Dornoch Cathedral is a former Roman Catholic cathedral and is currently a Church of Scotland parish church serving the small Sutherland 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 Mora ...

, 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. Ain ...

. The Cathedral's churchyard is adjoined by Dornoch Castle, the somewhat reconstructed remains of the medieval palace of the

Bishops of Caithness A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

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 Gilbert de Moravia (died 1245), later known as Saint Gilbert of Dornoch, or Gilbert of Caithness, was the most famous Bishop of Caithness and founder of Dornoch Cathedral. His name may suggest that he came from the semi-Gaelicized family of ...

(died 1245) (later Saint Gilbert of Dornoch) as the cathedral church of the

diocese 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. Ain ...

(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 of H ...

). 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 origin ...

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, who attended the morning service. The interior was reordered between 1924 and 1926 by Rev. Charles Donald Bentinck, with the removal of Victorian 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 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. She took up the position in May 2018 and served for a year.

Burials

Adam of Melrose Adam of Melrose (died 1222) was Abbot of Melrose and Bishop of Caithness, famously burned to death by the husbandmen of Caithness. At the time, Caithness was part of the Jarldom of Orkney, which formed part of the Kingdom of Norway. Adam rose ...

- 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 at the Battle of Embo which took place in Sutherland, Scotland in 1245. Origins Richard was a son of Murdac (Muire ...

, was buried in the cathedral after he was killed during the Battle of Embo in 1245. * George Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland *

Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland Elizabeth Sutherland Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland (''née'' Sutherland; 24 May 176529 January 1839), also ''suo jure'' 19th Countess of Sutherland, was a Scottish peer from the Leveson-Gower family, best remembered for her involvement i ...

Organ

The first organ was built by

Eustace Ingram Eustace Ingram (6 August 1839 – 10 December 1924) was a British organ builder based in London.Organa Britannica. Organs in Great Britain 1660 - 1860. James Boeringer. Bucknell University Press. 1989. Early life and work He was born in 1839 an ...

and given by

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in ...

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

. A specification of the organ can be found on the

National Pipe Organ Register The British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) is a British organisation and registered charity which aims to promote study and appreciation of all aspects of the pipe organ. Further, it acts as a lobbying body to raise awareness of organ issue ...

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 A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

File:Dornoch Cathedral (August 2013).jpg, Dornoch Cathedral

References

External links