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Title: Scottish Cathedrals and Abbeys

Author: Dugald Butler

Author of introduction, etc.: Robert Herbert Story

Release date: June 6, 2007 [eBook #21688]

Language: English

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By Rev. D. Butler, M.A., Abernethy.
With Introduction by Very Rev. Principal Story, D.D., LL.D.

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SCOTTISH CATHEDRALS AND ABBEYS

From Photo by T. & R. Annan & Sons.
GLASGOW CATHEDRAL.

SCOTTISH CATHEDRALS AND ABBEYS

BY
REV. D. BUTLER, M.A.
ABERNETHY, PERTHSHIRE

AUTHOR OF 'THE ANCIENT CHURCH AND PARISH OF ABERNETHY,' 'JOHN WESLEY
AND GEORGE WHITEFIELD IN SCOTLAND,' 'HENRY SCOUGAL AND THE OXFORD
METHODISTS'

WITH INTRODUCTION BY THE

Very Rev. R. Herbert Story, D.D., LL.D.
PRINCIPAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

LONDON: A. & C. BLACK, SOHO SQUARE
EDINBURGH: R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED
Publication Agents for the Church of Scotland
1901

PREFACE
In preparation for this Guild Book I wrote an account of every pre-Reformation structure in
Scotland of which any remains now survive, but the prescribed limits of the series necessitated a
selection. The Scottish cathedrals are all here treated, with representative collegiate and monastic
buildings. Reference is also made to parish churches that represent the architecture of the various
periods indicated in Chapter II. A survey of Scottish mediæval architecture will be found in pp.
194-206 that may enable readers to take a comprehensive view of the whole. A study of those
treated in particular will lead to a study of those treated of necessity in general, and illustrate the
idea that the history of the Scottish Church is the history of the ideality and faith of the Scottish
people, and that the one cannot be separated from the other. A healthy present must always be
bound by a natural piety to the past that has made it, or at least helped it to be what it is, and this
study may enable readers to realise more that the Church of Scotland has a great and glorious past
that begins with the days of St. Ninian and St. Columba. The past has much to teach the present,
and the narrative of historical facts is not without suggestiveness to the varied life and work that
characterise the Church of Scotland to-day.
I desire to express my indebtedness to the investigations of many workers, which I have striven to
recognise in the many references throughout the work, but most of all I am indebted to Messrs.
MacGibbon and Ross in their colossal work, the Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland—a book
of national importance.
D. B.
Manse of Abernethy,
Perthshire, 14th January 1901.

CONTENTS
Glasgow Cathedral Frontispiece
PAGE
Introduction ix
CHAP.
1. Relation of Celtic Church to Roman Catholic Church 1
2. Scottish Architecture 4
Norman Architecture 7
Transition Style 8
First Pointed Period 9
Middle Pointed Period 10
Late Pointed Period 11
3. Cathedrals—
St. Andrews 13
Glasgow 22
Dunkeld 35
Aberdeen 37
Moray 40
Brechin 44
Dunblane 47
Ross 52
Caithness 54
Galloway 56
Lismore 59
Isles 60
(Kirkwall) Orkney 69
4. Collegiate Churches—
Introduction 76
Biggar 77
Bothwell 77
St. Nicholas (New Aberdeen) 78
King's College (Old Aberdeen) 80
Roslin 85
Chapel Royal (Stirling) 88
St. Giles' (Edinburgh) 89
St. Mary's and St. Salvator's (St. Andrews) 102
5. Scottish Norman Parish Churches—
Dalmeny 102
Leuchars 104
Middle Pointed—
Linlithgow 105

Haddington 107
Late Pointed—
St. John's (Perth) 108
Dundee 113
Stirling 114
St. Leonard (St. Andrews) 116
Holy Trinity 117
6. Scottish Monasticism 119
St. Andrew's Priory (Augustinian) 123
Holyrood Abbey " 124
Jedburgh " " 129
Dryburgh " (Praemonstratensian) 134
Dunfermline " (Benedictine) 139
Paisley " (Cluniacensian) 148
Kelso " (Tyronensian) 169
Arbroath " " 177
Melrose " (Cistercian) 184
7. General Survey of Scottish Mediæval Architecture—
Norman 194
Transition Style 197
First Pointed Period 198
Middle Pointed Period 201
Late Pointed Period 203
APPENDIX—
Definition of Leading Architectural Terms 209

INTRODUCTION
This book is designed to render to Scottish Churchmen the special service of presenting to them, in
a brief but comprehensive survey, the record of their ecclesiastical history which is engraved in
their ecclesiastical architecture. There is no record so authentic as that which is built in stone.
There is none so sacred as that which attests and illustrates the religion of our forefathers. Much of
that record has perished: enough remains to engage our reverent study and our dutiful care.
Foreign war and rapine have wasted and destroyed our heritage of sacred places. Kelso, Jedburgh,
Melrose, and Haddington fell before the English invader. Iona was ravaged by the Dane, while yet
the island formed part of a Scandinavian diocese. Internal lawlessness and tribal fury have wrought
like disasters. Elgin, once "the fair glory of the land," stands a forlorn monument of the savagery
of a Highland chief. St. Andrews, Lindores, Perth, Paisley, and many others bear witness to the
reckless outrage which cloaked its violence under the guise of religious zeal. Of all our spoilers
this has been the most destructive. The pretence (for it often was nothing else) of "cleansing the
sanctuary" not only robbed the Church of many a priceless possession, but begat, in the popular
mind, a ruthless disregard of the sacred associations of places where generation after generation
had worshipped God, and a coarse indifference to the solemnity of His ordinances, which made it
easy for those who should have been the guardians of the churches to let them fall, unheeded, into
decay.
It is not uncommon, even yet, to find people who ought to know, and perhaps do know, better,
blaming Knox and his co-reformers for the dilapidation and desecration of our ancient fanes. The
blame belongs to the "rascal multitude," and to the rapacious laymen who were served heirs to the
properties of the despoiled Church. What is the Church the better for their enrichment? What has
religion gained by it? The Reformed Faith could have flourished none the less graciously if its
purified doctrine had been preached, and its reasonable worship offered, under the same roofs that
had protected priest and people in the days of Romanist error. Is the cause of pure and undefiled
religion stronger in the land because Melrose and Crossraguel and Pluscarden are desolate; St.
Andrews a roofless ruin; Iona as yet open to the Atlantic winds? Is the voice of praise and prayer
sweeter in the North because Mortlach is effaced and Fortrose shattered, and the bells are silent
which men on the mainland used to hear when the north wind blew from Kirkwall? Granted that
ignorant superstition may have tainted the veneration in which our fathers' holy and beautiful
houses were held 400 years ago, the iconoclasm which devastated them was not the remedy for it.
The revived interest in our old churches, which has asserted its influence in such restorations as
those of St. Giles, Dunblane, Linlithgow, St. Vigeans, and Arbuthnott, is no revival of superstition.
It is the outcome of a more reverent spirit; of a deeper sense of the honour due to God; of the
conviction that we owe Him, in all that pertains to His worship, the offering of our very best; and
of a deeper consciousness also of the supreme value of the Church's national position and
character, and of the duty of piously conserving whatever helps to illustrate the historical
continuity which binds its present to its past. As regards this, nothing is so full of helpful stimulus
as an intelligent study of our ecclesiastical architecture. In it we can read the lessons of the gradual
growth of the Scottish nation from the loosely connected tribal conditions of the ninth and tenth
centuries onwards to its consolidation under a settled monarchy; the development of its
commercial and industrial progress; its expanding relations to the peoples of the Continent; and the
vital changes in its political life, and its religious system and belief, thence resulting. All these

have left their mark in those records which neither time nor revolution, neglect nor violence, have
been able wholly to destroy—the architecture of our cathedrals, abbeys, and monasteries.
The primitive buildings of the early Celtic period of the Church have long since disappeared. Their
clay and wattles could not withstand the wear and tear of time; only in a distant glen or lonely
island can we discover scattered traces of the beehive cell or simple shrine of the anchorite or
missionary. Few relics of the more substantial structures of that time survive.
The Roman era of Church organisation superseded the Celtic; and with the Roman dominance
came the architecture of the Anglo-Normans, whom the presence and policy of Margaret, saint and
queen, attracted to Scotland. It developed itself, always with some national characteristics of its
own, until the War of Independence broke off all friendly intercourse with England.
Later came, in place of alliance with England, the alliance with France, which lasted till the
Reformation, and left its mark on many of the pages of "The Great Stone Book," which chronicle
for us the vicissitudes of the past, the days of peace and prosperity, of war and penury, of reviving
national health and energy, of new combinations and ideas in politics and statecraft, of spiritual
decay and carnal pride and ostentation. These annals can be deciphered by the patient student of
the walls and cloisters of the ancient churches and religious houses.
To the founders and the owners of the latter, and chiefly to the great orders of the Augustinians, the
Benedictines, and the Cistercians, we owe many of our noblest remnants of the past—all of them
unhappily ruined; for the popular violence of the sixteenth century raged more fiercely against the
monasteries than against the cathedrals. To the Episcopal system of government, introduced under
Margaret, we owe the bishops' churches or cathedrals.
The life and thought of the Church at the present day, move far enough apart from either prelacy or
monasticism to allow us to look at each with an impartial eye, and to consider whether in its
abolition we have parted with aught that it would have profited the Church to retain.
The monasteries, at first the homes and shelters of charity and learning, had, before the sixteenth
century, waxed fat with unduly accumulated wealth, become enervated with luxury and corrupt
through bad government. They were swept away, their possessions secularised, and their
communities broken up. But with them disappeared two things which were of great price: a large
and liberal provision for the poor, and a comprehensive scheme of Education. The monastery gate
was never shut against the suffering and the needy. The monks were indulgent landlords and kind
neighbours; the sick benefited by their medical skill; the indigent could always look to them for
eleemosynary aid; the houseless wanderer was never sent empty away. Those great centres of
friendly helpfulness and charity were planted all over the land. No doubt the gift of indiscriminate
alms to every applicant would tend to abuse and lazy beggary; but a scheme of sympathetic and
well directed aid thoughtfully administered would not. Abusus non tollit usum. The scandals of the
monasteries did not justify the robbery of the destitute for the benefit of the secular supplanters of
the monks. The Kirk-sessions of the Reformed Kirk did their best to take the place of the former
guardians and kindly benefactors of the poor, but their funds were scanty; the old wealth had fallen
into tenacious hands; and schism and sectarianism finally necessitated the transfer of the care of
the poor from the Church to the State.
Could the ancient system have been reformed and not destroyed, the poverty of the country would
have been less grievous than it is to-day; the Church's relation to the poor more intimate; and the
method of relief pleasanter to the recipients than that which makes them familiar with the grim
charity of the Poor's House, the Inspector, and the Parochial Board.

The monasteries were the seats of a general system of higher education. The burghs had their own
independent seminaries; the "song schools" were more closely connected with the churches in
town and in country; but the highest grade of education was found in the monasteries. Before the
foundation of any of the universities they supplied the place both of secondary school and
university, and trained the youth, especially of the higher ranks, until prepared to go out into the
world, as they constantly did, speaking the "lingua-franca" of all scholars, and carrying Scottish
energy, genius, and scholarship into the halls and cloisters of many a college and many a
monastery, from Coimbra to Cracow, from Salerno to Upsala. These schools all perished with the
downfall of the monasteries; and consequently we cannot, to this day, cope with the great public
schools of England, or adequately supply the blank in our educational system created by their
spoliation and abolition. Here, too, wise reform might have spared and remodelled what misguided
zeal, allied with unprincipled greed, destroyed.
With the ruination and impoverishment of the cathedrals, an element in the Church's life
inseparable from them, and most salutary and useful, ceased to be. The bishops' deprivation of an
authority they had too often disgraced and misused, vested the government of the Church in the
presbyterate; and the national sentiment approved of the change. But there was no necessity for
upsetting the whole cathedral system, and rooting out the whole cathedral staff, because the bishop
was turned adrift. Had the Canonries been spared, an immense boon would have been secured for
the Reformed Church. Had the stipends attached to them not been alienated, the Church would
have possessed, at all its most important centres, a staff of clergymen chosen for their ability and
worth, for their learning and power of government and organisation, aiding the minister in his
work, or enriching the theological literature of their time. With them might have been associated
younger men, either under their supervision as candidates for the ministry, or as probationers
acquiring practical knowledge of its duties and requirements. The cathedral would have stood out,
in its city, great or small, as the Mother Church—holding forth the model of devout ritual, of
earnest and learned teaching, of zealous work. How vastly superior its influence would have been,
spiritually, intellectually, socially, to that of struggling quoad sacra churches, with their ill-paid
clergy, or "missions" in charge of worse-paid probationers, it is, I think, needless to point out. But
the possibility of such an institution passed away when the cathedrals were desecrated, and their
revenues were "grippit"—to use Knox's phrase—by the ungodly robbers of the Church.
I have written these few pages to serve as an introduction to what follows, from the hand of my
friend, Mr. Butler. The Committee of the Guild asked me to prepare a volume on the most notable
of our ancient churches; and finding that other engagements stood in the way of my doing so, I
recommended that the work should be entrusted to Mr. Butler, of whose ability to do it well I felt
confident. Having read what he has written, I find my confidence was not misplaced, and that his
treatment of the subject is most instructive, thorough, and exact. It will add to the reputation he has
already gained by his history of his own parish of Abernethy on Tay, and his books on Wesley in
Scotland, and on Henry Scougal; and will prove an invaluable guide to all students of our historic
churches, cathedral, collegiate, and monastic.
R. H. S.

SCOTTISH CATHEDRALS AND ABBEYS

CHAPTER I

RELATION OF CELTIC CHURCH TO ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH
The period begun by the influence of Queen Margaret (1047-1093), continued by her sons and
their successors on the Scottish throne, and culminating in the Scottish Reformation of 1560, is
that with which this book deals.
The old Celtic Church of Scotland was brought to an end by two causes—internal decay and
external change. Under the first head, notice must be taken of the encroachment upon the
ecclesiastic element by the secular, and of the gradual absorption of the former by the latter. There
was a vitality in the old ecclesiastical organisation, but it was weakened by the assimilation of the
native Church to that of Rome in the seventh and eighth centuries, which introduced a secular
element among the clergy; and the frequent Danish invasions, which may be described as the
organised power of Paganism against Scottish Christianity, grievously undermined its native force.
The Celtic churches and monasteries were repeatedly laid waste or destroyed, and the native clergy
were compelled either to fly or take up arms in defence; the lands, unprotected by the strong arm
of law, fell into the hands of laymen, who made them hereditary in their families, and ultimately
nothing was left but the name of abbacy, applied to the lands, and that of abbot, borne by a secular
lord. Under the second head—external change—may be noted the policy adopted towards the
Celtic Church by the kings of the race of Queen Margaret. It consisted (1) in placing the Church
upon a territorial in place of a tribal basis, in substituting the parochial system and a diocesan
episcopacy for the old tribal churches with monastic jurisdiction and functional episcopacy; (2) in
introducing the orders of the Church of Rome, and founding great monasteries as counter
influences to the Celtic Church; (3) in absorbing the Culdees or Columban clergy into the Roman
system, by first converting them from secular into regular canons, and afterwards by merging them
in the latter order.[1] King David especially founded bishoprics and established cathedrals,
equipped with the ordinary cathedral staff of deans, canons, and other functionaries, and
monasteries equipped with representatives of the monastic orders. Thus the native Celtic Church,
undermined by internal decay, was extinguished by external change and a course of aggression
which rolled from St. Andrews until it reached the far-off shores of Iona. All that remained to
speak of its vitality and beneficence to the people of Scotland consisted of the roofless walls of an
early church, or an old churchyard with its Celtic cross; the names of the early pastors by whom
the churches were founded, or the neighbouring wells at the old foundations, dedicated to their
memory; the village fairs, stretching back to a remote antiquity, and held on the saint's day in the
Scottish calendar; here and there a few lay families possessing the church lands as the custodiers
of the pastoral staff or other relics of the founder of the church, and exercising a jurisdiction over
the ancient "girth" or sanctuary boundary such as the early missionaries instituted in the days when
might was right, and they nobly witnessed to the right against the might.
The new policy was connected with the introduction of the orders of the Roman Catholic Church,
and with the building of cathedrals and abbeys. This movement commenced with the close of the
eleventh century, and continued to the middle of the sixteenth; it embraced all the time when the
Church of Scotland was guided by the regime of Rome, although it is to be recalled that the

Scottish Church never ceased to maintain a native independence—its heirloom from the ancient
Celtic Church. This independence, manifested on important historical occasions throughout
mediæval times, at last found its national embodiment in the Reformed Church of 1560.
Scotland was divided into thirteen dioceses—St. Andrews, Glasgow, Dunkeld, Aberdeen, Moray,
Brechin, Dunblane, Ross, Caithness, Galloway, Lismore or Argyll, the Isles, and Orkney; but
before sketching the history and architecture of each of the thirteen cathedrals, it will be necessary
to indicate the general features of the various periods of Scottish architecture itself, as it is of this
movement the structures themselves are all an expression.

CHAPTER II

SKETCH OF SCOTTISH ARCHITECTURE
Architecture is a great stone book in which nations have recorded their annals, before the days of
the printing-press: have written their thoughts, expressed their aspirations, and embodied their
feelings as clearly and truly as by any other form of utterance. We know Egypt as vividly by its
pyramids, the age of Pericles by the Parthenon of Athens, Imperial Rome by the Flavian
Amphitheatre and the Baths of Caracalla, as from the pages of their respective literature. The
mediæval cathedrals, monasteries, and churches are a living record of the faith and devotion of
mediæval men, who have left besides them but little else whereby we can know their aspirations
and civilisation; we find in them an expression of the deepest life that characterised the periods to
which they belong, and a record which, though often mutilated, and sometimes nearly obliterated,
never deceives. Wherever these architectural creations are found, there also a voice ought to be
heard, telling what at that spot and at some previous time men thought and felt; what their
civilisation enabled them to accomplish, and to what state they had attained in their conception of
God. In a very true sense it can be said that the architecture of a country is the history of that
country, and that the record of the architecture is the record of its civilisation.
"Mediæval architecture," said Sir Gilbert Scott, "is distinguished from all other styles as being the
last link of the mighty chain which had stretched unbroken through nearly 4000 years—the
glorious termination of the history of original and genuine architecture....[2] It has been more
entirely developed under the influence of the Christian religion, and more thoroughly carried out
its tone and sentiment, than any other style. It is par eminence Christian.... Its greatest glory is the
solemnity of religious character which pervades the interior of its temples. To this all its other
attributes must bend, as it is this which renders it so pre-eminently suited to the highest uses of the
Christian Church. It was this, probably, which led Romney to exclaim, that if Grecian architecture
was the work of glorious men, Gothic was the invention of gods."[3] This architecture was
perfected by the mediæval builders—the round arch in the twelfth and the pointed arch in the two
succeeding centuries. Its progress was the realisation of three great aims, towards which the
Romanesque architects were ever striving—the perfecting of the arcuated and vaulted
construction, the increase of the altitude of their proportion, and the general adding of refinement
and delicacy to their details.[4]
Scotland, it has been maintained by those competent to judge, can show a continuous series of
Christian structures, beginning with the primitive cells and oratories of the early anchorites, and
extending through all the periods of mediæval art. It exemplifies two distinctive phases of artistic
development—the first comprising the rise and decline of Celtic Art in early Christian times, and
the second allied to the various stages of general European culture. The Celtic churches, round
towers, and sculptured monuments similar to those found in Ireland, are followed by primitive
examples of Norman work, pointing to the Saxon and Norman influence of the eleventh century,
which produced a complete revolution in the artistic elements of the country and led to a full
development of the Romanesque or Norman style of architecture—a style similar to the round
arched architecture of other European countries in the twelfth century. This is manifested chiefly in
small parish churches, but also in large, elaborate buildings, and one cathedral.[5]

The succeeding Gothic styles are also well represented in Scotland, and exhibit both certain local
peculiarities and a general correspondence with the arts of the different periods in France and
England. The First Pointed style is represented in Scotland during the thirteenth century, but owing
to the disastrous situation of the country during the fourteenth century, the number of "decorated"
buildings is pronounced to be comparatively small. On the other hand, it is maintained that during
the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when the "Perpendicular" style prevailed in England and the
"Flamboyant" in France, the architecture of Scotland was distinguished by a style peculiar to the
country, in which many features derived from both the above styles may be detected.[6] "While the
mediæval architecture of Scotland thus corresponds on the whole with that of the rest of Europe,
there exists in the ecclesiology of the country an amount of native development sufficient to give it
a special value as one of the exponents of the art of the Middle Ages. Its buildings further
contribute largely to the illustration of the history of the country, by showing in their remains the
condition and growth of its religious ideas and observances at different epochs, and the manner in
which its civilisation advanced. We observe striking evidences of the Irish influence in the relics of
the primitive Celtic Church. The Norman and English influences are clearly traceable up to the
invasion of Edward I., and the political connection with France and the Netherlands is distinctly
observable in the period of the Jameses."[7]

1. Norman Architecture

The Abernethy Round Tower, the Priory of Restennet, Forfarshire, and St. Regulus' or St. Rule's
Church, St. Andrews, illustrate the transition from Celtic to Norman architecture.[8] The dates of
the Irish round towers[9] extend from the ninth to the twelfth century, and the Abernethy Tower is
regarded on historical grounds by Dr. Skene as belonging to the period about 870 a.d.; the upper
windows and doorway are either additions of the twelfth century, or, as this was an early Irish
house in Scotland, may illustrate what has been asserted, that in Ireland a form of Romanesque
was introduced before the Anglo-Saxon Invasion.[10] At any rate, the tower is a combination of
Celtic and Norman work. As to Restennet, the present choir is a First Pointed structure. David I.
founded there an Augustinian Priory, which Malcolm IV. made a cell of the Abbey of Jedburgh.
The tower is the only one of the square towers which has very marked features of a pre-Norman
character.[11] The building above the second story is probably fifteenth-century work. St. Regulus'
Church is treated pp. 17-19.
The twelfth century was in Scotland as elsewhere the great church-building period, and the number
of churches in the south and east that reflect the Norman movement is very large. All the large
ones were conventual. Parish churches of the period are generally small and aisleless—the most of
them being single oblong chambers, with an eastern chancel, sometimes with an eastern apse, and
occasionally with a western tower.[12] Towards the close of the period, the ornament became very
elaborate, especially in the arched heads of doorways. A common feature was the arcade running
round the walls below the windows, either in the exterior, interior, or both; the caps and arches are
generally carved elaborately and richly with ornaments, the chevron or zig-zag enrichment being a
characteristic feature. The windows are always single and simple in detail.[13]
Some of the towers connected with such churches are amongst the earliest instances of Norman
work which survive; they are simple in design, square on plan, and are carried up, without break or
buttress, to the parapet, where they are finished with a gable roof, forming the saddle-back
arrangement still preserved in the Muthill Tower.[14] The break in the height is formed by string
courses, which mark the unequal stories. A small wheel-stair usually leads to the top, and the

doorway is occasionally several feet from the ground. Such are the leading features that can be
traced in the buildings connected with the period.

