Clock starts ticking on race to buy Scotland's 'forgotten Einstein' church

A fundraising drive has been launched to purchase a south of Scotland church with links to the man described as "Scotland's forgotten Einstein".

Villagers in Parton hope to buy the building but face a race against time with less than 60 days before a 1 November deadline.

Scientist James Clerk Maxwell - whose work paved the way for mobile phones, radio and television - is buried in the church graveyard.

The community hopes to raise £70,000 to buy the building and ensure it is wind and watertight while moving towards converting it into a science and community centre.

The move follows a meeting in the village earlier this week where it was decided to push ahead with the plans.

A steering group has been set up along with a fundraising page.

Community council chairman Paul Hodson said they were optimistic that they could gather the funds needed to meet the deadline agreed with the Church of Scotland.

"Several individuals and families in the village have already pledged to donate," he said.

"So we are hopeful that with wider help we will be able to meet our target, hovever the deadline of 1 November gives us less than 60 days to do so."

He said that if they were successful in their plans it could have a major impact on the area.

"If we do manage to secure the building this will give us hope that the project to celebrate the life and work of this great scientist can become a vibrant centre and help reverse the slow rural decline of communities like ours and provide a boost for the whole region," he added.

Clerk Maxwell was born in Edinburgh in 1831 but moved to Galloway as a child.

The concept of electromagnetic radiation originated with him and is credited as paving the way for Einstein's special theory of relativity.

He died in Cambridge in 1879 but was buried back in Parton.

The Church of Scotland has agreed to sell the church to the community if it can raise the £50,000 required by the deadline.

It said that if they failed to do so Parton Kirk would be placed "on the open market".

Last year, nearly a third of all church buildings sold by the Church of Scotland went to community groups.

The sale proceeds are held for the benefit of newly-formed congregations to cover the costs of maintaining, refurbishing and developing other buildings they own.