as an exposition of the Beatitudes.

In 1900, the majority of the Free Church of Scotland united with the United Presbyterian Church to form the United Free Church. Unlike the Free church congregations in the neighbouring Presbytery of Lewis, the Free Church congregations in Harris joined the United Free Church.

In 1929, the majority of the United Free Church rejoined the Church of Scotland, including the charges in Harris. The congregation in Scalpay decided not to go in this direction and applied to rejoin the Free Church of Scotland. The petition to rejoin was signed by about 440 members and adherents.

Since 1929, the Free Church congregation in Scalpay has had several ministers: Donald G. Ferguson (1933-37), Angus Finlayson (1938-48), Malcolm Morrison (1950-54), Wallace B. Nicholson (1955-61), Murdo MacPhail (1962-64), Alister Montgomery (1965-76), Alexander Smith (1977-90), Kenneth Stewart (1991-93) and Donald MacLean (1995-97). The current minister, Malcolm Maclean, was inducted on April 30th, 2004.

In 2000, the congregation in Scalpay was sadly affected by the separation of several ministers from the Free Church of Scotland. The group in Scalpay who left the Free Church currently have occupation of the church building. Deprived in the meantime of their building, the Free Church congregation meets in the local Church of Scotland building.

Today, the Free Church congregation of Scalpay is part of the Western Isles Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland. In the congregation, there are currently forty-two members, forty adherents and fifteen children. In addition to the pastor, there are eight elders and six deacons.

Biographical profile of Dr. Macintosh Mackay

History of Scalpay Free Church by Murdo Morrison