ST PETER’S Cardross been called Scotland’s best and worst twentieth century building but the definitive history of the building is included in a new book St Peter’s Cardross, Birth, Death and Renewal.

The book, being released by Historic Environment Scotland, will include a full contextual story with modern developments will bring readers right up to, and beyond, this year’s Hinterland event by NVA is set to go on sale on November 30.

The building has sat above the village of Cardross for more than three decades but only fulfilled its original role as a seminary for 14 years, from 1996 to 1979.

Prolonged construction and problematic upkeep meant that the Catholic Church reassessed the role of seminaries and resolved to embed trainee priests in communities.

The building was then used as a drug rehabilitation centre before it was abandoned and vandalised. Since then the future of the building has been a topic of discussion and was categorised as a A listed building in 1992.

The building came back into the spotlight this year when it became the focus of the Hinterland event as a cultural space.

In the book St Peter’s Cardross, Birth, Death and Renewal, Diane Watters, an architectural historian at HES, looks at the history and traces the story of how the building became one of Scotland’s most troubled and celebrated buildings.

Angus Farquhar, Creative Director of Glasgow based NVA recounts how his independent arts organisation came to play the key role in the renewal of St Peter’s through the globally publicised Hinterland event.

The hardback book is set to go on sale on November 30, priced at £30 and will be available in bookshops and online.

The book can be purchased at a special offer price of £20 online at shop.scran.ac.uk/cardross using code STPETERS20