2. Scottish Transition Style

The term "transition" is by general agreement reserved for the architecture of the end of the twelfth
century, when the Norman style gradually gave place to the first pointed Gothic style. In England
this period extends from about 1180 to 1200; in Scotland it extends considerably into the thirteenth
century. The characteristics of the style are the gradual introduction of the pointed arch and its use
along with some of the decorative features of the Norman style. "The pointed arch shows the
advent of the new style, but the ornaments of the old style continue to linger for a time. The first
pointed style was not complete till these old ornaments were abandoned, and the more vigorous
enrichments of the new style were introduced. The other constructive features of the Norman style
gradually changed at the same time as the arch. The buttresses by degrees assumed the projecting
form of the first pointed style, and the pinnacles and spires of the latter style were in course of time
introduced."[15]

3. Scottish First Pointed Period

"The pointed Gothic style which had its origin in the north of France about the middle of the
twelfth century appeared in England about 1170, but can scarcely be said to have reached Scotland
till after the close of the twelfth century.... The pointed arch, for example, although generally
adopted, did not entirely displace, as it had done in the south, the round form of the Normans, a
feature which, especially in doorways, continued to be employed not only in the thirteenth century,
but throughout the whole course of Gothic art in Scotland. In other respects the thirteenth century
style in this country corresponds very closely with that of England. Its features are however,
generally speaking, plainer and the structures are smaller."[16]
"This new departure sprung from the necessity which arose for the invention of an elastic system
of vaulting which should admit of all the arches, forming vaults over spaces of any form or plan,
being carried to the same height at the ridge. This requirement led to the introduction of the
pointed arch in the vaulting, and from that departure it soon spread to all the other arched features
of the architecture."[17] Architecture, which had hitherto been confined to the monasteries, was
now undertaken by laymen, and while the great monasteries were either rebuilt or founded, the
cathedrals mostly belong to this period. To these attention was chiefly devoted, and the number of
parish churches constructed was comparatively small. This partly arose from the large number of
parish churches built during the Norman period. In Scotland the cathedrals of St. Andrews,
Dunblane, Glasgow (the choir and crypt), Elgin, Brechin, Dunkeld, Caithness, the choir of St.
Magnus in Orkney and Galloway belong in whole or in part to this epoch.[18]

4. Scottish Middle Pointed or Decorated Period

The period from 1214 to 1286 comprised the first pointed work in Scotland. The country was
during the time prosperous, and is believed to have been more wealthy than at any time till after
the Union with England.[19] The disputed succession after the death of Alexander III. gave Edward
I. the opportunity of asserting his claims to the Scottish throne; war followed, and with it poverty
and barbarism. "The first note of contest," says Dr. Joseph Robertson, "banished every English
priest, monk, and friar from the northern realm. Its termination was followed by the departure of

those great Anglo-Norman lords—the flower of the Scottish baronage—who, holding vast
possessions in both countries, had so long maintained among the rude Scottish hills the generous
example of English wealth and refinement. Then it was that De la Zouche and De Quincy, Ferrars
and Talbot, Beaumont and Umfraville, Percy and Wake, Moubray and Fitz-Warine, Balliol and
Cumyn, Hastings and De Coursi, ceased to be significant names beyond the Tweed—either
perishing in that terrible revolution or withdrawing to their English domains, there to perpetuate in
scutcheon and pedigree the memory of their rightful claims to many of the fairest lordships of
Albany, and to much of the reddest blood of the north."[20] This had a twofold consequence to
architecture. Comparatively few buildings arose in the north, and these were in a smaller scale.
And England now becoming an hereditary enemy, no longer supplied models for the churches
north of the Tweed, which received the impress of France. In England the First Pointed was
succeeded about 1272 by the Middle Pointed or Decorated, which swayed for about a century,
being succeeded by the Third Pointed or Perpendicular, whose reign, beginning about 1377, ended
with the Reformation.[21] The Decorated style did not reach Scotland till it had passed away in
England, and the Scottish representatives of the style are scanty in number and late in date.[22]
When the country revived after the long struggle with England, and building began towards the
close of the fourteenth or the beginning of the fifteenth century, few new works were undertaken,
energy and resources were concentrated on the rebuilding or completion of the edifices that had
been destroyed or left unfinished. This period, along with the Third Pointed in Scotland, is
regarded as the work of native architects.[23]

5. Scottish Third or Late Pointed Period

The Middle Pointed passed by a gentle gradation into the Late Pointed style, and it is difficult to
say when the one ceased and the other began. Yet there are some characteristics of the Third
Pointed which are peculiar to it and render it a distinct epoch. The large churches are nearly all
restorations, and no new churches of great size were undertaken. The Scottish churches are usually
smaller in size than the English ones, and consist of single compartments without aisles. The east
end frequently terminates with a three-sided apse—a feature which owes its origin to the Scottish
alliance and intercourse with France. The leading and distinguishing feature is, however, the
vaulting—the pointed barrel vault being almost universally employed. The windows of these
churches are necessarily low, so as to allow the point of the arch-head to come beneath the spring
of the main vault. The buttresses are generally somewhat stunted. The windows are almost always
pointed, and contain simple tracery derived from the earlier styles. The doorways are generally of
the old round-headed form, with late foliage and enrichments. Porches are occasionally introduced,
and coats of arms are commonly carved on shields of the period, and are useful in determining the
dates of portions of the buildings. Towers were generally erected or intended, and are somewhat
stunted, finished with short spires, having small dormer windows inserted in them. Monuments are
of frequent occurrence, and are frequently placed in arched and canopied recesses. Richly carved
sacrament-houses are occasionally introduced, and perhaps some of the good carving may be due
to the French masons who were numerous in Scotland during the reigns of James IV. and James V.
The structures of the period were either parish or collegiate churches.[24]

CHAPTER III
1. Diocese of St. Andrews

The connection between St. Andrews and the neighbouring Pictish Church at Abernethy was,
during the early period, very close. Dr. Skene thinks that the first church at Abernethy was built
during the visit of St. Ninian to the Southern Picts, or the people living between the Forth and the
territory south of the Grampians; it was endowed with lands by King Nectan in 460 a.d., and
dedicated to St. Bride;[25] and between 584 and 596, during St. Columba's visit, and as a result of
his mission, a church was rebuilt by Gartnaidh, King of the Picts.[26] St. Columba is distinctly
stated to have preached among the tribes on the banks of the Tay,[27] and to have been assisted in
this work by St. Cainnech, who founded a church in the east end of the province of Fife, near
where the Eden pours its waters into the German Ocean, at a place called Rig-Monadh, or the royal
mount, which afterwards became famous as the site on which the church of St. Andrews was
founded, and as giving to that place the name of Kilrimont.[28] The earliest Celtic church at St.
Andrews was probably, like that of Iona, constructed with wattles and turf and roofed with thatch.
It was customary to have caves or places of retirement for the hermits; they were used, too, as
oratories or places of penance, and one such there is at St. Andrews, known as St. Rule's cave:—

Where good Saint Rule his holy lay,
From midnight to the dawn of day,
Sang to the billows' sound.[29]

The connection of the place with St. Andrew has no historical basis till between 736 and 761,
when a cathedral was dedicated to St. Andrew, and a portion of his relics was brought by Acca,
Bishop of Northumbria, who was banished from that country in 732, and founded a church among
the Picts. Dr. Skene points to the similarity of the events which succeeded one another in
Northumbria and Southern Pictland in the eighth century. In the former country the Columban
clergy were expelled, secular clergy were introduced, dedications were made to St. Peter, and
afterwards Hexham was dedicated to St. Andrew and received the relics of the Apostle, brought
there by one of its bishops; in the latter country, sixty years later, the Picts expelled the Columban
monks, introduced the secular clergy, placed the kingdom under the patronage of St. Peter, and
then receiving from some unknown quarter the relics of St. Andrew, founded the church in honour
of that Apostle, who became the national patron-saint.[30] This "cathedral," dedicated to St.
Andrew, was probably of stone, and was the church intervening between the early Celtic Church
and that of St. Regulus. Angus, King of the Picts, endowed it with lands.
On the destruction of Iona by the Danes, the bishopric was first transferred to Dunkeld (850-864);
then to Abernethy (865-908), when the Round Tower was probably built;[31] and in 908 it was
transferred to St. Andrews, which retained it until the Reformation. St. Adrian was probably one of
the three bishops of Alban[32] at Abernethy, as chapels and crosses in the district are all connected
with his name; and Cellach appears as the first Bishop at St. Andrews, and he was succeeded by
eight Culdee bishops, the last of whom was Fothad, who officiated at the marriage of Malcolm
Canmore and Queen Margaret. The next three bishops all died before consecration, and for about
sixteen years after the death of Malcolm the bishopric would appear to have been vacant. Turgot,

Queen Margaret's friend and confessor, was the thirteenth bishop, and ruled from 1107-1115—the
first bishop not of native birth.
Prior to 1107 the Culdee community had split up into two sections, dividing the spiritualities and
temporalities between them, and Bishop Robert (1121-1159), with the object of superseding the
Culdees, founded in 1144 a priory for the regular monks of St. Augustine, granting to them the
Hospital of St. Andrews, with portions of the altarage. In the same year King David granted a
charter to the prior and canons of St. Andrews, in which he provided that they shall receive the
Keledei of Kilrimont into the canonry, with all their possessions and revenues, if they were willing
to become canons-regular; but, if they refused, those who are now alive are to retain the property
during their lives, and, after their death, as many canons-regular are to be instituted in the church
of St. Andrews as there are now Keledei, and all their possessions are to be appropriated to the use
of the canons. There were thus two rival ecclesiastical bodies in St. Andrews—the old corporation
of secular priests and the new order of Austin-canons; the former enjoyed the greater part of the
old endowments, and the latter recovered a considerable portion of the secularised property that
had passed into lay hands. Popes, bishops, and kings endeavoured to end this rivalry, but their
efforts were not crowned with success; although influence was on the side of the canons-regular,
the Keledei clung to their prescriptive right to take part in the election of a bishop down to 1273,
when they were excluded by protest; in 1332 they were absolutely excluded, and the formula of
their exclusion from taking part in the election was repeated;[33] we hear of them afterwards not as
Keledei, but as "the provostry of the Church of St. Mary of the city of St. Andrews," of "the
Church of the Blessed Mary of the Rock," and of "the provostry of Kirkheugh"—the society
consisting of a provost and ten prebendaries.[34]
In the reign of Malcolm IV. the bishopric of St. Andrews included the counties of Fife, Kinross,
Clackmannan, the three Lothians, Berwickshire, Roxburghshire, parts of Perthshire, Forfarshire,
and Kincardineshire; and, although the see was lessened by the creation of new bishoprics, the
importance of St. Andrews was always great, for at the Reformation the primate's ecclesiastical
jurisdiction included 2 archdeaconries, 9 rural deaneries, the patronage of 131 benefices, the
administration of 245 parishes. In 1471 or 1472 the see was erected into an archbishopric by a bull
of Pope Sixtus IV. and at this time the Archbishop of York surrendered his claim to have the
Bishop of St. Andrews as his suffragan—a claim repeatedly made since the time of Turgot and as
frequently resented. The office of bishop or archbishop involved great spiritual and temporal
power; the primates were lords of regality and ultimate heirs of all confiscated property within
their domains; they levied customs and at times had the power of coining money; they presided at
synods, controlled the appointment of abbots and priors, were included with the King in the oath
of allegiance, and took precedence next to the royal family, and before all the Scottish nobility.
There were in all thirty-one bishops and six archbishops, who held the see in succession from 908
to 1560, and among the more famous of them may be mentioned Turgot, the friend and biographer
of Queen Margaret (1107-1115); Robert, prior of Scone, who founded the Priory of St. Andrews,
received the gift of the Culdee Monastery of Lochleven, and built the church and tower of St. Rule
(1124-1158); Arnold, Abbot of Kelso, who started the building of the great cathedral (1158-1159);
William Wishart of Pitarrow, who was lord-chancellor and bishop (1273-1279), and rebuilt,
between 1272 and 1279, the west front, which was blown down by a tempest of wind; William
Lamberton (1298-1328), who consecrated the cathedral in 1318, in the presence of King Robert
the Bruce; Henry Wardlaw (1404-1440), who founded in 1411 the University of St. Andrews;
James Kennedy (1440-1466)—the greatest of all the bishops—who founded St. Salvador's
College; James Stewart (1497-1503), second son of James III., Duke of Ross and Marquis of
Ormond, who was made primate at twenty-one; Alexander Stewart (1506-1513), who was the

natural son of James IV., and fell with his father at Flodden; James Beaton (1522-1539), who
founded St. Mary's College and burnt Patrick Hamilton; David Beaton, nephew of James Beaton
(1539-1546), who burnt Wishart and was murdered; John Hamilton (1549-1571), who was the
author of the Catechism of 1552.[35]
As to the buildings, St. Regulus' or St. Rule's, standing in the ancient churchyard at a distance of
about 120 feet south-east of the east end of the Cathedral of St. Andrews, was unquestionably the
earlier Cathedral Church, and occupies probably the site of the earlier Celtic church.
Bishop Robert (1121-1159) introduced the canons-regular of St. Augustine in 1144, and these
gradually absorbed many of the Culdees into their community. It was during this time also that St.
Rule's was built. Dr. Joseph Robertson says of it:—"The little Romanesque church and square
tower at St. Andrews, which bear the name of St. Rule, have, so far as we know, no prototype in
the south.... No one acquainted with the progress of architecture will have much difficulty in
identifying the building with the small 'basilica' reared by Bishop Robert, an English canon-regular
of the order of St. Augustine, between the years 1127 and 1144."[36] The Pictish Chronicle states
that Robert was elected Bishop in the reign of Alexander I., but was not consecrated till the reign
of David I. in 1138; that, after his consecration by Thurstan, Archbishop of York, he expended on
this work one-seventh of the altar dues which fell to him, reserving them for his own use. "But
inasmuch as the outlay was small, the building made correspondingly small progress, until, by the
Divine favour, and the influence of the King, offerings flowed in, and the work went on apace. The
basilica was thus founded and in great part constructed."[37]
What now remains of this building consists of a square tower, 112 feet high, and an oblong
chamber. Discussion has arisen as to whether there ever was a nave, and in favour of the positive
view it is urged that marks of three successive roofs may be seen on the tower-wall, and that the
seals of the church, dated 1204 and 1214, show a nave and chancel. Eminent authorities take this
view. Sir Gilbert Scott thinks that the large size of the western arch, and the mark of the roof on the
tower, suggest a nave;[38] while later authorities, recalling that this church was once a cathedral, as
well as the church of a monastery, and served the purpose of a parish church, hold it as more than
probable that it must have been a larger building than the simple oblong chamber to the east of the
tower which now survives.[39]
The architecture corresponds with the period of Bishop Robert,[40] so that there is more than
probability in averring that St. Rule's was the cathedral built by this bishop, and took the place of
an earlier Celtic church, founded by Bishop Acca. The square tower of St. Regulus was probably
designed to fulfil the same purposes as the Round Towers of Abernethy and Brechin: (1) to serve
as a belfry; (2) to be a keep or place of strength in which the sacred utensils, books, relics, and
other valuables were deposited, and into which the ecclesiastics could retire for security in case of
sudden predatory attack; (3) when occasion required, to be a beacon or watch-tower.[41]
Besides the Church of St. Regulus, there are still to be seen the ruins of the great Cathedral of St.
Andrews, which consisted of a short aisleless presbytery, and choir of five bays with side aisles,
with an eastern chapel in each aisle; north and south transepts, each of three bays with eastern
aisles; nave of twelve bays with north and south aisles, and a large central tower over the crossing.
The interior dimensions were—total length, 355 feet; width of nave, 63 feet; length of transepts,
167 feet 6 inches; width, 43 feet 2 inches. The older parts of the Cathedral exhibit traces of the
transition from the Norman architecture, but the principal parts of the structure have been carried
out in the First Pointed style.[42]

The Cathedral Church was also the Conventual Church of the Austin-canons, and the Bishop was
ex officio prior of the monastery. Of the conventual buildings erected by Bishop Robert nothing
remains.
The Cathedral was erected from east to west in about 115 years.[43] The work was commenced by
Bishop Arnold in 1161, was continued by eleven successive bishops, and was consecrated by
Bishop Lamberton in 1318. During its progress in 1276, the eastern end was greatly injured by a
violent tempest, and in 1378 the Cathedral suffered from fire, which according to Wyntoun
destroyed the south half of the nave from the west end, and eastward to and including the ninth
pillar. The restoration was begun at once by Bishop Landel (1341-1385), and completed in the
time of Bishop Wardlaw (1404-1440), who in 1430 improved the interior by the introduction of
fine pavements in the choir, transept, and nave, and by filling the nave with stained glass and
building a large window in the eastern gable. The south wall of the nave extends considerably
westwards beyond the present west end, and contains the remains of a vaulting shaft, leading to the
inference that the Cathedral was originally of greater length than it now is by at least 34 feet. The
north wall of nave also projects westwards about 7 feet. There is a difficulty in connection with the
west front, and it is regarded by competent authorities that this wall was not part of a western
porch, but "indicates that there has been a change in the design, and that the original intention of
having a wide porch extending along the whole of the west end has been departed from after the
first story was built up to the level of the above string course, all above that point being of later
design and execution."[44]
The early chapter-house was 26 feet square, and was vaulted with four central pillars. It opened to
the cloisters, and the doorway is pronounced to be in the purest style of early pointed architecture.
[45] Bishop Lamberton (1298-1328) erected a new chapter-house, and the old one was made a
vestibule to the new. South of the early chapter-house was probably the fratery; on the upper floor
of this building and the chapter-house was the dormitory—a wheel-stair leading to it from the
south transept. On the west side of the cloister was the sub-prior's house, known also as Senzie
House; south-east of the fratery is the prior's house or Hospitium Vetus, which was sometimes the
residence of the bishop. West of the cathedral are the remains of the entrance gateway, called the
"Pends," and in continuation of the "Pends" was the enclosing wall of the priory grounds,
containing sixteen towers. The Guest-House was within the precinct of St. Leonard's College, and
was built about the middle of the thirteenth century.[46] Within the precincts of the Priory-grounds
were the various offices connected with the great ecclesiastical establishment.
The conventual and other buildings attached to the Cathedral have been recently excavated at the
expense of the late Marquis of Bute, and considerable remains of the foundations disclosed to
view. The ruins of the castle stand on a rocky promontory, overhanging the sea, N.N.W. of the
Cathedral; and between the Cathedral-wall on the N.E. and the sea are the foundations of a chapel
dedicated to the Virgin.
In 1559 the Cathedral was attacked by the mob and greatly destroyed. Time and weather helped to
complete the work of destruction; the Protestant Archbishop Spottiswoode in 1635 strove to make
provision for its restoration, but nothing appears to have been done to arrest the work of
destruction. The Barons of Exchequer in 1826 took possession of the ruins, had the rubbish cleared
away, and what remained of the great building strengthened. The pier-bases have been made
visible, and the outline of the building marked on the turf. St. Andrews has been associated with
most of the stirring events in Scottish Church history, and will always possess its two great voices
of the Cathedral and the Sea.

