The Scottish Episcopal Church will celebrate a significant and historic event as it consecrates its first female Bishop today.

The Rev Canon Anne Dyer will be consecrated as Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney at a special service in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Aberdeen on Thursday March1, at 1pm.

The service will be attended by around 500 people including people from churches across the diocese – both mainland and island - and from the wider church as well as from other churches and faith communities across the UK and from the Episcopal Church (US).

Joining them will be representatives from civic, political, business and education interests across the city and beyond.

The act of consecration of Canon Anne is carried out by a number of Bishops, including current members of the College of Bishops, three former Primuses of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Bishop David Chillingworth, Bishop Idris Jones and Bishop Bruce Cameron.

They will be joined by bishops from Ireland, Wales and the Baltic region.

The service will be led by the Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

The Primus will also preach at the service and said: “It is a great privilege and honour to consecrate Anne as the new Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney and to welcome her to the College of Bishops.

"This will be a very special moment in the life of the Scottish Episcopal Church and it is heartening to hear of all the good wishes that people have expressed for the new stage of ministry and leadership that Anne now takes up in the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney.”

The role of a Diocesan Bishop is to oversee the spiritual and practical concerns of all the clergy and lay people within their diocese and to provide leadership in mission and ministry, as well as representing the church in wider civic, business and other areas across the Diocese.

The Rev Canon Anne Dyer succeeds the Rt Rev Dr Robert Gillies, who retired as Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney in October 2016.