Dornoch Cathedral is a former
Roman Catholic cathedral and is currently a
Church of Scotland parish church serving the small
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
town of
Dornoch
Dornoch (; gd, Dòrnach ; sco, Dornach) is a town, seaside resort, parish and former royal burgh in the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray ...
, in the
Scottish Highlands. As a congregation of the Church of Scotland, which is
Presbyterian, the church is not the seat of a bishop but retains the name due to being, historically, the seat of the
Bishop of Caithness
The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Ai ...
. The Cathedral's churchyard is adjoined by
Dornoch Castle
Dornoch Castle is situated opposite Dornoch Cathedral in the town of Dornoch, in Sutherland, Scotland, a little over north of Inverness.
As of 2021, the castle was operated as a family-run hotel with 24 rooms.
History
Dornoch Castle was built a ...
, the somewhat reconstructed remains of the medieval palace of the
Bishops of Caithness.
History
The cathedral was dedicated to its founder,
St. Gilbert and was built in 1224, in the reign of King
Alexander II (1214–49) and the episcopate of
Gilbert de Moravia (died 1245) (later Saint Gilbert of Dornoch) as the cathedral church of the
diocese of Caithness (moved to Dornoch from
Halkirk
Halkirk ( gd, Hàcraig) is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east. The village is within the parish o ...
). William de Moravia (later Sutherland), 1st Earl of Sutherland, was buried in the cathedral in 1248.
In 1570, the Cathedral was burnt down by the
Mackays of Strathnaver during local feuding. Full renovations were not carried out until 1835-37, by the architect
William Burn, funded by Elizabeth the
Countess of Sutherland
Earl of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created circa 1230 for William de Moravia and is the premier earldom in the Peerage of Scotland. The earl or countess of Sutherland is also the chief of Clan Sutherland.
The origi ...
at a cost of £15,000
(). Among the renovations carried out, the ruined but still largely intact aisled medieval
nave was demolished and a new narrow nave without pillars built on its site. In the 17th Century, Dornoch ceased to be the seat of the Bishops of Caithness due to the abolition of the episcopate in the Church of Scotland, but the name has remained due to this historical association.
On 30 September 1866, the
Duke and
Duchess of Sutherland were present to welcome the
Prince and
Princess of Wales, and the
Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produc ...
, who attended the morning service.
[
The interior was reordered between 1924 and 1926 by Rev. Charles Donald Bentinck, with the removal of ]Victorian
Victorian or Victorians may refer to:
19th century
* Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign
** Victorian architecture
** Victorian house
** Victorian decorative arts
** Victorian fashion
** Victorian literature ...
plasterwork to reveal the stonework (although the medieval church would have been plastered throughout). The site of the medieval high altar was raised and converted into a burial area for the Sutherland family, who introduced large marble memorials.
The previous minister was the Very Rev Dr James Simpson, who was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...
in 1994. As of May 2018, the minister (since 1998) was the Rev Susan Brown. On 9 October 2017, it was announced that she had been nominated as the next Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...
. She took up the position in May 2018 and served for a year.
Burials
* Adam of Melrose - body moved here from the church of Skinnet in 1239
*William de Moravia, 1st Earl of Sutherland, was buried in the cathedral in 1248.
* Saint Gilbert of Dornoch - founder of Dornoch Cathedral
*Richard de Moravia
Richard de Moravia or Richard de Moray of Culbin or of Cubyn, was a Scottish nobleman famed for his victory over the Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (pres ...
, was buried in the cathedral after he was killed during the Battle of Embo
The Battle of Embo was a battle that took place at Embo in Sutherland, Scotland in 1245. It was fought by Scottish forces against Viking invaders who were defeated.
The battle
The first account of the Battle of Embo was written by Sir Robert G ...
in 1245.
* George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland
* Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland
Organ
The first organ was built by Eustace Ingram and given by Andrew Carnegie and installed in 1893 and opened in January 1894. It was the first organ installed in the county of Sutherland. It was enlarged and hydraulic power introduced in 1909 at a cost of £200 given by Andrew Carnegie. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Gallery
File:5th Bn Seaforth Highlanders plaque.jpg, Plaque commemorating the 5th Bn Seaforth Highlanders in World War II.
File:Dornoch Cathedral Cemetery.jpg, Dornoch Cathedral cemetery
File:Dornoch Cathedral (August 2013).jpg, Dornoch Cathedral
See also
*List of Church of Scotland parishes
The Church of Scotland, the national church of Scotland, divides the country into Presbyteries, which in turn are subdivided into Parishes, each served by a parish church, usually with its own minister. Unions and readjustments may however res ...
References
External links
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Sutherland
Cathedrals of the Church of Scotland
Medieval cathedrals in Scotland
Protestant churches converted from Roman Catholicism
Churches in Highland (council area)
Collegiate churches in Scotland
Category A listed buildings in Highland (council area)
Listed cathedrals in Scotland
Dornoch