2. Diocese of Glasgow

Towards the end of the fourth century, St. Ninian, a Christian missionary trained at Rome in the
doctrine and discipline of the Western Church, is said to have established a religious cell on the
banks of the Molendinar. How long he remained there is uncertain, but his labours are chiefly
centred around the Candida Casa at Whithorn and among the southern Picts, whose district,
according to Bede, he evangelised. With St. Ninian's departure, the district around the Molendinar
relapsed into barbarism, and the only remaining monument of his work was a cemetery which he
was reputed to have consecrated. The next historical reference to Glasgow is in connection with St.
Kentigern, or, as he was popularly known, St. Mungo, about the middle of the sixth century. He
was of royal descent, and was born in 518 or 527. His biographer, Joceline, states that he was
adopted and educated by St. Servanus or St. Serf, who lived at Culross, and by him was named
"Munghu," i.e. dearest friend. But this must be a mistake, for Servanus lived two centuries after
Kentigern's time;[47] if it is correct, there must have been an earlier and a later St. Serf. On
attaining his twenty-fifth year, according to Joceline, he proceeded to Carnock, where lived a holy
man named Fergus. After he reached the abode of Fergus, the good man said his "nunc dimittis"
and died; and Kentigern, placing his body on a wain drawn by two bulls, took his departure,
praying to be guided to the place which might be appointed for burial. The place where the wain
stopped was Cathures, afterwards called Glasgow, where St. Ninian had consecrated a cemetery,
and here Fergus was buried. Such is Joceline's account of Kentigern's first connection with
Glasgow. The king and people of the district pressed him to remain as their bishop, and he
consented, establishing his see at Cathures and founding a lay society of the servants of God, and
fixing his own abode on the banks of the Molendinar. After some years of austerity and
beneficence there, he was driven from his work by the persecutions of an apostate prince and
settled in the vale of Clwyd, North Wales, where he founded a monastery. After a time he returned
to Glasgow, at the solicitation of the King of Cumbria, and appointed St. Asaph as his successor in
Wales. In a martyrology ascribed to the year 875 Kentigern appears as "bishop of Glasgow and
confessor."[48] While resident at Glasgow, St. Kentigern was visited by St. Columba, his
distinguished contemporary and the apostle of the Picts, who presented him with a crozier, which,
Fordun says, was afterwards preserved in St. Wilfrid's Church at Ripon. Bishop Forbes describes
the meeting of the two great men "as one of those incidents which we wish to be true, and which
we have no certainty for believing not to be so."[49] St. Kentigern died in 603 or 614, and was
buried in Glasgow, which is still known as the city of St. Mungo—Mungo being his name of
honour or affection. Everything connected with St. Mungo's early church, of wood and wattles or
of stone, on the banks of the Molendinar, is shrouded in the mists of antiquity until the first quarter
of the twelfth century, when David, Prince and Earl of Cumbria, the youngest son of Queen
Margaret, took measures to reconstruct the see and recover its property. Of Glasgow during the
Culdee period nothing can be definitely known. The result of Prince David's inquest is contained
in the Register of the Bishopric,[50] and it sets forth that Prince David, from love to God and by the
exhortation of the Bishop, having caused inquiry to be made concerning the lands belonging to the
church in Cumbria, had ascertained that they belonged to the church of Glasgow, and restored
them. These lands extended from the Clyde on the north to the Solway and English March on the
south, from the western boundary of Lothian on the east to the river Urr on the west, including
Teviotdale, and comprehended what afterwards formed the site of the city of Glasgow.[51] The
building of the cathedral would appear to have been begun before David succeeded to the throne in
1124, and he appointed his tutor John (called Achaius) to the bishopric. In 1136 the church, which
was probably chiefly of wood, was dedicated, and King David endowed it further with lands,
tithes, and churches. The church of Achaius was destroyed by fire, but through the exertions of

Bishop Joceline a society was founded to collect funds for its restoration, and the work was
sufficiently advanced for its consecration on 6th July 1197.[52] Although built at different dates, the
building has a very homogeneous appearance, and might be mistaken for a building of one period.
Under competent guidance,[53] we now propose to give a short sketch of the cathedral itself.
The first attempt to erect a cathedral was made by Bishop Achaius, whose episcopate extended
from 1115 to 1147, and Mr. Honeyman regards the portion of the lower church at the south-west
angle as the most ancient part of the structure. He holds that the church built by Achaius was
restored by Bishop Joceline (1175-1199) at the end of the twelfth century, and that the above
portion formed a chapel, and was part of that restoration. The strongest argument is its nearness to
the tomb of the patron saint. If we assume that the old choir terminated in a semicircular apse,
projecting eastward beyond the aisles, we shall find that the tomb would be enclosed in such a
position as to admit of the high altar being placed immediately over it. Assuming that the choir
was not apsidal but square, we get the same result. The probability is that the end of the church
erected or altered by Joceline was square, and that it projected two bays beyond the aisles, as at St.
Andrews and other churches of the same period.[54] The crypt, or, strictly speaking, "lower
church," was evidently suggested by the sloping eastward character of the site, which would have
placed St. Mungo's tomb at a depth below the level on which a large church could possibly be
built; while Achaius, from his long residence in Italy, would be led to imitate some notable Italian
examples.[55] Some similarities between Glasgow and Jedburgh (which was in the diocese of
Glasgow) have suggested that there was in the olden times such a servant of the church as a
diocesean architect.[56] "One thing is abundantly clear," says Mr. Honeyman, "to any one who
intelligently studies the building, namely, that the whole design was carefully thought out and
settled before a stone was laid. It is a skilful and homogeneous design, which could only be
produced by a man of exceptional ability and great experience. Nothing has been left to chance, or
to the sweet will of the co-operating craftsman, but the one master-mind has dictated every
moulding and every combination, and has left the impress of his genius upon it all. The mark of
the master may be discerned by the practised eye in every feature of the magnificent edifice; the
marks of the craftsmen may be seen on the work they were told to do, and did so well."[57] To
Bishop Joceline is due the credit of having formed a society to collect funds for the restoration of
Bishop John's church, which was burnt by fire,[58] and he appears to have rebuilt the choir, and
also to have designed, if he did not also partly build, the nave.[59] This part of his work was
sufficiently advanced for consecration on 6th July 1197.[60] The work was probably continued by
his successors, but the next great benefactor of the cathedral was Bishop William de Bondington
(1233-1258), who perfected Joceline's work, and built both choir and lower church or "crypt," as
they now are.[61] According to Mr. Honeyman, the foundations of the nave were laid and part of
the walls was carried up before the building of the choir was begun.[62] Most of the nave appears,
from its architecture, to have been erected at the end of the thirteenth, or the beginning of the
fourteenth century, and is pronounced to form "one of the finest examples of the late First Pointed
or Early Decorated style in Scotland."[63] "The spacing (of the piers) is that of the twelfth century
(considerably less than that of the choir), while the height and the treatment, in other respects, is
that of the latter portion of the thirteenth."[64]
Bishop Wishart during the war of Independence supported the Scottish party; he obtained
permission from Edward I. to cut timber in Luss forest for erecting the spire of the cathedral, and it
was one of the causes of accusation against him, which led to his imprisonment in England, that he
had used the said timber not for building the spire but for making engines of war wherewith to
attack Edward's army. In 1400 the wooden spire of the cathedral was destroyed by lightning, but a
new tower of masonry was erected over the crossing by Bishop Lauder (1408-1425), who carried

the work as high as the main parapet. "This bishop appears also to have begun the completion of
the chapter-house, a detached structure lying to the north-east of the choir. The walls of this
building were partly erected about the time of the construction of the choir, but were afterwards
raised to two storeys in height, and vaulted by Bishop Cameron."[65] This latter prelate (1426-
1446) was known as "the Magnificent," from the splendour of his retinue and court. He erected the
stone spire above the tower of Bishop Lauder, and also completed the chapter-house wing
containing the sacristy on the upper floor, and the chapter-house on the ground floor. His arms are
still to be seen on the portions of the structure erected by him. The beautiful rood-screen was also
probably constructed by him.[66] Bishop Cameron also increased the number of prebendaries from
seven to thirty-two, and ordained that they should all have manses and reside near the cathedral. In
his day the episcopal court was said to rival that of the King, and he built the great tower of the
castle or episcopal palace, which was probably erected by Bishop Bondington and stood with the
garden in the open space between the cathedral and the present Castle Street, now called Infirmary
Square. The Bishop's palace was a Scottish baronial structure, and had an elaborate turreted
gateway or port at the south-east angle of the wall nearly opposite the gate that now leads to the
cathedral yard.[67] Bishop William Turnbull, who succeeded Bishop Cameron, held office from
1448 to 1454. He did not add much to the cathedral, but his memory ought to be gratefully
remembered, for in response to his representation and that of the King, Pope Nicholas V. issued his
bull, on 7th January 1450-1451, by which he erected the University, ordaining that it should
flourish in all time to come, as well in theology and canon and civil law as in the arts and every
lawful faculty, and that the doctors, masters, readers, and students might there enjoy all the
liberties, honours, exemptions, and immunities granted by the Apostolic see to the doctors,
masters, and students in the University of Bologna. He gave the power to confer degrees and make
licentiates—an important recognition in those days, for it brought the influence of the Church on
the side of schools of learning, and gave universal European validity to the degrees so conferred.
[68] The Bishop of Glasgow was the patron and head of the University of Glasgow, which was thus
founded forty years after that of St. Andrews, and forty years before that of Aberdeen. The next
prelate, Bishop Andrew Muirhead (1455-1473) took an important part in the State affairs of the
period, and as far as his work in the cathedral is concerned, built the hall of the choral vicars. It is
situated between the two buttresses at the west end of the north aisle of the choir, and is a low
building now roofed with flags. It was called the "aula vicariorum chori," and was built as an
accommodation for the vicars choral, whose duties were to serve and sing in the choir. They were
formed into a college by Bishop Muirhead, were originally twelve in number, but were afterwards
increased to eighteen, and were aided by boy choristers. Archbishop Eyre thinks that this building
on the north side of the cathedral was the early song-school of the church, which passed into the
hands of the college of vicars choral, and was a hall for their business meetings and musical
practice, the second storey being probably their reading-room, or the sleeping-place of the
sacristan, who was required to sleep in the church.[69]
Robert Blacader (1484-1508) was high in favour with King James IV., and was one of the embassy
sent to England to arrange the marriage of the Scottish monarch with the daughter of Henry VII.
James had previously sought consolation under the Bishop's care, enrolled himself as a prebendary
in the cathedral, and in person attended as a member of the cathedral-chapter. The King was
always favourable to Glasgow, and did not desire the see to be subordinate to that of St. Andrews.
He urged upon the Pope that the pallium should be granted to the Bishop of Glasgow, whose
cathedral, he urged, "surpasses the other cathedral churches of my realm by its structure, its
learned men, its foundation, its ornaments, and other very noble prerogatives." A bull was granted
in 1491-1492 by Pope Innocent VIII. in which he declared the see to be metropolitan, and

appointed the bishops of Dunkeld, Dunblane, Galloway, and Argyll to be its suffragans.[70]
Blacader was the first Archbishop of Glasgow, and beautified his cathedral by building or adorning
the fine rood-screen which separates the nave from the choir[71] by founding altarages and erecting
two altars in front of the rood-screen, on both of which his arms and initials are carved.[72] He built
also the decorated flights of steps from the aisles of the nave to the choir, and partly erected the
building in continuation of the south transept, called Blacader's aisle, but it was never carried
higher than the ground storey or crypt.[73] It is also known as Fergus's aisle.[74] Archbishop
Blacader was the last to add to the cathedral, and there is reason to believe that his addition
occupies the site of the cemetery consecrated by St. Ninian, and thus the earliest consecration and
the latest building effort are identified with the same spot.[75]
Glasgow, like Elgin, Aberdeen, and Brechin, possessed originally two western towers, but at
Glasgow, grievously and unfortunately, the south-west tower was removed in 1845, and the north-
west one in 1848 by the Restoration Committee. They were venerable in their antiquity, and were
probably built after the completion of the nave and aisles, if not at the same time. Evidence
showed "that probably the north-west tower was part of the original design, or if not, that its
erection was resolved on before the north aisle was completed, and it was built before the west
window of the north aisle required to be glazed. The south-west tower was probably of the same
date."[76] The latter was best known as the consistory house, and was the place where the bishops
held their ecclesiastical courts and the diocesan records were kept. The only comfort amid the
demolition of the towers is that the proposed new ones were not erected in their place; and better
counsel ought to have prevailed, since Mr. Billings described the removal as an act of barbarism.
"All who now see the grand old building, shorn of its cathedral features, and made like a large
parish church, mock and laugh at the action of the local committee, saying, "These men had two
towers, and they went and pulled them both down.""[77]
The higher church had twenty-four altars or chapels;[78] the lower church, commonly but
incorrectly called the crypt, had six altars;[79] the high altar occupied the usual place, was
dedicated to St. Kentigern, had a wooden canopy or tabernacle work over it, and in front of it, on
the right-hand side, was the bishop's throne.[80] When it is recalled that the cathedral possessed
these thirty altars or chapels (most of them beautiful works of art), thirty-two canons, college of
choral vicars, with other assistants, one can well understand the great, almost dangerous power
which the "Spiritual Dukedom" possessed, and the dread, felt even by its own chapter, when it was
first proposed to make the bishopric into an archbishopric, for they regarded the movement as
conferring too much power on the bishop.[81] A conception of the archbishop's power may be
formed by recalling that the archdeaconry of Glasgow contained the following deaneries—Nycht,
Nith, or Dumfries, with 31 parishes, besides 2 in Annandale and 8 in Galloway; Annandale, 28
parishes, besides 8 in Eskdale; Kyle, 17 parishes; Cunningham, 15; Carrick, 9; Lennox, 17;
Rutherglen, 34; Lanark or Clydesdale, 25; Peebles or Stobo, 19; the archdeaconry of Teviotdale,
36 parishes.[82] Besides the prelates already mentioned there were, as the direct successors of
Blacader, James Beaton (1508-1522), afterwards Archbishop of St. Andrews; Gavin Dunbar
(1524-1547); James Beaton, the last Roman Catholic archbishop, who at the Reformation retired to
France with the writs of the see, which were deposited, by his directions, partly in the archives of
the Scots College, and partly in the Chartreuse of Paris, and have been since published by the
Maitland Club.[83] Among the Protestant archbishops space will only permit us recording the
names of John Spottiswood (1612-1615) and Robert Leighton (1671-1674).[84]
Glasgow has passed through the various stages of burgh, burgh of barony, burgh of regality, city,
royal burgh, and county of a city.[85] But it grew under the protection of the Church, for as David I.

granted to Bishop John of St. Andrews the site of the burgh of that name, so William the Lion
granted to Bishop Joceline of Glasgow the right to have a burgh in Glasgow, with all the freedoms
and customs which any royal burgh in Scotland possessed.[86] Glasgow thus owed its existence to
the Church, under whose fostering care it developed for centuries, and the ruling ecclesiastic
elected the provost, magistrates, and councillors. Its motto still is "Let Glasgow flourish by the
preaching of the Word," and its seal emblems have been thus interpreted: "The employment of
these four emblems (fish, bird, tree, bell) in connection with St. Kentigern was meant to convey
that he was sent as a fisher of men, that his work from small beginnings grew to very large
dimensions, 'like to a grain of mustard-seed, ... which is the least indeed of all seeds, but when it is
grown up ... becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and dwell in the branches thereof';
and that his name and fame became so great that he was heard of everywhere. 'Verily their sound
hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the whole world.'"[87]
The most beautiful features of the exterior are pronounced to be the doorways, especially those of
the lower church,[88] the vaulting of which was said by Sir Gilbert Scott to contain nowhere two
compartments in juxtaposition which are alike.[89] It has been suggested that the motive of the
architect was to reproduce, as nearly as circumstances permitted, the plan of Solomon's Temple,
and the arrangement corresponds exactly.[90] The beauty of the lower church is much obscured by
the dark stained glass in the windows, and it is matter for regret that this masterpiece of design and
wonderful variety of effect[91] are not more visible.
"The plan of the cathedral," says Mr. Honeyman, "is remarkably compact, and the exterior is
symmetrical and harmonious. The best points of view are from the north-east and the south-east.
From either of these points the full height of the structure is seen, and that is sufficiently great to
give the building a dignified and impressive effect, the height from the ground-level to the apex of
the choir gable being 115 feet. The well-proportioned short transept breaks the monotony of the
long clerestory, without unduly hiding it, as transepts with more projections do. The gable of the
choir, with its four lancets, rises picturesquely over the double eastern aisles, while the sombre
keep-like mass of the chapter-house adds a romantic element to the effect of the whole
composition, which culminates gracefully in the lofty spire. The pervading characteristic is
simplicity, and the effect solemnising. Sir Walter Scott, with his usual quick perception of
character in buildings, as well as in man, puts an admirable reference to these salient points into
the mouth of Andrew Fairservice, who exclaims, 'Ah! it's a brave kirk; nane o' yer whigmaleeries
an' curliwurlies, an' open-steek hems about it.' It may, indeed, be called severe, but not tame."[92]
Internally the cathedral has a nave of eight bays, with side aisles; transepts, not projecting beyond
the aisles; a choir of five bays, with side aisles and an aisle at the east end, with chapels beyond it.
At the north-east corner of the choir is the sacristy or vestiarium; below it is the chapter-house,
with an entrance from the lower church; on the south side of the church, as a continuation of the
transept, is another low church or crypt, called "Blacader's Aisle"; on the north side are the
foundations of a large chapel. Over the crossing rise the tower and spire, 217 feet high. The church
within is 283 feet long by 61 feet broad.[93]
The history of the cathedral is closely connected with many of the stirring events in Scottish
history. King Edward prostrated himself before its altar; Robert the Bruce within it received
absolution, "while the Red Cumyn's blood was scarce yet dry upon his dagger"; and within its
walls was held the Glasgow Assembly of 1638, when the Episcopate was abolished, and the
Presbyterian government was restored. Robert Leighton has preached within its choir, in his low,
sweet voice, and with those angelic strains of eloquence and devotion which lingered in the
memory of his hearers to their dying day.

3. Diocese of Dunkeld

Dunkeld is situated amid lovely scenery, and was from the earliest times a religious centre. The
name means fort of the Culdees. After the destruction of Iona by the Norsemen in the beginning of
the ninth century, Dunkeld became the seat of the Columban authority in Scotland, and part of the
relics of St. Columba were brought here by King Kenneth Macalpine in 850. Its abbot was named
Bishop of Fortreum, but in 865 the primacy was transferred to Abernethy, and thence to St.
Andrews in 908. One of the lay abbots at Dunkeld married a daughter of Malcolm II., and through
the influence of their descendants the religious order in Scotland was changed. Emerging as great
secular chiefs, these lay abbots weakened, if they did not destroy, the ecclesiastical foundation.
The bishopric was revived by Alexander I. in 1107, and prior to the thirteenth century was not
confined to Atholl, but extended to the western sea, and included the districts stretching along its
shores from the Firth of Clyde to Lochbroom, and forming the province of Argyll.[94] The western
part was separated about 1200, and formed into a new bishopric, termed first that of Argyll, and
afterward that of Lismore.[95] Cormac, the Culdee abbot, was the first bishop under the new order,
and among his successors may be mentioned Bishop Sinclair (1312-1338), the friend of Bruce, and
a "man of courage, the champion of the Church, and the brave defender of the constitution of the
kingdom";[96] Bishop Lauder (1452-1476), who filled the see "with unfading honour,"[97] and built
a bridge across the Tay, as well as adorned the cathedral; George Brown (1485-1514), who divided
the see into four deaneries, procured Gaelic preachers,[98] promoted clerical efficiency, enlarged
the palace at Dunkeld, and built the castle of Cluny;[99] Gavin Douglas (1516-1522), "a noble,
learned, worthy bishop,"[100] who translated the Æneid into Scots verse, and thus

in a barbarous age,
Gave to rude Scotland Virgil's page.

The diocese had four deaneries: (1) Atholl and Drumalbane, with 47 parishes; (2) Angus, with 5;
(3) Fife, Fotherick, and Stratherne, with 7; (4) South Forth, with 7.[101]
Canon Myln's quaint Lives of the Bishops of Dunkeld professes to give an account of the building
of the cathedral, and it appears that the existing structure is chiefly of the fifteenth century.[102] It
consists of an aisleless choir, a nave with two aisles, a north-west tower, and a chapter-house to the
north of the choir. It appears that the different parts of the structure were begun at the dates given
by Abbot Myln, but were not completed until some time afterwards.[103] All are Third Pointed in
style except the choir, which retains some scanty portions of First Pointed work. The following are
given as the approximate dates of the original construction: choir (1318-1400); nave (1406-1465);
chapter-house (1457-1465); tower (1469-1501).
The episcopal palace was a little south-west of the cathedral, which contained many valuable
ornaments and vessels, a painted reredos, and in its great tower two large bells, named St. George
and St. Colm (Columba). At the Reformation in 1560, the cathedral suffered the common fate of
most of such structures, although Argyll and Ruthven, in requiring the lairds of Airntully and
Kinvaid "to purge the kirk of all kinds of monuments of idolatry," requested them also "to tak good
heid that neither the desks, windocks, nor doors be onyways hurt or broken, either glassin work or
iron work." The closing injunction was not observed, and the roofs were also demolished. In 1600
the choir was re-roofed, and is the present parish church. But the ruins still speak of the former
grandeur of this old church-town, and perhaps a like day may yet dawn for Dunkeld, as has been
seen at Dunblane.

