Iconic Linlithgow spire is gleaming golden once again following £400,000 restoration

An iconic church spire in Linlithgow, West Lothian, is once again gleaming golden following successful completion of a £400k restoration project that has saved it from potential collapse.



The Crown of Thorns spire of St Michael’s Parish Church – a unique and eye-catching piece of public sculpture, visible from both the M9 and the Edinburgh-Glasgow train line – has undergone thorough refurbishment to repair extensive rot in its structural timbers and replace the external cladding. The new cladding, a bronze alloy, returns the spire’s colour to the golden glow of the original structure when erected in 1964. This time, however, the gold is here to stay, aided by modern sealing technology designed to keep the Scottish weather at bay for decades to come.



Retired architect Brian Lightbody, who led the project, said “From investigative surveys, we knew that the timber structure under the external cladding had been badly affected by water ingress. But the extent of the damage uncovered as all the old cladding was removed has demonstrated that the only alternative to major restoration would have been removal of the entire Crown – in itself a demanding and costly project, and a deeply unattractive prospect for funders.