Tour Scotland photograph of the ruined Nave at Dunkeld Cathedral, Perthshire, Scotland. The site has been holy ground since about 730AD when Celtic missionaries, known as Culdees, built the first monastery here. The major development came in 848, when Kenneth MacAlpin, by then King of the Scots and of the Picts, rebuilt the original wattle buildings in red stone. Two years later Dunkeld became the religious centre of Scotland when the relics of St Columba were moved here from Iona in the face of increasing Viking attacks on the west coast. The Cathedral you see today shows both Gothic and Norman influence having being built in stages over a period of nearly 250 years between 1260 and 1501. The restored choir is the oldest part or the original church, having been completed in 1350. It contains some of the original red stone in its east gable. The Cathedral is dedicated to St Columba. Its said that after their journey from Iona his relics were buried under the chancel steps to keep them safe.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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