4. Diocese of Aberdeen

The earliest ecclesiastical history of Aberdeen is connected with St. Machar (a disciple of St.
Columba), who preached the Gospel among the Northern Picts and settled on the banks of the
Don, founding there both a Christian colony and a church, which, from its situation, was called the
Church of Aberdon. Another band of Columban missionaries established themselves in the
sequestered vale of the Fiddich, at Morthlac, and in the beginning of the twelfth century the
"Monastery of Morthlach" possessed five dependent churches.[104] The tradition that there was a
bishopric at Murthlack or Morthlach is not founded on reliable evidence, and is discredited by Dr.
Cosmo Innes[105] and Dr. Skene.[106] What David I. did was to graft on the Culdee monastery of
St. Machar the chapter of a new diocese, and in this manner the bishopric was founded before
1150, and endowed with old Culdee possessions, among others with the "Monastery of Morthlach"
and its five churches.[107] The third bishop, Matthew de Kininmond, began to build a cathedral
between 1183 and 1199 to supersede the primitive church then existing,[108] "which (new
building), because it was not glorious enough, Bishop Cheyne threw down."[109] The second
edifice was begun by Bishop Cheyne about 1282, and the work was interrupted by the Scottish
war with Edward I. during the bishop's absence in temporary banishment. "The king (Bruce)
seeing the new cathedral he had begun, made the church to be built with the revenues of the
bishopric."[110] The cathedral thus built was thrown down in turn by Bishop Alexander Kininmond,
who succeeded in 1355 and began the present cathedral about 1366. "Of his operations there
remain two large piers for the support of the central tower, which form the earliest portion of the
structure of St. Machar's now remaining."[111] The dean and chapter (of which Barbour, the father
of Scottish poetry, was a member) taxed themselves for the fabric in sixty pounds annually for ten
years; the bishop surrendered revenues worth about twice that sum; the Pope in 1380 made a grant
of indulgences to all who should help the work. All these appliances but availed to raise the
foundations of the nave a few feet above ground.[112] Forty years elapsed before Bishop Leighton
(1422-1440) completed the wall of the nave, founded the northern transept, and reared the two
western towers.[113] Bishop Lindsay (1441-1459) paved and roofed the cathedral; it was glazed by
Bishop Spens (1459-1480). Bishop Elphinstone (1487-1514), who founded King's College in
1500, and who was "the most distinguished of all who ever filled the episcopal chair," ... and
possessed "manners and temperance in his own person, befitting the primitive ages of
Christianity,"[114] adorned the cathedral. He built the great central tower and wooden spire,
provided the great bells, and covered the roofs of nave, aisles, and transept with lead.[115] This
central tower was four storey high, and square, and had two battlements and fourteen bells; it was
a noted landmark to mariners at sea.[116] Bishop Gavin Dunbar (1519-1531) built the southern
transept, added spires to Leighton's towers, and constructed at his own "pains and expenses" the
flat ceiling of oak, which still remains with the heraldries of the Pope, the Emperor, St. Margaret,
the kings and princes of Christendom, the bishops and the earls of Scotland. Bishop Elphinstone
began to rebuild the choir, but it never seems to have been finished. Alluding to 1560, Orme says,
"The glorious structure of said cathedral church, being near nine score years in building, did not
remain twenty entire, when it was almost ruined by a crew of sacrilegious church robbers."[117]
The ruins of the choir have been entirely removed; of the transepts only the foundations now
remain, the architecture being destroyed by the fall of the central tower in 1688. The nave is nearly
perfect, and is used as the parish church. The west front, except the spires, is entirely built with
granite, and is regarded as one of the most impressive and imposing structures in Scotland,[118] and
as stately in the severe symmetry of its simple design.[119] There is a remarkable entrance doorway,
the jambs being mere rounds and hollows, with a flat stone laid along at the springing of the round
arch. Above the doorway are seven lofty narrow windows, crowned each with a round and cusped

arch, and forming a striking feature of the whole. The clerestory windows are narrow and round
arched, without any moulding, while the aisle windows are filled with the simplest tracery. East of
the cathedral was the bishop's palace (1470), "a large and fair court, having a high tower at each of
its four corners";[120] to the south stood the deanery. Aberdeen was created a city or bishop's see by
King David,[121] and the diocese contained five deaneries, with 94 parishes.

5. Diocese of Moray

Previously to Elgin, the see was successively at Birnay, Kinnedor, and Spyny, but without a proper
cathedral.[122] Alexander I., shortly after his accession in 1107, founded the bishopric, but it was
not till the time of Bricius, the sixth Bishop of Moray, who filled that position from 1203 to 1222,
that the bishops had any fixed residence in the diocese.[123] When Bricius became bishop in 1203,
he fixed his cathedral at Spyny, founded a chapter of eight secular canons, and gave to his church a
constitution founded on the usage of Lincoln, which he ascertained by a mission to England.[124]
Andrew de Moravia succeeded him in 1222, and in his time (1224) the transference of the
episcopal see and the cathedral of the diocese to Elgin was effected, which had probably been
designed and solicited by his predecessor.[125] This bishop probably built the cathedral church,
munificently endowed it, increased the number of prebends to twenty-three, of which he held one,
and sat as a canon in the chapter.[126] The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity was founded in 1224, on
the site of an older church with the same dedication, and the work proceeded under Bishop
Andrew's supervision during the eighteen remaining years of his life.[127] The Register of the see
shows us "Master Gregory the mason and Richard the glazier" at work in autumn 1237.[128] Of the
building itself probably now little is left, for it is recorded by Fordun under the year 1270 that the
Cathedral of Elgin and the houses of the canons were burnt, but whether by accident or design he
does not add. The ruins now standing probably date from a subsequent period, when there was
raised the stately building, of which Bishop Alexander Bur wrote to the king that it was "the pride
of the land, the glory of the realm, the delight of wayfarers and strangers, a praise and boast among
foreign nations, lofty in its towers without, splendid in its appointments within, its countless jewels
and rich vestments, and the multitude of its priests, serving God in righteousness."[129] This
description is taken from a letter addressed to King Robert III., complaining that on the feast of St.
Botolph, in 1390, the king's own brother, the Earl of Buchan, popularly known as the "Wolf of
Badenoch," had descended from the hills with a band of wild Scots, and burned a considerable part
of the town of Elgin, St. Giles Church, the Maison Dieu, the manses of the clergy, and the
cathedral itself. The bishop appealed for aid and reparation, and the "Wolf of Badenoch" was
compelled to yield, but, on condition that he should make satisfaction to the bishop and church of
Moray and obtain absolution from the Pope, he was absolved by the Bishop of St. Andrews in the
Blackfriars Church at Perth. Notwithstanding his age and feebleness, Bishop Bur energetically
pressed on the restoration of the cathedral, and it was continued by Bishops Spynie (1397-1406)
and Innes (1406-1421), and even then it was not completed. It thus occupied many years, even
though it was promoted by grants of the royal favour, by a third part of the whole revenues of the
see being devoted to it for a time, and by yearly subsidies being levied on every benefice in a
diocese stretching "from the Ness to the Deveron, from the sea to the passes of Lochaber and the
central mountains that divide Badenoch and Athol."[130] Early in the sixteenth century the central
tower showed signs of weakness, and had to be rebuilt in 1538. It fell in 1711, destroying the nave
and transepts.[131]
The Cathedral of Elgin was complete in all arrangements, and had a large nave with double aisles,
an extended choir and presbytery, north and south transepts, a lady chapel, and a detached

octagonal chapter-house. It had a great tower and spire over the crossing, two beautiful turrets at
the east end, and two noble towers at the west end. Most of the existing portions are pronounced to
belong to the period when Scottish architecture was at its best.[132] The existing ruins testify to the
former splendour of the completed structure, which was said to be a building of Gothic
architecture inferior to few in Europe. "Elgin alone," says Dr. Joseph Robertson, "among the
Scottish cathedrals of the thirteenth century, had two western towers. They are now shorn of their
just height, but still they may be seen from far, lifting their bulk above the pleasant plain of
Murray, and suggesting what the pile must have been when the amiable and learned Florence
Wilson loved to look upon its magnificence as he meditated his De Animi Tranquillitate on the
banks of the Lossie, and when the great central spire soared to twice the altitude of the loftiest
pinnacle of ruin that now grieves the eye."[133] The destruction of the cathedral was hastened by
the alienation of Church lands by Bishop Patrick Hepburn, among the worst of the bishops; by the
Privy Council in 1568 ordering the removal of lead from the roofs; by wind and weather; by
Cromwell's troops; by an irrational zeal, which in 1630 broke down the carved screen and lovely
wood-work; and lastly by the falling of the central tower, which destroyed the whole nave and part
of the transepts. The passing away of such a colossal work of beauty is grievous, and not less so
when it is recalled that the cathedral expressed the devoted labour of centuries. According to the
latest authorities, the following are the probable dates. The transept was erected about 1224, and
may possibly have formed part of the original Church of the Trinity. The western towers followed
soon after; the western portal somewhat later. The west part of the north wall of the choir may
have been part of the original church, but the general work of choir, nave, and early chapter-house
would appear to have been carried out during the thirteenth century, and before the Scottish War of
Independence. The cathedral, thus completed, remained for about a century, when the "Wolf of
Badenoch" deformed or destroyed nave and chapter-house. The west front above the portal and the
whole of the nave were reconstructed about the time of Bishop Dunbar (1422-1435), and the
chapter-house by Bishop David Stewart (1482-1501). The architecture corresponds with their
respective periods, and bears their coats of arms, engraved on each department.[134]
Dr. Thomas Chalmers considered the ruins of Elgin to be the finest remains of antiquity in
Scotland, and as picturesque in their variety.[135]

6. Diocese of Brechin

The two bishoprics of Brechin and Dunblane were formed from the old Pictish bishopric of
Abernethy, in so far as its churches were not yet absorbed by the growing bishopric of St.
Andrews, which immediately succeeded it.[136] Abernethy was the last of the bishoprics which
existed while the kingdom ruled over by the Scottish dynasty was called the kingdom of the Picts;
St. Andrews was associated with that of the Scots.[137] Abernethy was from the earliest days
dedicated to St. Bride, and Panbride in the diocese of Brechin, and Kilbride in that of Dunblane,
indicate, in Dr. Skene's view, that the veneration of the patroness of Abernethy had extended to
other churches included in these dioceses.[138] From this old Pictish diocese the bishopric of
Brechin was formed, towards the end of King David's reign, about 1150.[139] The Church of
Brechin has no claim to represent an old Columban monastery:[140] its origin as a church is clearly
recorded in the Pictish Chronicle, which states that King Kenneth, son of Malcolm, who reigned
from 971 to 995, gave "the great city of Brechin to the Lord," founding a church to the Holy
Trinity, a monastery apparently after the Irish model, combined with a Culdee college. We hear of
it next in two charters of David I. to the Church of Deer, and in the second of these the "abbot" of
the first appears as "Bishop of Brechin" (about 1150). The abbacy passed to lay hereditary bishops,

and the Culdees were first conjoined with, next distinguished from, and at last superseded by, the
cathedral chapter.[141]
The early Church of Brechin emanated from the Irish Church, and was assimilated in its character
to the Irish monastery. Of the early connection, there still survives at Brechin the famous Round
Tower, which now occupies the place of a spire at the south-west angle of the present church. This,
with the older one at Abernethy, and the ruined one at Egilshay in Orkney, are the only surviving
types in Scotland. There were said to have been four others, which are no longer existing, viz.
Deerness in Orkney; West Burray, Tingwall, and Ireland Head, in Shetland.[142] Dr. Skene gives
the date of the Abernethy one as about 870, or between that year and the close of the century, and
asserts that the date of the Brechin tower can be placed with some degree of certainty late in the
succeeding century.[143] Probably it was erected in the reign of Kenneth (971-995), or about 1012,
when Brechin was destroyed by the Danes.[144] Egilshay probably dates about 1098.[145] The
Brechin tower is capped by a conical stone roof. Dr. Joseph Anderson shows that those round
towers are outliers of a group of which Ireland is the home;[146] and they were erected during the
time when the Celtic Church was much perplexed by the pillaging attacks of the Danes, that the
ecclesiastics might protect their valuable illuminated manuscripts, and other costly possessions.
The Brechin one corresponds with the Irish ones, and is built in sixty irregular courses, of blocks
of reddish-grey sandstone, dressed to the curve, but squared at neither top nor bottom; within,
string-courses divide it into seven storeys, the topmost lighted by four largish apertures facing the
cardinal points. A western doorway, 62/3 feet from the ground, has inclined jambs and a
semicircular head, all three hewn from single blocks, and the arch being rudely sculptured with a
crucifix, each jamb with a bishop bearing a pastoral staff, and each corner of the sill with a
nondescript crouching animal.[147] The sculpture on the graceful Tower of Brechin was, there as
elsewhere, the repetition in stone of the illuminated page of the Celtic scribe, who in turn repeated
many of the graceful and varied designs of the pre-Christian worker in bronze and gold,[148]
adding to them Christian symbols. Dr. Joseph Anderson finds in the figures of the crouching beast
and winged griffin at Brechin a close affinity to the figures of nondescript creatures carved on the
early sculptured memorial stones.[149]
The cathedral, founded about 1150, and added to at various periods, was originally a cruciform
structure, consisting of a five-bayed nave with two aisles, late First Pointed mixed with Second
Pointed; a transept formed by an extension of these aisles to the north and south; an aisleless choir
(with lancet windows), the ruins of which are a fine example of First Pointed work,[150] and which
when complete must have been a very pure and beautiful piece of architecture. The north-west
tower was being constructed in the time of Bishop Patrick (1351-1373), but must have been a long
time in erection. The western doorway presents the oldest feature of the existing building,[151] and
is simple and massive. The tower and spire are pronounced to be the completest and best
remaining example of their kind in Scotland.[152]
By the alteration of 1806 the choir was reduced, the transepts demolished, new and wider aisles
built on each side of the nave, while the outer walls of the aisles were carried to such a height that
the whole nave could be covered with a roof of one span, "thus totally eclipsing the beautiful
windows in the nave, and covering up the handsome carved cornice of the nail-head quatrefoil
description which ran under the eaves of the nave."[153] The cathedral was thus sadly deformed,
but plans of restoration have been recently adopted, funds are being raised, and the noble minster
will before long be restored to its former grandeur.

The diocese contained thirty parishes, and the bishop sat in the chapter as Rector of Brechin, that
being his prebend.[154]
The Maison Dieu formed part of a hospital, and is an interesting part of First Pointed work. The
rector of the Grammar School is still "Praeceptor Domus Dei."

7. Diocese of Dunblane

Dunblane was an early ecclesiastical centre. Its first church dates back to the seventh century, and
seems to have been an offshoot of the Church of Kingarth in Bute, the founder of which was St.
Blane, whose name is perpetuated in that of the cathedral town.[155] St. Blane was of the race of
the Irish Picts, and "bishop" of the Church of Kingarth which Cathan his uncle had founded. The
church at Dunblane seems to have had a chequered history, for the ancient town was burned (844-
860) by the Britons of Strathclyde, and in 912 was again ravished by Danish pirates. Bishop Keith
thinks there was a college of Culdees at Dunblane,[156] but we do not hear anything about it in
history, and the important college was at Muthill, where the Dean of Dunblane afterwards had his
seat. Centres of the Celtic Church were also at the neighbouring Blackford, Strageath, and
Dunning, and they all served their day, until the new order, inaugurated by Queen Margaret and
continued by her successors on the Scottish throne, was established in the district. About 1150,
King David I. established the bishopric of Dunblane, and about 1198 Earl Gilbert and his countess
introduced canons-regular by the foundation of the Priory of Inchaffray. Under the growing
importance of these centres, the possession of the Keledei fell into lay hands, and after 1214 the
prior and Keledei of Muthill disappear from the records.[157]
The square tower of Dunblane, which still survives, is a relic of the structure erected in the twelfth
century,[158] and is one of the group, centred in early Pictavia, revealing characteristics of Norman
work, and all connected with the sites of early Culdee establishments. Those north of the Tay are at
Brechin and Restennet; those south of it, at St. Andrews (Regulus), Markinch, and Dunblane;
Abernethy, Muthill, and Dunning.[159] The lower four storeys of the Dunblane tower form part of
the original structure; the two highest are evidently of a late date;[160] the walls are not parallel
with those of the nave, and the tower projects into the south aisle from 6 to 7 feet, and may have
been associated with an earlier church.
The see seems to have fallen into a forlorn condition, for when the learned Dominican, Clement,
was bishop (1233-1258), he made a pilgrimage to Rome, and represented to the Pope among other
things that "its rents were barely sufficient to maintain him for six months; there was no place in
the cathedral wherein he could lay his head; there was no collegiate establishment, and that in this
unroofed church, the divine offices were celebrated by a certain rural chaplain."[161] Evidently the
fourth part of the tithes of all the parishes within the diocese were given for the support of the
bishop and the building of the cathedral, and he left it "a stately sanctuary, rich in land and
heritage, served by prebendary and canon." Bishop Clement built the nave, the most beautiful part
of the structure, but later in its architecture than the north aisle of the choir or lady chapel, which
was originally separated from the choir by a solid wall, in which there never was any opening into
the aisle except the small doorway near the east end, which is of First Pointed date.[162] Above the
vault there is an upper storey with small two-lighted windows, which may possibly have been used
as a scriptorium.[163] The cathedral consists of a nave of eight bays, with north and south aisles, an
aisleless choir of six bays, an eastern aisle unconnected with the choir except by a doorway, and
the tower attached to the south aisle of nave. The following is a narrative of the building of the
cathedral as given by the most recent authorities. "The greater part of the structure is of First

Pointed date. The lady chapel may be the oldest part (after the tower), and next to it is the east
portion of the nave. The western half of the nave seems to have followed soon after the eastern
portion, and is carried out nearly after the same design. The transition tracery in the arcade of the
clerestory and west end is very interesting, as showing bar tracery in the act of being formed. This
could scarcely have occurred in Scotland before the end of the thirteenth century. The style of the
choir is further advanced than the nave, and exhibits some transitional features between First
Pointed and Decorated work. The great east window and the large side windows of the choir
probably contained tracery more advanced than that of the west end, and may probably date from
the fourteenth century. The pinnacles and parapet are of about 1500."[164] The west end, with its
doorway, deeply recessed with shafts and mouldings of First Pointed work, with an acutely pointed
blind arch on each side with trefoiled head within it; with three lofty pointed windows, each
divided into two lights by a central mullion, and with arch-heads filled with cinquefoil and
quatrefoils; with north buttress so large as to contain a wheel stair—is the finest part of the
cathedral. Above the western window is a vesica, set within a bevilled fringe of bay-leaves
arranged zigzagwise, with their points in contact. Of this Ruskin said in his lecture,[165] "Do you
recollect the west window of your own Dunblane Cathedral? It is acknowledged to be beautiful by
the most careless observer. And why beautiful? Simply because in its great contours it has the form
of a forest leaf, and because in its decoration it has used nothing but forest leaves. He was no
common man who designed that cathedral of Dunblane. I know nothing so perfect in its simplicity,
and so beautiful, so far as it reaches, in all the Gothic with which I am acquainted. And just in
proportion to his power of mind, that man was content to work under Nature's teaching, and,
instead of putting a merely formal dog-tooth, as everybody else did at that time, he went down to
the woody bank of the sweet river beneath the rocks on which he was building, and he took up a
few of the fallen leaves that lay by it, and he set them in his arch, side by side for ever."
Six of the stalls with, and several others without, canopies still survive, and on one of the
misereres are the arms of the Chisholm family, surmounted by a mitre. Three bishops of this name
presided in Dunblane,[166] and the stalls were probably provided by the first, Bishop James
Chisholm, dating between 1486 and 1534. The stalls were probably brought from Flanders, and the
carving is spirited and full of grotesque figures.[167] Other bishops, who ought gratefully to be
remembered for building done, are Bishop Dermoch (1400-1419) and Bishop Ochiltree (1429-
1447). Maurice, Abbot of Inchaffray and Bishop of Dunblane (1320-1347), is described as a man
of fervent spirit, who gave great encouragement at the battle of Bannockburn, and was chosen by
King Robert the Bruce as his chaplain and confessor.[168] There are some vestiges of the bishop's
palace still left to the south-west of the cathedral; and the Bishop's Walk, leading southward not far
from the river, and overshadowed by venerable beech trees, will always be associated with
Leighton, of whom Burnet wrote, "He had the most heavenly disposition that I ever yet saw in
mortal ... and I never once saw him in any other temper but that which I wished to be in, in the last
moments of my life."[169] Leighton was Bishop of Dunblane from 1661 to 1670, and chose it as the
poorest and smallest of Scotland's sees. At his death he bequeathed to it his library, which is still
preserved. Those who wish to understand his devotion and inner life may be directed to Dr. Walter
Smith's beautiful poem The Bishop's Walk.
Until recently, only the choir was used as the parish church, but in 1893 the cathedral was
reopened after a complete restoration costing £28,000. The restoration was largely due to the
munificent generosity of Mrs. Wallace of Glassingall. The town bears witness to the influence of
the cathedral—

A quaint old place—a minster grey,
And grey old town that winds away
Through gardens, down the sloping ridge
To river's brim and ancient bridge,
Where the still waters flow
To the deep pool below.[170]

