Elgin Cathedral

Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland.

The building of the Cathedral began around 1224 and was extended after a fire in 1270. Further rebuilding took place after it was set on fire again in 1390 by the Earl of Buchan (the Wolf of Badenoch) . The repairs dragged on and it is not known whether they were completed before the Reformation of 1560 left the cathedral redundant. Over the next two hundred and fifty years the cathedral was used as a quarry by the local population. In 1807 John Shanks was appointed keeper of the cathedral. He single-handedly cleared out the ruins to reveal much that was previously unknown. He is buried in the cathedral graveyard.

Figure of a Bishop from the central tower which collapsed in 1506.     The two mural canopied tombs above are in the south transept. The left tomb is thought to be that of Bishop James Stewart (1460-62). It is not known who occupies the other, the construction of which required the adjacent doorway to be narrowed.   The headstone on the right, dated 1687, reads : Heir is the burial place appointed for John Geddes glover burges in Elgin and Issobell McKean his spouce & their relations This world is a cite full of streets & death is the mercat that all men meets If lyfe were a thing that monie could buy the poor could not live & the rich would not die     In the centre of the presbytery (not its original position) is the above armoured figure. The inscription records: Here lies William de la Hay, sometime lord of Lochloy, who died on the 8th day of the month of December in the year of our Lord 1422, for whose soul may the Lord be propitiated.

The photograph above was taken from the north tower looking towards the southern side of the cathedral and the graveyard beyond. Useful link : Moray Burial Ground Research Group

All images copyright © 2000 Alan Wilson