Elgin Cathedral, Nave Looking East

Category

Library Item

Item no

24463

Title

Elgin Cathedral, nave looking east

Description

A view of a ruined cathedral, three sides remain each with carved arches and circles where windows would have been in place. In the foreground the base of many stone structures can be seen and to the far right of the picture a small carved figure of a bishop is in view.

Artist / maker

Valentine, James

Date

1865

Size

11.5 x 18.0 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Elgin Cathedral is a mediaeval ruin in Elgin, Moray, to the north-east of Scotland. It was built in approximately 1224 by King Alexander II. The cathedral was dedicated to the Church of the Holy Trinity, which was already in existence in nearby Spynie but moved to Elgin Cathedral when it was completed, where the number of canons attached to it increased over the years immediately afterwards.

The cathedral has been through many upheavals, in 1390 the Cathedral was burnt down by a man named The Wolf of Badenoch, he was the son of King Robert II, and the Earl of Buchan, he burnt down the church in revenge for being excommunicated from the Church. The Cathedral was burnt down again in 1402, after being rebuilt. Its fall into its current state of disrepair began during the reformation in 1560, when the clergy were forced to abandon their property and flee, like many of the religious figures in Scotland at that time. The buildings were left to the mercy of the conditions and over the years it has seen the lead taken from the roof and screens stripped from the Cathedral, and the windows destroyed by Cromwell's covenanters.

The Cathedral remains a ruin today however in the 19th century steps were taken to preserve the ruin that remains and repair aspects of it. The cathedral is sometimes referred to as the lantern of the north and remains a popular destination with visitors today. It boasts having the tallest gravestone in Scotland, a chapterhouse which remains from the 15th century and a collection of large - carved stone bishops which resemble chess-pieces.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Architectural features > Arches

Architecture > Architectural features > Stone carvings

Homes > Derelict buildings and excavation sites > Ruins

Places > Scotland > Elgin

Places > United Kingdom > Scotland

Religion > Religious facilities > Cathedrals

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