8. Diocese of Ross

David I. followed the foundation of the great bishoprics by dividing the
country north of the great range of the Mounth into separate sees, and the
first of such appears to have been the diocese of Rosemarky or Ross.
Makbeth, the first Bishop of Ross, appears as the witness to a charter
between 1128 and 1130.[171] The church was founded as a Columban
monastery by Lugadius or Moluoc of Lismore before 577, and Bonifacius
refounded it in the eighth century, and dedicated the church to St. Peter. The
Culdees disappear in the course of history, and instead there emerges a
regular cathedral body of canons under a dean.[172] The Bishop of Ross had
this peculiarity, that he took his title from the province, and not from the
town, where he held his see. When the see was founded by David I.,
Rosmarkie continued as the cathedral centre, but after the chapter was
enlarged by Gregory IX. in 1235, the cathedral site was changed to Fortrose
or Chanonry, and the church was dedicated to SS. Peter and Bonifacius.
Chanonry is half a mile south-westward from Rosemarkie, and was united
with it in 1455 by James II. as a free burgh under the common name of
Fortrose. The presence of an educated clergy made the place a centre of
culture, and famous schools of divinity and law flourished under the
shadow of the cathedral.
The undercroft of the sacristy (afterwards enlarged) seems to indicate that
the work must have been begun before 1250,[173] but the architecture of the
aisle presents a beautiful specimen of the Middle Pointed or Decorated
period, and dates before or about the beginning of the fifteenth century.[174]
The cathedral, when entire, was a handsome red sandstone building,
comprising a nave of four bays, with aisles 14 feet wide and round-headed
windows; a choir, with aisles, lady chapel, west tower, quasi-transept, rood-

turret, and to the north-east a vaulted chapter-house over a crypt. It stood on
level ground, and commanded a fine view of the Moray Firth. When
complete it must have been an architectural gem, and its mouldings have
been said to show that in whatever other respects these remote parts of
Scotland were barbarous, in ecclesiology at least they were on a par with
any other branch of the mediæval Church.[175] All that now remains of the
cathedral consists of the south aisle of the nave, and the sacristy or
undercroft of the chapter-house. No vestige remains of the various manses
of the chapter that were within the cathedral precincts. The cathedral
suffered at the Reformation, but was repaired by Bishop Lindsay in 1615,
and in 1649 was not very ruinous. It would appear that the tradition is
correct which says that the masonry of the walls was removed by
Cromwell, like that of Kinloss Abbey, to provide material for the
construction of his fort at Inverness.
In the south wall there is a beautiful piscina, and in the north wall an ambry
with a small stone penthouse; an octagonal baptismal font of remarkable
design stands against the east wall of the aisle. There is a range of canopied
monuments, which stand between the pillars on the north side. The east end
had a large traceried window of five lights, and when complete it must have
been very beautiful.
The most famous of the bishops was John Leslie (1527-1596), who studied
at King's College, Aberdeen, at Paris, and at Poitiers. He held offices both
in the Aberdeen University and in the State, and in 1566 Queen Mary
bestowed on him the Abbey of Lindores in commendam, and subsequently
appointed him Bishop of Ross. He was a zealous supporter of Queen Mary,
and, after her flight to England, followed her, and never afterwards returned
to reside in Scotland. He was imprisoned in the Tower,[176] where he wrote
two small books for her spiritual profit, which Queen Mary liked and
endeavoured to turn into French verse. After his release he retired to France,
where he wrote his History of Scotland. On the day before her execution,
Queen Mary wrote to Philip of Spain, beseeching him to show kindness to
the Bishop of Ross for his faithful and devoted services to her. The request
was complied with, and he was able to end his days tranquilly in a
monastery near Brussels. It is said that the bishop persuaded the Queen in
1565 to grant to all men a liberty of conscience.[177]

9. Diocese of Caithness

The early history of the Church in Caithness points to a time before the
Northmen had any footing there, and connects it with the missionaries of
Ireland and Scotland. The legend of St. Finbar or St. Barr marks the
settlement of some Irish colonists, who brought with them the veneration
they had rendered in their old country to the patron saint of their tribe or
province.[178] SS. Duthac and Fergus are also associated with the church of
the district during the Celtic period, and during the time of the former
Keledei they may have been introduced here. The early church of Dornoch
was dedicated to St. Bar or Finbar, and before 1196 the Culdees had
disappeared, and the clerical element was reduced to a single priest.[179] The
deed establishing a cathedral chapter of ten canons, with dean, precentor,
chancellor, treasurer, and archdeacon, proceeds on the narrative "that in the
times of his (Bishop Gilbert's) predecessors there was but a single priest
ministering in the cathedral, both on account of the poverty of the place and
by reason of frequent hostilities; and that he desired to extend the worship
of God in that church, and resolved to build a cathedral church at his own
expense, to dedicate it to the Virgin Mary, and, in proportion to his limited
means, to make it conventual."[180] This benefactor of Dornoch was Bishop
Gilbert de Moravia (1222-1245), who organised the chapter after the pattern
of Elgin, which again had Lincoln for its model; and although the see of
Caithness is first heard of about 1130, to him is due the credit of rebuilding
the cathedral, which consisted of an aisled nave, transept, choir, and
massive central tower, with dwarfish spire. The old cathedral town, with its
society of learned churchmen, maintaining a high position by their
influence and example, cultivating letters, preaching peace and practising it,
must have been a centre of good in the north, and Bishop Gilbert's name
deserves to be honourably remembered for his statesmanship, beneficence,
and Christian character. "He rests," says the breviary of Aberdeen, "in the
church which he built with his own hands"; even the glass was
manufactured at Cyderhall under his personal supervision.[181]
The tower is all that remains of Bishop Gilbert's work, for the cathedral was
burnt in 1570; the tower escaped with some fine Gothic arches which fell
before the terrific gale of 5th November 1605—the day on which the
Gunpowder Plot was discovered. In 1614 the 13th Earl of Sutherland

partially repaired the cathedral, to make it available for the parish church,
and in 1835-1837 it was rebuilt by the Duchess of Sutherland at a cost of
£6000. It had thus the misfortune to be restored at a time when church
restoration in Scotland was at its lowest ebb. "The blame really attaches to
those whom she entrusted with the execution of her design."[182] The
structure is now used as the parish church of Dornoch. The square tower of
the bishop's palace still survives.

10. Diocese of Galloway

The name of Whithorn is a venerable one in Scottish Church history. It is
mentioned by Ptolemy, the Alexandrian geographer, in the second century
as Leukopibia, a town of the Novantae. The Greek name is synonymous
with the Latin Candida Casa or "White House," under which designation it
was latterly known. It is associated with the first known apostle of
Christianity in Scotland, St. Ninian, who was probably born here about the
middle of the fourth century. Of studious and ascetic habits, he visited
Rome, and on his homeward journey visited St. Martin of Tours, who died
in 397. After his arrival in Scotland, he founded the Candida Casa or
Church of Whithorn, dedicated it to St. Martin, and, although Christianity
was probably known in Scotland before his time, his work is the first
distinct fact in the history of the Scottish Church. After preaching the
Gospel among the Southern Picts, he died in 432, and was buried within his
church at Whithorn. It is a matter of dispute, whether this first Christian
oratory was built, after the custom of the early Scottish Church, on a small
island or peninsula at the point of the promontory which lies between the
bays of Luce and Wigtown, about three miles south from Whithorn, or on
the spot where the monastery afterwards arose. There are the ruins of a
small chapel on "The Isle," and although belonging to a later date, it is more
than probable that it was the successor of St. Ninian's first church. Whithorn
was famous also for its early schools and monastery, and exercised no small
influence in Christianising both the surrounding district and Northumbria,
or what is now known as the northerly parts of England. A bishopric of
Whithorn was founded by the Angles in 727, was held by five successive
bishops, and came to an end about 796, when the disorganisation of the
Northumbrian kingdom enabled the native population to eject the strangers
and assert their own independence. During the reign of David I. (1124-

1153), Fergus, Lord of Galloway, re-established the see of Galloway, and
founded at Whithorn a Premonstratensian priory, whose church became the
cathedral, and contained the shrine of St. Ninian. The see included the
whole of Wigtownshire and the greater part of Kirkcudbrightshire; the
bishop remained under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York till at least
the fourteenth century, and in 1472 became suffragan of St. Andrews. In
1491, when Glasgow became a metropolitan see, the Bishop of Galloway
became a Vicar-General of it during vacancies. The canons of Whithorn
Priory formed the chapter of the see of Galloway, and the prior ranked next
to the bishop; the diocese was divided into three rural deaneries. The shrine
of St. Ninian became a place of pilgrimage for people from all parts of
Scotland, and was visited by Scottish queens and kings—James IV. visited
it generally once and frequently twice a year throughout his whole reign.
The priory became wealthy, and the church and other buildings were of
great extent. Among its priors may be mentioned Gavin Dunbar (1514),
who was tutor to James V. and afterwards Archbishop of Glasgow; and
James Beaton, who was prior and afterwards Bishop of Galloway, was
advanced to the archbishopric of Glasgow in 1509, and of St. Andrews in
1522.
The buildings of the priory are now reduced to the nave—an aisleless
structure—and to some underground vaulted buildings, which no doubt
formerly supported the choir and other erections above.[183] The west tower
fell in the beginning of last century; the cloister lay to the north of the nave;
the chapter-house, slype, and site of domestic buildings extended to the
north of the transept. The north wall of the nave interior contains two
pointed recesses for monuments, which are of excellent design. At the
south-west angle of the nave is a doorway which is undoubtedly Norman,
[184] and the sculptures on the right and left of the projecting wall point to a
close affinity between the sculptured figures on the ancient stones and the
architecture of the twelfth century in Scotland.[185] The ancient font,
probably of Norman date, bowl-shaped, and of simple design, has been
preserved in the church, and St. Ninian's Cave—probably a place of
religious retirement—about three miles south-east of the village, contains
some very old stone crosses, and on its east wall some very old inscriptions,
a number of which are partly unintelligible by being covered with more
recent ones.

The neighbourhood will always be associated with St. Ninian, the apostle of
the Britons and of the Southern Picts, and may be called the historical
fountain-head of the Scottish Church.

11. Diocese of Lismore or Argyll

Lismore is an ancient settlement, and is the Epidium of Ptolemy, one of his
five Ebudae.[186] The island lies near the south end of Loch Linnhe, and at a
short distance from the mainland of Argyllshire.
The bishopric was formed about 1200 by the separation of the districts,
belonging to the bishopric of Dunkeld, which lay to the west of the great
range of Drumalban. Eraldus was the first Bishop of Argyll, and had his
seat at Muckairn, while his church bore the name of Killespeckerill, or the
church of Bishop Erailt.[187] It is possible that some of the Keledei from
Dunkeld may have accompanied the new bishop and been established there.
In 1236 the see was transferred from Muckairn, on the south side of Loch
Etive, to Lismore, where, long before, a Columban monastery had been
founded by St. Lughadh or Moluoc. The see was afterwards known as the
bishopric of Lismore, and contained the following deaneries: Kintyre, with
twelve parishes; Glassary or Glasrod, with thirteen; Lorn, with fourteen;
and Morvern, with eight.[188] The cathedral was perhaps the humblest in
Britain, and was probably erected soon after the transference of the see in
the thirteenth century. It is said to have been a structure 137 feet long by
291/3 wide, but of this there only now survives an aisleless choir, with traces
of a chapter-house and sacristy; and, as re-roofed in 1749, this choir now
serves as a parish church. It has four buttresses of simple form against the
south wall, and two at each of the north and south angles of the east wall. In
the south wall, and in the usual position near the east end, there are remains
of a triple sedilia; there is a piscina in a pointed recess, having a trefoil-
headed niche in the wall behind.[189]
One of the deans of Lismore, Sir James MacGregor, between 1512 and
1540, compiled a commonplace book, filled chiefly with Gaelic heroic
ballads, several of which are ascribed to the authorship of Ossian.

12. Diocese of the Isles

The history of Iona is associated with St. Columba, and, although its church
did not attain full cathedral status until 1506, the island was one of the
earliest centres of Christianity in Scotland.
St. Columba (Columcille or Colm) was born at Gartan, County Donegal,
7th December 521, and was the son of a chief related to several of the
princes then reigning in Ireland and the west of Scotland. He studied under
St. Finnian at Moville, and under another of the same name at Clonard. In
546 he founded the monastery of Derry, and in 553 that of Durrow. The
belief that he had caused the bloody battle of Culdremhne led to his
excommunication and exile from his native land, and, accompanied by
twelve disciples, he left Ireland and sailed for the Western Islands, settling
ultimately at Iona, where he and his companions began their work among
the heathen Picts. The legend of his perpetual exile seems to be a fable, and
Dr. Skene adds, "His real motive for undertaking this mission seems
therefore to have been partly religious and partly political. He was one of
the twelve apostles of Ireland who had emerged from the school of Finnian
of Clonard, and he no doubt shared the missionary spirit which so deeply
characterised the monastic Church of Ireland at that period. He was also
closely connected through his grandmother with the line of the Dalriadic
kings, and, as an Irishman, must have been interested in the maintenance of
the Irish colony in the west of Scotland. Separated from him by the Irish
Channel was the great pagan nation of the Northern Picts, who, under a
powerful king, had just inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Scots of
Dalriada, and threatened their expulsion from the country; and, while his
missionary zeal impelled him to attempt the conversion of the Picts, he
must have felt that, if he succeeded in winning a pagan people to the
religion of Christ, he would at the same time rescue the Irish colony of
Dalriada from a great danger, and render them an important service by
establishing peaceable relations between them and their greatly more
numerous and powerful neighbours, and replacing them in the more secure
possession of the western districts they had colonised."[190] It was in 563,
and at the age of forty-two, that he settled at Iona and commenced his
mission-work by founding his monastery[191] there. He met there "two
bishops," who came to receive his submission from him, but "God now
revealed to Columcille that they were not true bishops, whereupon they left
the island to him, when he told of them their history." They were, thinks Dr.

Skene, the remains of that anomalous church of seven bishops which here,
as elsewhere, preceded the monastic church, while Columba appears to
have refused to recognise them as such, and the island was abandoned to
him. Possessed as he was with the soul of a poet, and susceptible to the
impressive in nature, Columba could not have chosen a finer spot than Iona
for his work, or one where he could better combine with missionary activity
a life of purity and self-denial. Tradition says he landed at the bay now
known as Port-a-churaich, and proceeded to found the monastery and
establish the church which was ultimately to embrace in its jurisdiction the
whole of Scotland north of the Firths of Forth and Clyde, to be for a century
and a half the national church of Scotland, and to give to the Angles of
Northumbria the same form of Christianity for a period of thirty years. The
buildings that now remain are of much later date, but it may be inferred that
in its constitution, spirit, and work the Columban Church was not isolated,
but was in reality a mission from the Irish Church, formed an integral part
of it, and never lost its connection with it. The principal buildings were
constructed of wood and wattles, and were originally (1) a monastery with a
small court, on one side of which was the church, with a small side
chamber, on a second side the guest-chamber, on the third a refectory, and
on the fourth dwellings of the monks; a little way off on the highest part of
the ground were (2) the cell of St. Columba, where he sat and read or wrote
during the day, and slept at night on the bare ground with a stone for his
pillow; and (3) various subsidiary buildings, including a kiln, a mill, a barn,
all surrounded by a rampart or rath. Not far off was a sequestered hollow
(Cabhan cuildeach) to which Columba retired for solitary prayer. The mill
has left its traces in the small stream to the north of the present cathedral
ruins, and remains of old causeways may be traced from the landing places
of Port-na-martir, Port-Ronan, and Port-na-muintir. All the early buildings,
except the kiln, were of wood; the guest-chamber was wattled, Columba's
cell was made of planks, and the church was of oak. The members of the
community were termed brethren, and were addressed by Columba as
familia or chosen monks. They consisted of three classes: (1) the older
brethren, who devoted themselves to the religious services of the church,
and to reading and transcribing the Scriptures; (2) the younger and stronger
working brothers, who devoted themselves to agriculture and the service of
the monastery; (3) the alumni or youth, who were under instruction. The
dress of the monks consisted of a white tunica or undergarment, over which

they wore a camilla, consisting of a body and hood made of wool, and of
the natural colour of the material. When working or travelling their feet
were shod with sandals; they took a solemn monastic vow on bended knees
in the oratorium, were tonsured from ear to ear—the fore part of the head
being made bare, and the hair allowed to grow only on the back part of the
head. The church of Iona was monastic, and in it we find neither a territorial
episcopacy nor a presbyterian parity. The bishops were under the monastic
rule, and were, in respect of jurisdiction, subject to the abbot, even though a
presbyter, as the head of the monastery; the privilege of the episcopate was
not interfered with.[192] The monastery was described as a "gloriosum
caenobium."
Columba made Iona his centre of activity, but his labours were not confined
to it. He travelled with his companions and preached the Gospel as far north
as Inverness, where King Brude was converted. He also preached among
the Southern Picts, and a church was built at Abernethy by King Gartnaidh,
as an outcome of his mission and as a memorial of his labours. He was also
a far-seeing statesman, and succeeded in reconciling the feuds of the
Northern and Southern Picts, and in making the two kingdoms one. His life
was spent in missionary activity and beneficent service, and he died at Iona.
The day before his death he "ascended the hill that overlooketh the
monastery, and stood for some little time on its summit, and as he stood
there with both hands uplifted, he blessed his monastery, saying, 'Small and
mean though this place is, yet it shall be held in great and unusual honour,
not only by Scotic kings and people, but also by the rulers of foreign and
barbarous nations, and by their subjects; the saints also, even of other
churches, shall regard it with no common reverence.'" On the following day,
at nocturnal vigils, he went into the church, and knelt down in prayer beside
the altar, and "his attendant Diormit, who more slowly followed him, saw
from a distance that the whole interior of the church was filled with a
heavenly light in the direction of the saint," which, as he drew near, quickly
disappeared. "Feeling his way in the darkness, as the brethren had not yet
brought in the lights, he found the saint lying before the altar," and all the
monks coming in, Columba moved his hand to give them his benediction,
and died 9th June 597, while "the whole church resounded with loud
lamentations of grief." He left behind him an imperishable memory in the
hearts of the people converted by him to the Christian faith, and in the

national church which he so splendidly helped to build up. He wrote an
Altus, and is said to have copied 300 books with his own hand. He was
buried at Iona.
After Columba's death, the monastery of Iona appears to have been the
acknowledged head of all the monasteries and churches which his mission
had founded in Scotland, as well as of those previously founded by him in
Ireland. It was a centre of light and life, but the monks were not permitted
to pursue their work unmolested. The monastery was burned and plundered
by the sea-pirates in 795, 798, and 802; in 806 sixty-eight of the community
were ruthlessly slain. The monks remaining were filled with fear, and
before 807 the relics of St. Columba were carried away to Ireland, and
enshrined at Kells. In 818 they were brought back, and the monastery at
Iona was rebuilt with stone. The Danes, however, granted little respite, and
in 878 the relics were again removed, and were probably placed first at
Dunkeld and afterwards at Abernethy,[193] where the primacy was
successively established, and a memorial of which exists in the Abernethy
round tower. The plundering continued at intervals, and the buildings were
more or less ruinous till about 1074, when Queen Margaret "restored the
monastery, ... rebuilt it, and furnished it with monks, with an endowment
for performing the Lord's work." "One of the present buildings," said the
late Duke of Argyll—"the least and the most inconspicuous, but the most
venerable of them all—St. Odhrain's Chapel, may possibly be the same
building which Queen Margaret of Scotland is known to have erected in
memory of the saint, and dedicated to one of the most famous of his
companions. But Queen Margaret died in a.d. 1092, and therefore any
building which she erected must date very nearly five hundred years after
Columba's death; that is to say, the most ancient building which exists upon
Iona must be separated in age from Columba's time by as many centuries as
those which now separate us from Edward III. But St. Odhrain's Chapel has
this great interest—that in all probability it marks the site of the still
humbler church of wood and wattles in which Columba worshipped."[194]
Shortly afterwards the island passed into the possession of Magnus
Barefoot, King of Norway, and in 1099 the old order culminated in the
death of Abbot Duncan, the last of the old abbots. Under the bishopric of
Man and the Isles, the monastery became subject to the Bishop of
Drontheim till 1156, when Somerled won it, and once more restored the

