Dunkeld Cathedral 8/20/04
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This site has been holy ground since the Culdees built a monastery here in the 8th century. Dunkeld (N:56°33.864 / W:03°35.336) was home to the relics of St. Columba after they were moved here from Iona in the face of increasing Viking attacks. The cathedral dates from the 1200's and the oldest surviving part, completed in 1350, still serves as a church for the Church of Scotland. |
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The cathedral sits on beautiful grounds beside the River Tay. We accidentally found dunkeld while looking for a rest room on the way to Edinburgh. |
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It wasn't until I got here that I found out what the difference is between a cathedral and a simply big church. A cathedral is a church that has a Bishop's throne, or cathedra. |
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Another lady and I accidentally barged in on a wedding rehearsal in the used part of the church. After being asked to leave I snapped this shot of the inside of this 14th century church. |
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The level of detail is amazing on the old churches. The Dunkeld Cathedral has been burned several times, the last time during the English Civil War. |
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At some point they began using the ruined cathedral as a church yard for burying people. I guess that if you can pick your spot, you might as well pick a cathedral. |
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Grave stones sure have changed. You would expect this to be the grave of a pirate or something. |
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If I were to pick my marker, it would be something like this. This is a beautiful example of a Celtic cross. |
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This looks to be the marker for a very important person but, once again, what's the deal with the skull & cross bones? |
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The back side of the cathedral. With the field of vision covered in the gray of the stone, the vibrant green of the grass really jumps out at you. |
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