Dunkeld Cathedral

Dunkeld Cathedral stands on the north bank of the River Tay in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross. Built in grey sandstone, the cathedral proper began in 1260 and was completed in 1501. It occupies the site of the former Culdee Monastery of Dunkeld, with stones from the monastery visible as a reddish streak in the eastern gable. Though not formally a cathedral today, the Church of Scotland continues to use the name. The building shows mixed architecture, with Gothic and Norman elements intermingled throughout. The cathedral is partly in ruins but remains in regular use and is open to the public. Relics of Saint Columba, including his bones, were once kept here until the Reformation. The original monastery at Dunkeld dated from the sixth or early seventh century, founded after Saint Columba’s expedition to Alba. During the ninth century, Causantín mac Fergusa constructed a more substantial cathedral of reddish sandstone. The Celtic bell used at the monastery is not preserved here but in the Little Dunkeld Church. The cathedral serves as Dunkeld’s Church of Scotland parish church, with services every Sunday. The small Chapter House Museum displays relics from monastic and medieval times. Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, known as the Wolf of Badenoch, was buried here in 1394, and his tomb with an armoured effigy can still be seen. Other notable burials include bishops and nobles such as the 1st Earl of Atholl and Charles Edward Stuart, Count Roehenstart. The cathedral grounds also hold the site of the 1689 Battle of Dunkeld between Jacobite clans and government forces.