connection between Iona and Ireland by placing the monastery under the
care of the Abbot of Derry. In 1164 the community was represented by the
priest, the lector, the head of the Culdees, and the Disertach or the head of
the disert for the reception of pilgrims.[195] Somerled appears to have rebuilt
the ruined monastery on a larger scale, and about 1203 the Lord of the Isles
(Reginald) adopted the policy of the Scottish kings, and founded at Iona a
monastery of Benedictine monks (Tyronenses), and at the same time a
nunnery for Benedictine nuns, of which Beatrice, sister of Reginald, was
first prioress. It is of this Benedictine monastery and nunnery that the
present ruins are the remains, and they were formerly connected by a
causeway which extended from the nunnery to the monastery. After a
struggle, the Culdees seem to have conformed to the new order of
Benedictines, and the head of the Culdees was represented by the Prior of
Iona, whom we afterwards find in the monastery. Iona was suffragan to the
Bishop of Man and the Isles till 1431, when the Abbot of Iona made
obedience to the Bishop of Dunkeld. In 1498, the Isles were made suffragan
to St. Andrews; in 1506 they passed back to the care of the Bishop of the
Isles; and from that date till the Reformation the abbey church became the
cathedral church of the diocese. In 1648 Charles I. granted the island to
Archibald, Marquis of Argyll,[196] and it still belongs to his descendant, the
Duke of Argyll. The diocese contained forty-four parishes.
Surrounding the Chapel of St. Oran is a very ancient churchyard, containing
beautiful specimens of Highland carved tombstones, and near which
reposes the dust of Scotch, Irish, and Norwegian kings and ecclesiastics.
The late Duke of Argyll both preserved and restored, and the foundations of
the chapels and cloisters have been plainly marked out, and give a clear
idea of the original plan of the abbey. The abbey or cathedral, although
begun in the twelfth century, took a long time in building, was altered and
added to, and is classed with the buildings of the Third Pointed period, as
the greater part of the work connected with it belongs to a late date.[197] It is
cruciform in shape, consisting of nave, transepts, and choir, with sacristy on
the north side of the choir, and aisle on the south. Near the west entrance
was a small chamber called St. Columba's tomb. Over the crossing is a
square tower, 70 feet high, and supported by arches resting on four pillars.
It is lighted on one side by a window formed by a slab with quatrefoil
openings, and on the other by a marigold or Catherine-wheel window with

spiral mullions. The capitals of the pillars are carved with beautiful
ornamentation and grotesque figures, which are still sharp and well defined.
[198] There are three sedilia, and the high altar seems to have been of
marble. North of the nave is the cloister-garth; to the north and east of the
cloisters are the refectory and chapter-house; the building over the chapter-
house was the library, which was large and valuable. There were said to be
many crosses in Iona; the entire ones are St. Martin's Cross, opposite the
west door of the abbey church, and Maclean's Cross, on the wayside
between the nunnery and the cathedral. There are the ruins of a small
detached chapel to the north-east of the chapter-house, and of another to the
west of the cloister: to the north-east of the cloister lie the total ruins of
what is called the abbot's house.[199] A short distance north-east of the
abbey church, at Cladh-an-diseart, there was found in 1872 a heart-shaped
stone, with an incised cross on it, which Dr. Skene is disposed to think was
the stone used by St. Columba as a pillow.[200]
The ruins of the nunnery, of which Beatrice, sister of Reginald, was the first
abbess, and which was apparently erected soon after 1203, consist of a
quadrangle about 68 feet square, having the church on the north side,
foundations of the chapter-house and other apartments on the east side, and
the refectory on the south side. There may have been other buildings on the
west side, as the walls are broken at the ends; but if so, they are now
removed.[201] The church was an oblong structure, divided into nave and
choir, and had a northern aisle extending along both. At a distance of about
30 feet north of the convent church stand the ruins of another building, said
to have been the parish church. It was a simple oblong chamber, and was
dedicated to St. Ronan.[202] Lovely carved work has been found around the
buildings, and these are carefully preserved and have been reproduced in
illustration.[203] These designs were probably carved on stone from the
beautiful illuminated tracery which the Celtic monks executed in their
scriptorium.
No ruthless destruction about the Reformation period could deprive Iona of
its three great voices of the mountain, the sky, and the sea. That St.
Columba's poetic nature and susceptible heart were impressed by them is
beyond doubt, for they survive in his poem—

Delightful would it be to me to be in Uchd Ailiun

On the pinnacle of a rock,
That I might often see
The face of the ocean:
That I might see its heaving waves
Over the wide ocean,
When they chant music to their Father
Upon the world's course:

That I might see its level sparkling strand,
It would be no cause of sorrow:
That I might hear the song of the wonderful birds,
Source of happiness:
That I might hear the thunder of the crowding waves
Upon the rocks:
That I might hear the roar by the side of the church
Of the surrounding sea:

.....

That I might bless the Lord
Who conserves all,
Heaven with its countless bright orders,
Land, strand, and flood:

.....

At times kneeling to beloved heaven:
At times at psalm singing:
At times contemplating the King of Heaven,
Holy the chief:
At times at work without compulsion;
This would be delightful.[204]
Thus Iona, the isle of the saints, the lamp lit amid the darkness of the
western sea, impressed the founder as he heard its voices. May there soon
be added another, the voice of the restored cathedral, connecting the present
with a glorious past, carrying us away in thought by its architecture to
earlier days, and by its situation to the hour when the great apostle of the

Picts first landed on its shores. This may at no distant future be realised,
since the late Duke of Argyll gifted the ruined cathedral to the Church of
Scotland, which hopes to do for it what has already been done for
Dunblane.

13. Diocese of Orkney

Christianity reached the Orkneys through the labours of the Columban
clergy, and there are many traces in the islands that speak of their work.
Under the rule of the Norse, in the ninth and tenth centuries any Christian
influence that survived from the labours of such early pioneers of the
Christian faith must have died out. The first actual Bishop of Orkney was
William the Old, who was consecrated in 1102, held the bishopric for sixty-
six years, and died in 1168. His see was first at Birsay, and was removed to
Kirkwall on the erection of the cathedral in 1137-1152. The Bishop of
Orkney was one of the suffragans of the metropolitan see at Throndhjeim,
erected in 1154. In 1472 the see of Orkney was placed under the
metropolitan Bishop of St. Andrews.
The story of the foundation at Kirkwall is as follows. The possession of the
Orkneys was divided between two relatives, and about the beginning of the
twelfth century two cousins, Hacon and Magnus, shared the government. In
1115 Magnus was treacherously slain at Egilsay by Hacon, who thus
obtained the whole earldom. Rognvald, son of Magnus' sister, became a
claimant for Magnus' share of the earldom, and vowed that if he succeeded
he would erect a "stone minster" in honour of his predecessor St. Magnus,
who had been canonised. Rognvald was successful, and fulfilled his vow by
founding at Kirkwall a cathedral dedicated to St. Magnus. The building was
designed and superintended by the Norwegian Kol, the father of Rognvald;
the relics of St. Magnus were brought from Christ's Kirk in Birsay, to be
deposited in the cathedral as soon as it was prepared to receive them, and
until the work was finished they rested in the Church of St. Olaf, an older
edifice which then existed in Kirkwall.[205]
"The Cathedral of St. Magnus was thus designed and erected by a
Norwegian earl, while the bishopric was under the authority of the
Norwegian Metropolitan of Throndhjeim. It is thus practically a Norwegian
edifice, and is by far the grandest monument of the rule of the Norsemen in

Orkney. In these circumstances, it is not to be expected that the architecture
should in every detail follow the contemporary styles which prevailed in
Britain, but it is astonishing to find how closely the earlier parts correspond
with the architecture of Normandy, which was developed by a kindred race,
—the successors of Rollo and his rovers, who settled in that country at an
earlier date. There can be little doubt that the Romanesque architecture
which prevailed in the north of Europe found its way at a comparatively late
date into Scandinavia. The Norman form of that style would naturally
follow the same course amongst the kindred races in Norway and Denmark,
just as it did in England and Scotland, and from Norway it would be
transplanted into Scotland."[206] Kirkwall Cathedral, begun in 1137, was
carried on with great expedition, unlike Glasgow Cathedral, which took so
long in completion that it gave rise to a proverb, "Like St. Mungo's work, it
will never be finished." The Orcadians did their work nobly, and when a
difficulty arose as to funds, it was overcome by allowing the proprietors of
land in Orkney to redeem their property by a single payment of a sum per
acre, paid at once, instead of according to the usual practice, on each
succession.[207] Help was received from far and wide, and the building was
so liberally sped by the oblations of a past age, that all Christendom was
popularly said to have paid tribute for its erection;[208] but the spirit of
religion must have been fervid in the islands themselves. The earl who
founded the cathedral died after a pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem. "He
had begun his High Church on no mean scale, and it was afterwards greatly
enlarged in length. To this circumstance, together with its severe simplicity,
its narrowness, its height, and the multiplicity of its parts, must be ascribed
the most striking characteristic of the pile—its apparent vastness."[209] It
has been doubted if either York or Lincoln gives the idea of greater internal
length, though Kirkwall measures less by half than the smaller of these
minsters. As pointed out by the latest authorities on the cathedral, its
western doorways recall the portals of the cathedrals of France rather than
those of England; its interior gives the impression of great size, arising from
the height and length of the building as compared with its width; the
exterior presents at a glance the changes which have taken place in it, and
the layers and masses of different coloured stones tell their own tale; the
oldest work (comprising several periods) is constructed with dark slaty
stone, having red freestone dressings; the Norman work is observed in the
transept and several bays of the nave and choir nearest the transept, while

the pointed work is specially noticeable in the eastern half of the choir.[210]
The first parts of the cathedral built were the three westmost or Norman
bays of the choir, with their aisles, both the transepts, the crossing
(afterwards altered) intended to receive a tower over it, and two bays of the
nave, which served to form an abutment for the crossing. These portions,
where unaltered, are said to be in the earliest style of Norman work in the
edifice. The round piers and responds of the choir, the two south piers and
one north pier of the nave (with their cushion caps), the main arches (with
their label mouldings in the choir and transept), the round arched and
labelled windows in choir, transept, and nave, and the interlaced arcades in
the nave, all point to a somewhat advanced period of Norman work. The
choir originally terminated with a central apse beyond the third pier. The
Norman windows of the choir aisle have three external orders, with a label
ornament in the outer order; the single shafts have cushion caps; the
windows are largely splayed internally.[211] An interlacing arcade of round
arches, with single shafts and cushion caps (some with volutes) runs round
the north, south, and west sides of the transept. The large arches leading
into the east chapels are part of the original structure, but the chapels were
built later. The lower string-course of the transept is enriched with a four-
leaved flower.[212]
After the completion of these portions, attention was given to the
continuation of the nave westwards for several bays. The north aisle wall
opposite the three bays, west from the crossing, would appear to have been
built early.[213] The buttresses are of flat Norman form. The north aisle
doorway is pronounced to be Norman in detail, but has been restored at a
later date; the south aisle doorway retains its old Norman arch and shafts in
the interior, but has been altered externally. The nave piers were probably
continued as far as the above doors about this time, with the triforium, but
the upper part of the nave walls and the vaulting are later.[214] The transition
style is prominently seen in the piers and arches of the crossing, and the
windows in the choir nearest the main arches of the crossing, and the
triforium openings into the transept, appear to have been altered and rebuilt
at the time of this operation. The upper part of the north transept was
probably raised and its windows inserted at this time; the raising of the
south transept and the introduction of the rose windows is of somewhat
later date.[215] This circular window is very similar to that in the east

window of the choir. The chapels on the east side of the transept are of the
advanced transition period, which, in Orkney, was probably the middle of
the thirteenth century.[216] The completion of the nave would be next
undertaken.[217] The apse was taken down, and the choir, with its aisles, was
extended by three bays eastwards,[218] the style having a resemblance to
advanced First Pointed work, with some peculiarities of detail, exhibiting
probable French influence from Upsala.[219] The triforium consists of plain,
chamfered, semicircular arches and jambs in three orders; the clerestory has
simple pointed windows, moulded on sconsion, but without cusps. A
vaulting shaft is carried up between the piers.[220] The east end of the
cathedral is of First Pointed period, and the great east window fills the
whole space available.[221] The three western doorways and the pointed
doorway in the south transept are later than the choir;[222] they present the
finest examples in Great Britain of the use of coloured stones in the
construction.[223] The north doorway and the central doorway of the west
front have the colours arranged in concentric rings in the arches, red and
yellow alternating. In the south doorway the same colours radiate and
alternate, and in the doorway of the south transept the red and yellow stones
are arranged chequerwise.[224] They are among the most charming portions
of the edifice, and are unique in Scotland. The upper part of the gablet over
the centre doorway is of the seventeenth century, and bears the shield of Sir
George Hay of Kinfauns, who rented the lands of the bishopric about the
beginning of the seventeenth century, the crozier being added to the shield
in connection with the lands of the see.[225] The tower has been
considerably operated upon in modern times; the old wooden spire was
destroyed by lightning in 1671. The parapet and pinnacles are modern, as
also the pointed and slated roof—the lower part being of considerable age.
The part within the roof of the church is apparently of transition date; the
upper part, with the large pointed windows, is probably of fifteenth-century
work.[226] There were originally beautiful specimens of wood-work; the
canopy over the bishop's throne has disappeared.[227] The tower contains
four bells, three of which were given by Bishop Maxwell (1526-1540). The
cathedral does not appear to have suffered during the Reformation period,
but an attempt made by the Earl of Caithness to destroy it in 1606, during
the rebellion of Earl Patrick Stewart and his son, was prevented by the
intervention of Bishop Law (sacred be his memory!).

The bishop's palace was founded about the beginning of the thirteenth
century. Twenty bishops held the see in succession. The diocese contained
the archdeaconries of Orkney, with thirty-five parishes, and of Tingwall
(Shetland) with thirteen. The church suffered from vandalism in 1701 and
1855, and the east end is used as the parish church. May the northern
minster soon be restored and made worthy of its glorious past. Lord
Tennyson's son's diary contains the following entry on the Cathedral of St.
Magnus: "Gladstone and my father admired the noble simplicity of the
church, and its massive stone pillars, but we all shuddered at the liberal
whitewash and the high pews."[228]
A catalogue of the Bishops of Orkney, by Professor Munch of Christiania,
will be found in the Bannatyne Miscellany.[229]

CHAPTER IV

SCOTTISH COLLEGIATE CHURCHES
The creation of collegiate churches was a practical endeavour toward
ecclesiastical reform in the fifteenth century, when the foundation of
monastic establishments ceased. They had no parishes attached to them, and
were regulated very much as the cathedrals. They arose with the purpose of
counteracting the evils incidental to the monastic system, and were formed
by grouping the clergy of neighbouring parishes into a college, or by
consolidating independent chaplainries. They were called præposituræ,
were presided over by a dean or provost, and the prebendaries were
generally the clergy holding adjacent cures. In Scotland, during more recent
times, the term "collegiate" was applied to a church where two ministers (as
at St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh) served the cure as colleagues, but in the
fifteenth century the term had a different and wider significance. Collegiate
churches were then an expression of the zeal and munificence that were
displayed in the enlargement and decoration of buildings, when all classes
vied with each other in the endowment of chaplainries for the maintenance
of daily stated service, always including prayers and singing of masses for
the souls of their founders, their relations, and benefactors. The collegiate
churches were also an evidence from within the Church itself of the need
for reform in the great Benedictine and Augustinian abbeys that were then
in the ascendant throughout the country.
Scotland possessed forty-one collegiate churches, but space will only
permit us here to deal with nine of them: Biggar, Bothwell, St. Nicholas
(Aberdeen), King's College (Aberdeen), Roslin, Stirling (Chapel Royal), St.
Giles (Edinburgh), St. Mary's and St. Salvator's (St. Andrews).
Biggar (Lanarkshire).—The collegiate parish church of St. Mary was
founded in 1545 by Malcolm, third Lord Fleming, for a provost, eight
prebendaries, four singing boys, and six bedesmen. It is interesting as being
among the latest, if not indeed the last, of the Scottish pre-Reformation

churches. It belongs to the Late Pointed period, is cruciform in plan,
consists of chancel with apsidal east end, transept, and nave, with square
tower and north-east belfry turret over the crossing. There are no aisles.
Formerly a chapter-house existed on the north side of the chancel, but it has
been removed. The ancient roof was of oak, and the timbers in the chancel
were gilt and emblazoned.
St. Bride's Collegiate Church, Bothwell, was founded by Archibald "the
Grim," Earl of Douglas, in 1398, for a provost and eight prebendaries. He
endowed and added a choir to the existing parish church. The present
church is a fine Gothic building, erected in 1833, with a massive square
tower to the height of 120 feet. East of this tower is the choir of the old
collegiate church, of the Middle Pointed or Decorated period; it is a simple
oblong chamber with a sacristy on the north side. The church, externally
divided by buttresses, has four bays with a series of pointed windows in the
south wall, and three windows in the north wall. The arch of the entrance
doorway in the south wall is elliptic in form. The roof of the church is
covered with overlapping stone slabs, which rest on a pointed barrel vault—
one of the earliest examples met with. In the sacristy there are a piscina and
a locker, and in the south wall of the choir the remains of a triple beautifully
carved sedilia and a piscina. The sacristy is roofed with overlapping stone
flags supported on a vault. Monuments to the two Archibald Douglases,
Earls of Forfar, are in the church. In this church David, the hapless Earl of
Rothesay, wedded Marjory, the founder's daughter, in 1400, and one of its
provosts was Thomas Barry, who celebrated the victory of Otterburn in
Latin verse. It has been recently restored and made worthy of its great past.
New Aberdeen.—The Parish Church of St. Nicholas, said to be the largest
mediæval parish church in Scotland, was made collegiate about 1456 by
Bishop Ingeram de Lyndesay (1441-1459), and is said to have possessed,
besides the vicar, "chaplains to the number of thirty."[230] Its clergy were
named the "College of the Chaplains" of St. Nicholas, and after, as before,
the institution of this new order the church remained the parish church.
Only two portions of the ancient building now remain—the transepts and
the crypt at the east end below the choir.[231] The present nave was rebuilt
about 1750; the choir was taken down in 1835 and rebuilt in the most
tasteless fashion; the walls of the crypt and transepts were all refaced except
the north front of the transept, which was altered considerably in the

seventeenth century; the central tower was burned in 1874, and the existing
central spire was thereafter erected. A carillon of thirty-seven bells has been
placed within it.
After the Reformation the rood-screen gave place to a wall, and St.
Nicholas was divided into two churches, the West consisting of the former
nave, the East of the choir, and the Romanesque transept between (known
as Drum's and Collison's aisles) serving as vestibule. For the early
architecture attention must be confined to the interior of the transept and
crypt. The transepts are of the transitional style of the end of the twelfth
century; the piers which carry the central tower are of the usual transitional
type, having graceful capitals and square abaci supporting round arches; on
each side of the north transept there are two original clerestory windows,
and one of them has angle shafts, with carved caps and mouldings. The
present large north window has remains of its original features, but its
tracery is of late work. There is a transition attached shaft with carved cap
and square abacus in the low pointed recess. There is only a shaft on one
side of the recess, and the pointed arch of this recess, as well as the tomb
alongside, below the large window, are of later work.[232] On the west side
of the north wall there has been a round arched doorway, and traces of it are
yet visible. The crypt is at the east end of the choir, but is on a lower level,
and was approached by two stairs, one from the north and another from the
south aisle of the choir. Only their round arched openings remain as
recesses in the walls of the crypt. The present stairs are modern. The crypt
consists of one central and two side aisles, with an eastern apse; it is
pronounced to be a very picturesque and interesting structure, and it
fortunately escaped being rebuilt, like the rest of the church. It has a groined
roof, and the three compartments in the length are separated by pointed
arches that spring from moulded caps on octagonal responds. "The opening
into the apse has a stunted round arch, and is a prominent example of the
love of the Scottish builders for this form of arch all through the Gothic
period."[233] Each compartment of the apse has a central boss, and there is a
considerable amount of carved woodwork in the crypt—some of the
fifteenth or sixteenth century, and some later. The choir that was recently
taken down superseded an older one, and it is probably to this former choir
that references are contained in the Council Register for about a century
from 1442.

Old Aberdeen, King's College.—Of Bishop Elphinstone of Aberdeen (1488-
1514) it is said: "With no private fortune, and without dilapidating his
benefice, he provided for the buildings requisite for his University and
Collegiate Church, and for the suitable maintenance of its forty-two
members; and the Cathedral Choir, the King's College, and the old gray
bridge spanning the valley of the Dee are monuments to his memory that
command the respect of those who have no sympathy with his Breviary,
rich in legends of Scottish Saints, and who would scarcely approve of his
reformed Gregorian chant."[234] The college was dedicated to the Holy
Trinity and the Virgin Mary, and being placed under the immediate
protection of the King, came to be known as King's College. King James
IV. and Bishop Elphinstone endowed it with large revenues. It was a faithful
copy of the University of Paris. The Collegiate Church of St. Mary, on the
north side of the quadrangle, was consecrated by Edward, Bishop of
Orkney, and had eight priests or vicars choral belonging to it, and six
singing boys.[235] It was begun in 1500 and finished in 1506, and it was said
that all its stones and beams proclaim Bishop Elphinstone their founder,
who also presented the chapter with many valuable vestments, vessels, etc.
The chapel is a long, narrow building, with a three-sided apsidal east end. It
is divided into six bays by projecting buttresses, and has a large window
filled with mullions and tracery in each bay on the north side, except the
second one from the west, which contains a doorway. Similar large
windows are continued in the apse, and there is also one in the east bay of
the south side. Over the west doorway there is a large west window of four
lights, with solid built mullions and loop tracery enclosed within a round
arch.[236] The tower at the south-west corner has massive corner buttresses.
It is finished with one of the few crown steeples remaining in Scotland,
forming,
"with that of St. Giles, Edinburgh, and the Tolbooth, Glasgow,
the only three surviving of those which we could at one time
boast. The general style of the structure is very similar to that of
St. Giles, but in this case there are only four arches thrown from
the angles of the tower to the central lantern, while in the case of
St. Giles there are eight, which produce a fuller and richer
effect.... The part blown down (by a violent storm in 1633) was
probably only the lantern on the top of the four arches, the

details of this part having a decidedly Renaissance character,
and being different from the other parts of the tower. Doubtless
the arches themselves would suffer in the crash, and would
require repairing and rebuilding in part, which was evidently
done, as the date 1634 is carved on the soffit of the crossing.
This difference of detail is interesting as showing how
persistently these old designers wrought in the style of their
time. Although it is evident that the present lantern is not quite
the same as the original one, it must be admitted to be an
extremely happy and picturesque composition."[237]
The chapel suffered both externally and internally in the course of the
centuries, but, thanks to the enlightened liberality of Aberdeen citizens and
alumni, it has been recently restored under the direction of Dr. Rowand
Anderson. In 1823 the choir end was fitted up for worship on the Sundays,
and the nave was occupied by the library, which was not removed and
located in a building of its own until 1873. The choir screen was then
shifted westward from its original position, where its west front formerly
bisected the chapel.
"In the ideas of Bishop Elphinstone," said the late Principal Sir
William Geddes, "and his age, the choir-screen was intended to
partition off the sacred clerus from the non-clerus or laity, and,
by the predominance of anthems and songs in the choir-service,
to image forth the conception of the blest society in heaven,
where there is only praise; but the 'Collegium' which he
constituted has, through historical causes, given way to the
wider society of the 'Congregation,' in which preaching is as
prominent as praise, and hence came the removal of the choir-
screen westward, so as to accommodate a larger audience than
the Collegium proper. This removal the Restoration Committee
of 1891 acquiesced in and accepted, but the change is one for
which they are not responsible."[238] It will be interesting to give
here a brief resumé of what has been stated by the Principal
regarding shields and symbolism in the restored chapel. (1) As
to the treatment of the floor: no shield has been admitted into the
floor but such as represent persons in close relation to the King's
College, of a date antecedent to the Scottish Reformation of

1560. When the series is completed, they will be found to
represent:—

Royal Shields

Leo
1. James IV., the Royal Founder. Motto,
Magnanimus.
2. Margaret Tudor, his Queen. " Rosa sine spina.
3. St. Margaret, Queen of Malcolm III. Crux columbis
"
(Canmore). lex.

