Tour Scotland photograph of Elgin Cathedral, Scotland. Elgin Cathedral, sometimes referred to as The Lantern of the North, is an historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, north-east Scotland. The seats of the early bishops of Moray were located consecutively at the churches of Birnie, Kineddar and Spynie. Bishop Bricius obtained papal authority to establish a fixed location for his cathedral at Spynie in 1206 but petitioned the pope before 1216 to have it moved to Elgin. The cathedral remained at Spynie until 1224 however, when it was finally translated to Elgin by Bricius's successor, Andreas. The construction of this cathedral was completed towards the end of the 13th century. Its octagonal chapter house, a unique feature in Scottish cathedrals, is mostly intact. The aisles contain the recessed tombs and effigies of some of the bishops as well as those of some of the cathedral's powerful benefactors. In 1390 the cathedral, the canons' manses and the Royal Burgh of Elgin were burned by Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, also known as the Wolf of Badenoch. The cathedral manses were attacked and destroyed again in 1402 by the Lord of the Isles’s followers. Substantial repairs to the cathedral were carried out in the 15th and 16th centuries before it fell into disuse and ruination following the Scottish Reformation. Preservation of the building began slowly in the 19th century.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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