It began with a long-held hope… for 20 years, Alison dreamt of acquiring the Mission Hall, should the Church ever decide to sell, and turning it into a studio and exhibition space. To her, the building has always felt like an extension of her croft, and the once-in-a-lifetime chance to make that vision a reality finally presented itself in late 2025.

When Alison bought the Croft, barn and derelict Croft house in 2005, planning permission had already been secured to demolish the buildings and to build several bungalows. Alison rejected that option and, instead, committed herself to a decade-long restoration, bringing the house and barn back to life, carefully preserving and respecting their character. She now strives to do something equally sensitive with the disused Mission Hall, so that it once again has a purpose and a positive presence in the community.

It is hoped that her efforts will enhance the area and preserve its heritage, breathing new life into this small, but not insignificant building.

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Opinan is a small coastal crofting community on the Redpoint peninsula, just south of Gairloch. Reached by the winding coast road from Gairloch, the journey follows the shores of Shieldaig Bay and Badachro Bay, passing through the old crofting and fishing community of Port Henderson before reaching Opinan and the open sea beyond.

Here, on the edge of the Inner Sound and the Minch, the landscape opens out towards Skye, Rona, Harris, Lewis and the Shiant Isles — a meeting place of sea, sky and land that has long shaped the lives and work of those who live here.

As the Mission Hall is also a working studio, outside advertised public exhibitions, visits are by prior arrangement only.