Episcopal

4. Bishop Elphinston. Motto, Non confundar.
5. " Gavin Dunbar. " Sub spe.
6. " William Stewart. " Virescit vulnere virtus.
7. " John Leslie. " Memento.

Literary

8. Principal Hector Boece. Motto, Silva frequens trabibus.
9. Dean Robert Maitland. " Consilio et animis.

In Ante-Chapel

1. (North side) Domine, dilexi decorem domus tuae (Lord, I
have loved the beauty of Thy House), Psalm xxvi. 8.
2. (East side) Initium sapientiae timor Domini (The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom), Motto of the University.
3. (South side) Te Deum laudamus, te Dominum confitemur (We
praise Thee, O Lord, we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord).

4. (West side) In te Domine speravi: non confundar (In Thee, O
Lord, have I trusted: let me never be confounded).
The roof has a continuous system of decoration in colour and
floral ornament, except in the four compartments at the extreme
east end over the apse, where structural necessities imposed a
variation. The central space of the roof is filled with scrolls
containing the words, Laus, Potestas, Honor, Gloria, in
ecclesiastical letter, varied by insertions of the monogram of the
Saviour, I.H.S., at intervals recurring. "Below these, and towards
the junction of the roof with walls, appears what may be called a
flying scroll of inscriptions, being a series of Latin texts and
chants, chiefly from the Vulgate, capable of being read
continuously, round the roof, and interrupted only by the apse,
which, as explained, has a separate treatment." "In the apse,
which, like Scottish apses of that period, is not semicircular, but
has three facets, being semi-hexagonal, the frieze inscriptions
are the University motto in its two clauses, with Sursum Corda
in the centre. These occupy severally the three divisions into
which the apse frieze falls, while in the compartments above are
the symbolical figures in gold usually associated with the four
Evangelists, viz. the Angel of S. Matthew, the Lion of S. Mark,
the Ox of S. Luke, and the Eagle of S. John. The flying scroll
attached to these figures is the text in Revelation (iv. 8). The
band at the springing of the arched roof is variegated by a series
of shields or disks, in which the sacred monogram alternates
with the emblems of the Passion. The order in which the
emblems have been placed is as follows:

West End

South side ends. North side begins.
15. Moon. 1. Sun.
14. Ladder. 2. Bag of Judas.
13. Spear and Sponge. 3. Lantern.
12. Dice. 4. Cock.

11. Seamless Coat. 5. Scourges.
10. Hammer and Pincers. 6. Pillar and Cords.
9. Three Nails. 7. Crown of Thorns.
8. Cross, I.N.R.I.

East or Apse End

"The figures of the sun or moon, which are usually represented
in the Crucifixion scene, on either side of, and close to, the
cross, have here by a certain liberty been made to commence
and close the series." ... "Fortunately the fretwork, when
reversed, was found, though fragile, to be fairly sound; and,
although not all entirely on a uniform pattern, a large section of
it, when turned upward, presented the appearance of a series of
Pots of Lilies, side by side, a discovery which largely reconciled
one to the alteration, inasmuch as this emblem of the Virgin is
known to have been not only familiar to, but also a favourite
with, the Founder of the College. The King's College, besides,
was originally the College of S. Mary."

Chancel and Apse

The Professorial stalls have for the cresting the emblems of the
Seven Virtues, viz. the four cardinal virtues of the Philosophers,
and the three celestial virtues, or Graces of the Theologians. The
sequence is:—

by
{1. Justice, symbolised Scales and Balance.
the
{2. Courage " " Thistle.
{3.
" " Bridle.
Temperance
Compasses (Mariner's and
{4. Prudence " "
Carpenter's).
{5. Faith " " Pillar with Wreath of Victory.

{6. Hope " " Anchor.
{7. Love " " Flaming Heart.

They are repeated in such order on both sides, and the four
Cardinal Virtues are towards the west or exterior; the three
Theological Virtues toward the east or interior of the apse. On
the stall forming the eighth on the south side, there is the
monogram of the Alpha and Omega. On the panels of the stalls,
"the leading idea sought to be maintained was the representation
in sequence of the various emblems of Christ and the Christian
life, as drawn from the cornu copiæ of Nature, in the fruits and
flowers of the vegetable world, that unfallen portion of creation
which the Divine Teacher honoured by drawing from it, and
from it alone, His similes and parables. They are severally as
follows, commencing from the west:—

1. The Lily. }
2. The Palm. }
3. The Rose. }
4. The Trefoil.
5. The Vine and Grapes. }
6. The Olive. }
7. The Wheat-ears." }

At the eighth panel on the south side, under the Α and Ω of the
cresting, stands the Pot of Lilies as a symbol of the Virgin.
We have given an account of the late learned Principal's paper as
appropriate to this history. It shows how art can both express the spirit of
the place and become a servant of religion. It illustrates Professor Flint's
declaration:—"God as the perfectly good is not only Absolute Truth and
Absolute Holiness, but also Absolute Beauty. He is the source, the author,
the giver of all beautiful things and qualities. All the beauties of earth and
sea and sky, of life and mind and spirit, are rays from His beauty. The
powers by which they are perceived are conferred by Him. The light in
which they are seen is His light."[239]

Roslin (Mid-Lothian).—The church was founded in 1450 by Sir William St.
Clair, Baron of Roslin and third Earl of Orkney. It was dedicated to St.
Matthew, and founded for a provost, six prebendaries, and two choristers. In
the quaint language of Father Hay:—
"His adge creeping on him, to the end that he might not seem
altogither unthankfull to God for the benefices he receaved from
Him, it came in his mind to build a house for God's service, of
most curious worke: the which that it might be done with greater
glory and splendor, he caused artificers to be brought from other
regions and forraigne kingdomes, and caused dayly to be
abundance of all kinde of workmen present: as masons,
carpenters, smiths, barrowmen, and quarriers, with others. The
foundation of this rare worke he caused to be laid in the year of
our Lord 1446: and to the end the worke might be the more rare:
first he caused the draughts to be drawn upon Eastland boords,
and made the carpenters to carve them according to the draughts
thereon, and then gave them for patterns to the masons that they
might thereby cut the like in stone."
He was probably himself the source of the design, and his enlightened
liberality attracted to the place the best workmen in Scotland, as well as
from parts of the Continent. It has been said by the most recent authorities:
—
"The church, so far as erected, is in perfect preservation, and is a
charming portion of an incomplete design. It is, in some
respects, the most remarkable piece of architecture in Scotland;
and had the church been finished in the same spirit as that in
which it has been so far carried out, it would have gone far to
have realised a poet's dream in stone. When looked at from a
strictly architectural point of view, the design may be considered
faulty in many respects, much of the detail being extremely rude
and debased, while as regards construction many of the
principles wrought out during the development of Gothic
architecture are ignored. But notwithstanding these faults, the
profusion of design so abundantly shown everywhere, and the
exuberant fancy of the architect, strike the visitor who sees

Rosslyn for the first time with an astonishment which no
familiarity ever effaces."[240]
The original intention was to complete the building as a cross church, with
choir, nave, and transepts, but the choir only has been completed. The
transepts have been partly erected, the east wall being carried up to a
considerable height, but the nave has not been erected. The church consists
of a choir, with north and south aisles, connected by an aisle which runs
across the east end, giving access to a series of four chapels beyond it to the
east. Beyond the east end of the church, and on a lower level, to suit the
slope of the ground, a chapel has been erected that is reached from the south
aisle by a stair. It is barrel-vaulted and is lighted by an eastern window.
There are ambries in the walls and an eastern altar with a piscina. There are
also a fireplace and a small closet on the north side. On the south a door
leads to what has been an open court, where there are indications of other
buildings having existed or being intended. In all probability there was a
residence here, and the chapel may have served both as sacristy and private
chapel. This chapel was probably built by the liberality of Lady Douglas,
Sir William St. Clair's first wife.
The church is profusely adorned with sculpture which generally represents
Scripture scenes, and one of the most curious examples in the remarkable
decoration of the edifice is the ornamentation of the south pillar of the east
aisle, known as the "Prentice Pillar"—named by Slezer (1693) as the
"Prince's Pillar" and by Defoe (1723) the "Princess's Pillar." It consists of a
series of wreaths twisted round the shaft, each wreath curving from base to
capital round one quarter of the pillar. The ornamentation of the wreaths
corresponds in character with the other carving of the church, and the
grotesque animals on the base find a counterpart in those of the chapter-
house pillar at Glasgow Cathedral.
At the Reformation the lands and revenue of the church were virtually taken
away, and in 1572 they were relinquished by a formal deed of resignation.
The chapel does not seem to have suffered much violence till 1688, when a
mob did much mischief. It remained uncared for, and gradually became
ruinous till the middle of the eighteenth century, when General St. Clair
glazed the windows, relaid the floor, renewed the roof, and built the wall
round about. Further repairs were executed by the first Earl of Rosslyn, and

again by the third Earl, who spent £3000 principally in renewing and
retouching the carvings of the Lady Chapel—a work said to have been
suggested by the Queen, who visited the church in 1842. Since 1862,
services in connection with the Scottish Episcopal Church have been held
within it. At the west end a vestry and organ-chamber were erected a few
years ago.
Stirling (Chapel Royal, St. Mary's, and St. Michael's).—On the north side
of the Castle Square is the building erected by King James VI. as a chapel,
and generally called now the armoury. There seems to have been a chapel in
the castle founded by Alexander I., and it was connected with the monastery
at Dunfermline. The original dedication is unknown, but in the fourteenth
century there is mention of the chapel of St. Michael, which may possibly
date from the time when an Irish ecclesiastic—St. Malachi or Michael—
visited David I. at Stirling Castle, and healed his son, Prince Henry. The
chapel was rebuilt in the early part of the fifteenth century, and in the time
of James III. became an important church. It was constituted both as a royal
chapel and as a musical college, and endowed with the rich temporalities of
Coldingham Abbey. This chapel was the scene of the penitence of James
IV., who, after the victory at Sauchie, "daily passed to the Chapel Royal,
and heard matins and evening song: in the which every day the chaplains
prayed for the King's grace, deploring and lamenting the death of his father:
which moved the King, in Stirling, to repentance, that he happened to be
counselled to come against his father in battle, wherethrough he was
wounded and slain. To that effect he was moved to pass to the dean of the
said Chapel Royal, and to have his counsel how he might be satisfied, in his
own conscience, of the art and part of the cruel deed which was done to his
father. The dean, being a godly man, gave the King a good comfort: and
seeing him in repentance, was very glad thereof." James IV. endowed the
chapel with large revenues, and in 1501 erected it into a collegiate church
for dean, subdean, chanter, sacristan, treasurer, chancellor, archpriests,
sixteen chaplains, six singing boys and a choir master. It was the richest of
the provostries, and held many churches. The deans of the chapel, who were
first the provosts of Kirkheugh at St. Andrews, afterwards the bishops of
Galloway, and eventually the bishops of Dunblane, possessed in their
capacity as deans an episcopal jurisdiction. The chapel, erected by James
III., fell evidently into a ruinous condition, and in 1594 James VI. pulled the

old structure down and erected on its site the present building. It was the
scene of the baptism of Prince Henry.

St. Giles, Edinburgh

"In the centre of the old town of Edinburgh," writes Dr.
Cameron Lees, "stands the great church of St. Giles. From
whatever point of view the city is looked at, the picturesque
crown of the steeple is seen sharply outlined against the sky.
Soaring aloft unlike every other spire in its neighbourhood, it
seems like the spirit of old Scottish history, keeping watch over
the city that has grown up through the long years beneath its
shadow. Edinburgh would not be Edinburgh without it. The
exterior of the church itself is plain and unadorned, and it is
evident that unsympathetic hands have been laid upon it and
modernised it; but when one enters the building, a vast and
venerable interior is presented to him, and every stone seems to
speak of the past. St. Giles is a church whose history is closely
interwoven with the history of Scotland from the very earliest
ages, and it has been the scene of many remarkable events
which have left their impress upon our national character."[241]
Dr. David Laing thinks that a parish church of small dimensions may have
existed nearly coeval with the castle and town,[242] and the present St. Giles
occupies the site of the original parish church of Edinburgh. Symeon of
Durham, who flourished in the early part of the thirteenth century, includes
Edinburgh under the year 854 in reckoning the churches and towns
belonging to the Bishopric of Lindisfarne or Holy Island, in the district of
Northumbria, a see which, previous to the Scoto-Saxon period, extended
over the range of Lothian and the more southern districts of North Britain.
[243] The name "Edwinesburch" is taken as having a special reference to the
castle and town.[244] When David I. founded the abbey in honour of the
Holy Cross, the Virgin Mary, and all the saints, he conferred upon the
canons (among other churches) the church of the castle, the Church of St.
Cuthbert under the castle wall, and at the period there were lands lying to
the south of Edinburgh which bore the name of St. Giles' Grange—so called
from being the grange of the vicar of St. Giles' Church. These lands were

gifted by King David I. to the English abbey of Holm Cultram or Harehope
in Cumberland, and probably the church went along with them; at all
events, it continued to belong to some monastery. In 1393 it belonged to the
Crown, and King Robert III. granted it to the Abbey of Scone; to that house
it belonged for some time, remaining still an humble vicarage.[245]
It is the most reasonable conjecture that the parish church, dedicated in
honour of St. Ægidius or St. Giles, and which has ever since retained the
name of that patron saint, was erected during the reign of Alexander I.
(1107-1124), the founder also of the Abbey of Scone and other religious
houses.[246] Some fragments of this church remained till the end of last
century, the richly ornamented Norman porch, which had formed the
entrance to the nave on the north side of the church, being removed about
1797.[247] Dr. Lees thinks that possibly some of the pillars of the choir, and
also the door at the entry to the royal pew, belonged to the first church of St.
Giles.[248] The edifice appears to have been rebuilt about the time of David
II.[249]
In the frequent wars with England, Edinburgh suffered much, notably so in
1322 and 1335. This latter raid, having occurred in February, was
afterwards known as the "burnt Candlemas." A reconstruction of the church
was probably required after these repeated conflagrations, and this appears
to have been carried out during the fourteenth century. But shortly
afterwards a devastation of the town and its buildings was occasioned by
Richard II. in 1385, when, during his occupation of five days, he left the
town and parish church in ashes. The citizens, with the help of the Crown,
made a great effort to repair the disaster to their church, and from this
period the history of the present structure may be said to date.
"It is said that during the restoration, which took place in 1870-
80, traces of fire were observed on the pillars of the choir, and it
is inferred that these pillars must have existed before the burning
caused by Richard II. This view is confirmed by the fact that,
after 1387, when, doubtless, the town authorities were doing all
they could to complete the restoration of St. Giles', they entered
into a contract with certain masons to erect five chapels along
the south side of the nave, having pillars and vaulted roofs,
covered with dressed stone slabs. These chapels still exist, and

the wall rib of the vaulting is yet visible on the south side of the
arcade, next the south aisle; but the vault and stone roof have
been removed, and a plaster ceiling of imitation vaulting
substituted. The above contract indicates that the walls of the
nave then existed. We must, therefore, assume that the church
had been rebuilt previous to the destruction of 1385, and that the
above contract was an addition to the building connected with
its restoration two years after the fire. Although, doubtless,
much injured by the conflagration, the walls and pillars of the
church seem to have escaped total destruction. The style of the
architecture would lead to the same view; the octagonal pillars
of the choir, with their moulded caps, being most probably of
the fourteenth century."[250]
The church, as restored and added to after 1387, is regarded as consisting of
a choir of four bays, with side aisles; a nave of five bays, also with side
aisles; a central crossing, north and south transepts, and the five chapels just
added south of the nave.[251] An open porch, to the south of these chapels,
was also erected along with them, with a finely groined vault in the roof,
and over it a small chamber, lighted by a picturesque oriel window,
supported on a corbel, carved with an angel displaying the city arms.[252]
The whole of the main divisions of the structure were vaulted, and the
massive octagonal piers of the crossing were probably raised about this
period.[253] The vaulting of the crossing, with its central opening, was
executed about 1400.[254] The ancient Norman porch, forming the north
entrance to the nave, was the only part of the twelfth century structure then
preserved. The restoration seems to have continued from 1385 to 1416.
Shortly after the erection of the five south chapels, another chapel, called
the Albany Aisle, was built on the north side of the nave to the west of the
old doorway. It opens from the nave with two arches, resting on a central
pillar, and the roof is covered with groined vaulting in two bays.[255] On the
pillar are sculptured the arms of the Duke of Albany and also those of the
Earl of Douglas. Their names are often ominously found together in the
history of the times, and both were accused of the murder of the Duke of
Rothesay, heir to the throne. They were justly accused, and, although
acquitted of the deed, the stain continues to rest on their memory. The

chapels were either built to expiate their crime, or more probably to get a
reputation for piety and obtain the favour of the Church.[256]
Two other chapels were probably added to the north side of the nave about
the same period; they were on the east side of the Norman doorway, and
between it and the transept. One of them has disappeared, and the eastern
one was dedicated to St. Eloi. The vaulting of the north aisle of the nave
was necessarily rebuilt at the time when the north chapels were erected.[257]
About fifty years later, great extensions and improvements were carried out
under the auspices of Queen Mary of Gueldres, by whom Trinity College
Church was also founded in 1462. The Town Council and merchants of
Edinburgh also endowed it. The extensions of St. Giles consisted of (1) the
lengthening of the choir by one bay; (2) the heightening of the central aisle
of the choir and vaulting it anew, together with the introduction of a new
clerestory; and (3) the lengthening of the transepts.[258] The church is thus
the work of many generations, and is the outcome of public and private
contributions. That the choir was enlarged at this period is chiefly made
evident by the heraldic devices and armorial bearings still existing. While
the pillars nearest to the centre are plain octagons, with arches
corresponding in simplicity, those at the east end have decorated capitals,
supporting moulded arches. The King's pillar, as it is called, is the first from
the window on the north side, and is near the spot where stood the High
Altar. On the foliated capital are four coats of arms, and the first has the lion
within the double tressure, and the armorial bearings are usually supposed
to be those of King James II. (1436-1460); the second, impaled, of his
Queen, Mary of Gueldres (1449-1463); the third has also the lion within the
double tressure and a label of three points, which is held to denote a prince
or heir, if not a younger son. The fourth shield has three fleurs-de-lys for
France.[259] These shields clearly connect the pillar with Mary of Gueldres,
and her husband, James II., and their son, James III., who was born in 1453.
The work was probably executed between 1453 and 1463.[260] On the
opposite pillar, on the south side of the high altar, are also four coats of
arms, viz. those of the town of Edinburgh and of the families of Kennedy,
Otterburn, and Preston. To commemorate other benefactors, on the demi-
pillar, on the north side of the eastern window, we have the arms (three
cranes gorged) of Thomas Cranstoun, chief magistrate of Edinburgh in
1439 and 1454; on the south side, those of Napier of Merchiston, Provost of

