THE 900th anniversary of St Fillan's Church in Aberdour will be celebrated with two separate events this month.

There will be a service led by the Moderator of the Church of Scotland Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields and a talk from acclaimed author James Robertson.

Mr Greenshields attended the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey and will now be returning north to visit St Fillan's, previously described as a "Mini Cathedral".

The service of celebration will be held on Sunday, May 14, at 10.30am.

James Robertson, a writer from Bridge of Allan, was the winner of the 2022 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction for his novel News of the Dead.

It features a hermit similar to St Fillan, who is said to have lived as a recluse close to St. Andrew's monastery for many years after travelling from his home in Ireland to Scotland.

Mr Robertson has written a total of seven novels, including News of the Dead and The Testament of Gideon Mack as well as four collections of short stories and five of poetry.

Through his Scots language imprint Itchy Coo, he also publishes Scots versions of popular children’s stories including Paddington, Winnie the Pooh and The Gruffalo.

His talk, Hermits and Heretics: A Tour through the Fictional World of James Robertson, will take place on May 19 at 7.30pm at St Fillan's Church where his books will be available to purchase and sign.

The event is free and donations are welcome.

St Fillan's is one of seven A-listed churches which are under threat of closure in Fife.

Mr Robertson said: "I’ve only once been in St Fillan’s Church, for a funeral, and was astonished by its beauty and antiquity as well as by its sense of sanctity.

"It will be a great honour to be part of the 900th anniversary, especially as I believe there is now a threat hanging over the church’s future as the Kirk seeks to divest itself of many of its buildings.

"Whether or not we as individuals have a religious faith, a society that loses touch with the past, as represented by such a rare and ancient building as St Fillan's, is in danger of losing touch with itself."