Elgin Cathedral - Elgin (HS)
Elgin was not the original site for the see of Moray, as documentary evidence tells us that bishops were based at various times at Kinneddar, Birnie and Spynie, the latter being moved to after Papal permission was granted in1206. The grant did not necessarily mean the construction of a large stone church, but did provide for the official organisation of the diocese. However, the site at Spynie proved inconvenient for the cathedral and although the Bishop's Palace remained there, permission was granted to move again to Elgin in 1224. Previous Christian activity in Elgin may well have centred round the parish church of St. Giles, as this is where the Pictish carved stone now on display in the cathedral was found. The construction of the new cathedral may have begun just before the official approval came through on the land granted by Alexander II and it was dedicated to The Holy Trinity. A brief mention of a fire at Elgin cathedral in 1270 in a fifteenth century history probably explains why a major rebuilding was begun before the end of the thirteenth century. The church was considerably extended, with the east end embellished with side aisles, doubled in length and increased in height. The picture below shows the remains of this work, together with the octagonal Chapter House added at the same time. Elaborate and beautiful tombs were built in the new side aisles, including that of Bishop John of Winchester (1435-60) and that of the first earl of Huntly, Alexander Gordon, in his robes as lord chancellor of Scotland.
During the Wars of Independence of the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, Elgin seems to have been spared the worst of Edward I, II and III's destructive actions elsewhere, but in 1390, after excommunication by Bishop Bur of Elgin, the cathedral and residences of 18 canons and chaplains was burnt down by Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, also known as the 'Wolf of Badenoch'. As brother of the king, Robert III, Buchan possessed vast lands and power in the north of Scotland, but he abused this power. Bishop Bur obtained redress from the king and repairs commenced. A further attack in 1402, this time by Alexander Macdonald, son of the Lord of the Isles, put back the reconstruction, but work then continued, with a new rose window for the east end and the large central tower over the crossing rebuilt.
The splendid west front, with its rich adornment of carving, was reconstructed by Bishop Columba of Dunbar in the second quarter of the fifteenth century, with the final re-modelling of the Chapter House carried out by Bishop Andrew Stewart at the end of the fifteenth century. This is still an impressive room, with the delicately vaulted ceiling carried on a tall, slim stone pillar. During our visit on a cold and wet September day, Gregorian chant was being played in the Chapter House, which became a calm and spiritual oasis away from the weather outside.
At the Reformation in 1560, Elgin's fate was sealed as the parish church had remained that of St. Giles in the centre of the town of Elgin and the bishop moved there. In 1561, the 'popish' carvings and decorations of the cathedral were removed, with the lead from the roofs and the cathedral bells carted off in 1567-8. Mass was celebrated here as late as 1594, following the battle of Glenlivet, when the Catholic earl of Huntly beat of the Government army. It is said that both Catholic and Protestant services were held at Elgin well into the seventeenth century. However, the fabric of the building had not been maintained and the Choir roof fell down during a gale in 1637. In 1640, the lairds of Innes and Brodie broke up the medieval rood screen for firewood. The final blow came in 1711, when, on Easter Sunday, the great central tower collapsed, taking the majority of the Nave with it.
In the early nineteenth century, earlier architecture, especially ruins, came to be seen in the new light of Romanticism and a cobbler, John Shanks, was appointed as keeper and guide of the cathedral. He single-handedly removed the rubble to reveal the richness of what remained. The soft sandstone of the cathedral has contributed to the gradual erosion of the carvings and mouldings and it is now cared for and repaired by Historic Scotland. As shown above in our photograph, an unusual view of the ruins can be obtained from the climb up the West Towers. Although it provides an almost plan-like sight of the lay-out of the cathedral, it is not recommended for the faint-hearted.