Edinburgh in 1457—a saltier engrailed, cantoned with four rosettes.[261] (2)
The heightening of the choir and the introduction of a new clerestory were
also carried out shortly after the middle of the fifteenth century, the height
of the former choir being shown by the vault of the crossing, which it
doubtless resembled, and which was not altered at that time. The outline of
the old roof may also be observed against the east and west walls of the
tower—the raglet and a stepped string-course above it being yet preserved,
and being specially visible on the east side next the choir. The beauty of the
vaulting of the central choir aisle is noticeable when contrasted with that of
the side aisles.[262] The central crossing, with its vault, was left unaltered,
and still remains in the same position, with its vaulting at the level it was
raised to about 1400. It forms a break between the nave and the choir, in
both of which the vault has been raised.[263] (3) The transepts were
extended, their original length being marked by breaks in the roof, where
the vaulting terminates.
In a charter dated 11th January 1454-1455,[264] it is narrated that William
Preston of Gourtoun, after much trouble and expense abroad, and aided by
"a high and mighty prince, the King of France, and many other Lords of
France," had succeeded in obtaining an arm bone of the patron saint, which
he generously bequeathed to the church. The Town Council were so
gratified with the gift that they resolved to add an aisle to the choir in
commemoration of the event, and to place therein a tablet of brass recording
the bounty of the donor. This aisle was to be built within six or seven years
"furth frae our Lady isle, quhair the said William lyis." It thus appears that
the south aisle of the nave was known as the lady chapel, and that Sir
William was buried there. The resolution was carried into effect, and a new
aisle called the Preston Aisle was constructed, south of the lady chapel. The
Preston Aisle was afterwards known as the Assembly Aisle. In carrying out
the work the south wall opposite the three westmost bays of the choir was
removed, and three arches carried on two piers substituted. These piers and
arches correspond with the work of the same period at the east end of the
choir. One of the caps contains a shield bearing the three unicorns' heads of
the Prestons. The structure extends into the choir the great width of the four
aisles of the church previously formed in the nave, and adds greatly both to
spaciousness and grandeur. The church was now complete in all its parts,
as, internally, it still remains, with a few exceptions, to the present day.[265]

Several additional chapels were afterwards thrown out. In 1513 an aisle of
two arches was formed by Alexander Lauder of Blyth, Provost of the city;
in 1518 the altar of the Holy Blood was erected in this aisle, which lay on
the south of the nave, and to the east of the south porch, immediately
adjoining the south transept. It opened into the south chapels of the nave
with two arches, and had two windows to the south. There was within it a
handsome monument containing a recumbent statue, or forming, as some
suppose, part of the altar canopy. The monument is still preserved, but one
half of the chapel was obliterated in 1829.
In 1466 the parish church of St. Giles was erected by charter of James III.
into a collegiate establishment, but it is not called collegiate till 1475. The
chapter consisted of a provost or dean, sixteen prebendaries, a master of the
choir, four choristers, a sacristan, and a beadle with chaplains. The revenues
of the altars and chaplainries in the church were appropriated for the
support of the several officers in the new establishment. The King reserved
the nomination of the dean or provost, who enjoyed the tithes and other
revenues of St. Giles' Church, with the adjacent manse; the provost had the
right of choosing a curate, who had a yearly allowance of 25 marks with a
house adjoining.[266] In subsequent charters the church is called the College
Kirk of St. Geill of Edinburgh.
About this period a few additions were made. A small chapel, called the
Chapman Aisle, was thrown out from the Preston Aisle close to the south
transept. It was dedicated to St. John the Evangelist by Walter Chapman,
called the Scottish Caxton, from his having introduced into Scotland in
1507 the art of printing. The chapel was dedicated within a month of King
James' death at Flodden. The south transept seems to have been extended
southward during the erection. The chapel to the east of the north transept
contained several storeys and a staircase. It is said to have been erected
after the Reformation. Used as the Town Clerk's office, and later as a vestry,
it has been recently set apart to contain the monument of Dr. William
Chambers, by whose liberality the cathedral has been recently restored.
In 1829 the church was entirely renewed as regards the exterior, and two
chapels to the south of those built in 1389 and the south porch were
removed. The round arched doorway of the south porch was again erected
between the north pillars of the crossing as the entrance to the central

division of the church. It has now been transferred to the entrance doorway
to the royal pew at the east end of the Preston Aisle.[267] The only portions
of the exterior which escaped the unfortunate renewal of 1829 were the
tower and steeple. Fortunately the well-known crown of St. Giles was not
interfered with. It was probably erected about 1500.[268]
"This crown," say the same authorities, "seems to have been a
favourite feature with Scottish architects. The crown of the
tower of King's College, Aberdeen, was built after 1505, and
similar crowns formerly existed on the towers of Linlithgow and
Haddington churches. The crown of St. Nicholas' Church,
Newcastle, which is probably the only other steeple of this kind
in Great Britain, is also of a late date. There is a crown of the
same description on the tower of the Town Hall at Oudenarde, in
Belgium, which is also of late Gothic work.... Some of the above
crown steeples have an arch thrown from each angle to a central
pinnacle, an arrangement which renders them rather thin and
empty looking; but that of St. Giles' has, in addition to the
arches from the angles, another arch cast from the centre of each
side to the centre pinnacle. This produces an octagonal
appearance, which, together with the numerous crocketed
pinnacles with which the arches are ornamented, gives a
richness and fulness of effect which is wanting in some of the
other steeples of this description. The steeple of St. Giles' was
partly rebuilt in 1648."[269]
In the tower was placed the great bell of St. Giles, which must have been
heard far and near on special occasions, as when, after the news of the
disastrous field of Flodden, the inhabitants were ordered at the tolling of the
common bell to assemble in military array for the defence of the city. The
bell was cast in Flanders.[270] About 1500 several of the guilds had chapels
assigned to them, and for these they contributed to the church funds. Many
famous Scotsmen were buried within St. Giles, and amongst them were the
Napiers of Merchiston, although it is doubtful whether Baron Napier rests
there or not.[271] The Regent Murray, assassinated at Linlithgow in 1569,
was buried in the south aisle; his monument was destroyed, but the brass
plate, with the inscription written in his honour by George Buchanan, was
rescued, and is inserted in a new monument erected in the Murray Aisle.

The scattered members of the body of the great Montrose were collected
and buried in the Chapman Aisle, in the south part of St. Giles, in 1661, but
all trace of his remains has now been lost, and no monument until recently
indicated his grave.
The last day on which mass was said in St. Giles was probably the 31st of
March 1560;[272] the disturbances connected with the Reformation broke
out in Edinburgh at an early date, and St. Giles' Church was one of the first
to suffer.

All things have their end.
Churches and cities, which have diseases like to men,
Must have like death that we have.

The images were stolen from the church; that of St. Giles was carried off by
the mob, drowned in the North Loch, and then burned; his arm bone, so
precious before, is supposed to have been thrown into the adjacent
churchyard; the church was pillaged and the altars and images cast down;
the valuables were taken by the authorities and sold, while the proceeds
were spent in the repairs of the church.
"Irreverence," writes Dr. Lees, "had long been common. It was
not to be expected that with the change of religion would come
any additional reverence for the things and places which the old
religion had proclaimed sacred. We read without much surprise,
therefore, of weavers being allowed to set up their looms and
exercise their craft 'in ane volt prepared for them in the rufe of
Sanct Gellis Kirk,' of the vestry of the church being turned into
an office for the town clerk.... It is almost inconceivable that old
associations should so thoroughly and quickly have died out."
[273]

The church suffered from the over-zeal of the early reformers and also from
the effects of civil contention when Sir William Kirkaldy of Grange and
Queen Mary's adherents retained possession of the castle. Kirkaldy took
forcible possession of St. Giles' Church, and placed some of his men in the
steeple to keep the citizens in awe.

They made "holes in the vaute of the Great Kirk of Edinburgh,
which they made like a riddell, to shoot thorough at suche as
they pleased within the kirk, or at such as would prease to
breake down the pillars."[274]
In 1560 St. Giles' again became the parish church, with John Knox for its
minister. It was afterwards considered too large for Protestant worship, and
in Knox's time the Magistrates began to cut it up into sections and formed
several churches. Other alterations were made at different times, so that
besides the High Church in the choir and the Tolbooth Church in the nave
there were under the same roof a grammar school, courts of justice, the
Town Clerk's office, a weaver's workshop, and a place for the Maiden, or
instruments of public executions! In 1633, on the introduction of Laud's
form of worship, the church became the seat of a bishop, and the choir was
used as a cathedral. Between 1637 and 1661 it was again Presbyterian; from
1661 to 1690 it was once more Episcopalian; at the Revolution the
Presbyterian worship was again restored, and the cathedral was divided
with walls and filled with galleries. The Tolbooth Church occupied the
south-west angle, and Haddow's Hole Church the north-west angle. The Old
Church comprised the south transept and portions adjoining; the Preston
Aisle was used as a place of meeting for the General Assembly and other
purposes. The dark portions under the crossing and north transept were
occupied as the police office. The alterations and rebuilding of 1829 left the
cathedral still divided into three separate churches, and "the ancient
architecture of the exterior of St. Giles was entirely obliterated by the
reconstruction."[275] As to this "restoration," Dr. Lees writes, "What ensued
was deplorable, and can scarcely be conceived by those who have not
themselves seen what was done."[276] On the other hand, advantage was
obtained by the removal of the small houses and booths that had been built
against the structure and between the buttresses. All must at least be grateful
that the steeple "was left alone."
The position of affairs remained thus until Dr. William Chambers, the Lord
Provost of Edinburgh, conceived the idea of removing the partitions and
opening up the whole building. By his exertions, and largely by his own
personal munificence, the restoration was effected between 1870 and 1883.

"The Cathedral," says Dr. Cameron Lees, "restored from end to
end, was opened with a public service on the 23rd May 1883.
Her Majesty the Queen was represented by a Scottish nobleman
(the Earl of Aberdeen), and representatives of all the chief
corporations in Scotland attended. The ceremonial was fitting
the occasion, and three thousand persons filled the immense
building. The whole scene recalled the brilliant pageants of an
earlier day. But there was sadness in the hearts of all present, for
three days previous to the ceremonial Dr. William Chambers had
passed away. The words of the preacher[277] received, and still
receive a response from many. 'So long as these stones remain
one upon another, will men remember the deed which William
Chambers hath done, and tell of it to their children.' Two days
after the reopening of the church, the funeral service of the
restorer was conducted within the building his patriotism had
beautified and adorned, and amid a vast and solemn crowd his
body was borne forth from the place he loved so well, and for
which he had done so much, to his burial."[278] "What a strange
story its old gray crown, as it towers high above the city, tells
out day by day to all who have ears to hear. It is the story of
Scotland's poetry, romance, religion—the story of her progress
through cloud and sunshine, the story of her advance from
barbarism to the culture and civilisation of the present day."[279]
St. Andrews—St. Mary's, or Kirkheugh.—A very old chapel, known as St.
Mary's on the Rock, is said to have stood on the Lady's Craig, but no trace
of it now remains. Another chapel, also dedicated to St. Mary, stood on the
Kirk Heugh, and was known as the Chapel of the King of Scotland on the
Hill. All traces of it were for a long time lost, but in 1860 the foundations
were discovered, and they show it to have been a cruciform structure. It is
between the cathedral wall on the north-east and the sea. It had a provost
and ten prebendaries.[280]
St. Salvator's, St. Andrews.—The College of St. Salvator was founded and
endowed by Bishop Kennedy in 1456 for a provost and prebendaries. This
bishop was distinguished for his liberality to the Church. The Church of St.
Salvator is the only portion of the college buildings which still survives. It
is now attached to the united colleges of St. Leonard's and St. Salvator,

which form the existing University of St. Andrews, and the other buildings
of which are modern.
The church bears the mark of the period when it was erected, the latter half
of the fifteenth century.[281] It consists of a single oblong chamber, with a
three-sided apse at the east end, a tower, with octagonal spire, at the south-
west angle of the church. In the interior of the north wall, close to the apse,
there is the splendid monument erected to Bishop Kennedy, the founder of
the college. The south wall is divided by buttresses into seven bays.

CHAPTER V

PARISH CHURCHES ILLUSTRATING THE
ARCHITECTURE OF THE NORMAN PERIOD
Dalmeny Church (Linlithgowshire).—"Two nearly perfect churches of the
Romanesque age," says Dr. Joseph Robertson, "survive at Dalmeny and
Leuchars—the former apparently in the twelfth century a manor of the
Anglo-Norman house of Avenel, the latter a Scottish fief of one of the
Magna Charter barons, Saier de Quincy, Earl of Winchester. Neither
building need fear comparison with the common standard of English
examples. Both are late in style: Leuchars is the richer, Dalmeny the more
entire of the two. Both have semicircular apses—a feature found also in the
parish churches of St. Kentigern at Borthwick, and St. Andrew at Gulane,
and in the chapel bearing the name of St. Margaret within the walls of
Edinburgh Castle."[282]
Dalmeny Church is the most complete of Scottish Norman churches, and
consists of a chancel with eastern apse, and a nave separated from the
chancel by an elaborate chancel arch. The arch has three orders, decorated
with elaborate chevron ornaments, enclosed with a hood moulding carved
with an enrichment somewhat resembling the dog-tooth. The soffit contains
a similar faceted enrichment. The arch is carried on three attached shafts on
each side, built in ashlar, and provided with subdivided cushion caps and
plain bases. The chancel has one small window on the south side, and is
vaulted with bold diagonal groin-ribs, enriched with chevron ornaments and
springing from grotesque corbels. The apse is semicircular, and is entered
from the chancel by an enriched arch with shafts and caps similar to those
of the chancel arch. It is lighted by three plain window openings, the central
one being enlarged. In the exterior a string-course runs round the building
immediately below the windows, of which it forms the sills, and is enriched
with a carved floral pattern. The chief feature is the main entrance door in a
porch, projecting to the south, the archway of which is supported on two

plain pillars with Norman capitals. There are over this door the remains of a
line, concentric with the arch, of sculptured figures and animals, very
similar to those found on the ancient sculptured monuments of Scotland.
Associated with the Agnus Dei, Leo, Sagittarius, serpents, birds, dragons,
and human figures, we have one perhaps bearing a pastoral staff. From the
rough nature of the masonry at the west end of the nave it is probable that a
tower was intended to be built there.[283] On the north side projecting wings
have been added to the church, but the south front and east end are almost
untouched and show twelfth century work, uninjured save by weather and
natural decay. The church is believed to have been dedicated to St.
Adamnan, and this is rendered very probable by the fact that the
neighbouring church of Cramond was dedicated to St. Columba.
Leuchars Church, Fifeshire.—We hear of a church here in 1187, and it was
given to the canons of St. Andrews (1171-1199). The church now consists
of a choir with a circular apse; there are traces of an arch at the west end of
the choir which opened into the nave, that has been rebuilt. In the
seventeenth century a turret was built, which is incongruous and out of
place; and to support the belfry a plain arch has been introduced in the
interior amongst the Norman work of the apse. The exterior of the
semicircular apse shows an arcade of two storeys,
"the shafts of the upper tier resting on the arches of the lower
one, and all the shafts bearing cushion caps. Those of the lower
story are double shafts, and those of the upper story are double
shafts, with a broad fillet between them. All the arches are
enriched with chevron and billet mouldings, and the upper tier
has an extra order of elaborate billet-work. The string-course
between the two arcades is carved with zigzags. The cornice is
supported on a series of boldly-carved grotesque heads, all
varying in design.... The design of the exterior of the choir is
similar to that of the apse, there being two arcades, one above
the other, surmounted by a cornice, with corbels carved as
grotesque heads. The lower arcade, however, has interlacing
arches, which indicate a late period of the style. The two arcades
are separated by a string-course, enriched with scroll floral
ornament. In the interior ... the chancel arch (which has
elaborate carving) is carried on a central attached shaft and two

plain nook shafts, built in courses, with simple cushion caps and
plain bases. The chancel is vaulted with heavy moulded groins,
springing from the cushion caps of short single shafts resting on
grotesque heads. A small window is introduced in each of the
divisions formed by the shafts, and each window has a pair of
nook shafts in the interior and enriched arch above. The lower
part of the apse is plain, and is separated from the upper part by
a string-course, enriched with faceted ornaments."[284]

Parish Churches Illustrating Middle Pointed or Decorated
Period

St. Michael's Parish Church, Linlithgow, was the scene of the apparition
that is said to have warned King James IV. against the battle of Flodden,
and is one of the largest parish churches in Scotland. A church dedicated to
St. Michael existed here as early as the time of David I. A new church is
said to have been erected in 1242, and probably some parts of this are
incorporated in the present edifice. In 1384 Robert II. contributed to the
erection or repair of the church tower, and in 1424 the church was injured
and considerably destroyed by the fire that reduced the town to ashes. The
reconstruction of the edifice probably progressed, under the Jameses,
simultaneously with that of the palace adjoining.
St. Michael's consists of a choir, including two aisles and a three-sided apse
at the east end; a nave, including two aisles; two chapels inserted, north and
south, in the place usually occupied by the transept; a square tower at the
west end, and a south porch giving access to the nave. The nave is the
oldest part of the building, and appears to have been erected before the
middle of the fifteenth century. The choir is of somewhat later date.[285] A
broad stone bench or seat is carried round the nave, and the bases of the
triple wall shafts of the vaulting rest upon it. Those of the choir, different in
design, rest on the floor. In the nave there are triforium openings in each
bay, and clerestory windows above them. The windows throughout the
church are of large size, and filled with varied geometric tracery. The
windows of the apse are large, and the tracery of two of the windows is
perpendicular in character. The transepts (or north and south chapels) and
the south porch have crow-stepped gables both on their outer walls and also

over the inner or aisle wall which separates them from the church. Each of
these contains an apartment over the vault, that over the south porch being
probably a place for preserving documents. The buttresses of the nave have
a simpler character than those of the apse and north transept. The canopies
of the niches are ornamented somewhat similarly to those of Rosslyn. The
buttress of the south-west angle of the nave, crowned with the sculptured
figure of St. Michael, is a striking feature on approaching the church. The
western tower was originally terminated with a crown of open stone-work,
similar to that of St. Giles, Edinburgh. About 1821 it was found to be in a
dangerous condition, and had to be taken down. The tower is of late design
and contains a doorway, continental in style, which may possibly be the
work of Thomas French, the King's master-mason, and above which there is
a large perpendicular window. The upper part of the tower would contrast
well with the crown on the top. The tower opens into the nave with a wide
and lofty arch, carried up to the clerestory level, and the groined vault with
large window below produces a good effect. In each side wall of the tower
is a richly canopied recess, intended for monuments or sculpture. A portion
of what seems to have been a carved altar-piece is preserved in the church
and represents scenes in our Lord's Passion.[286] The steeple contains three
bells with inscriptions.
The south transept contained an altar dedicated to St. Katherine, and was
the place where James IV. is reported to have seen the apparition that
warned him against the fatal expedition to England—an incident chronicled
by Pitscottie, and forming the basis of Sir David Lyndsay's tale in Marmion.
The church contained twenty-four altarages, which were removed in 1559
by the Lords of the Congregation in their march from Perth to Edinburgh;
and probably still further damage was done by Cromwell's dragoons, who
used it as a stable. The church belonged to St. Andrew's priory, and was
long served by perpetual vicars. It has been recently restored, and made
worthy of its great past.
The west doorway is pronounced to be a pleasing specimen of the half
continental manner in which that feature was usually treated in Scotland.
[287]

Haddington Parish Church (East Lothian) is one of the ecclesiastical
structures belonging to the ancient royal burgh of Haddington. Besides it

there were the monasteries of the Franciscans and Dominicans, the
Cistercian nunnery, and the chapels of St. Martin, St. Ann, St. Katherine, St.
John, and St. Ninian. Of these establishments the only two that now survive
are St. Martin's (a very ancient chapel) and the parish church, which
deserves the name now applied to it (although originally it seems to have
been given to the vanished church of the Franciscan monastery) on account
both of its beauty and the distance at which its lights were visible—Lucerna
Laudoniæ, or Lamp of Lothian. The ancient church of Haddington was
founded by David I., dedicated to the Virgin, and by him granted in 1134 to
the priory of St. Andrew. The present structure is of later date, and from the
style of the architecture, was probably rebuilt in the first half of the fifteenth
century.[288] The church is cruciform, having choir and nave, both with side
aisles, and north and south transepts without aisles. Over the crossing is the
central tower. The choir and transepts are ruinous, and the restored nave is
used as the parish church. The tower was originally crowned with a canopy
or spire of open work similar to that of St. Giles, Edinburgh, and King's
College, Aberdeen; and large picturesque gargoyles still break the line of
the cornice on the top. Although the edifice has been so sadly damaged, it
does not appear to have suffered at the Reformation. The town was under
siege in 1548, when it was held by the English after the battle of Pinkie, and
was attacked and taken by the Scots and their French allies. It is not
unlikely that the church suffered at that time.

Parish Churches of Third or Late Pointed Period

Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, Perth.—The ancient city of Perth
possessed many endowed religious establishments, but the only one that
survives is the church of St. John the Baptist, from which the city derived
its title of "St. John's Town." This church, divided by walls so as to form
three separate places of worship, is still the parish church of the town. The
first church of Perth was probably connected with the neighbouring Pictish
monastery at Abernethy, and was erected by the monks there during the
Celtic period. The register of Dunfermline contains the earliest historical
mention of the church under the years 1124-1127, when it was granted by
David I., with its property and tithes, to that abbey. The church was
consecrated by David de Bernham, Bishop of St. Andrews, in 1242, and it is
stated that the heart of Alexander III. was buried in the church of St. John.

[289] The abbots of Dunfermline allowed the building to become ruinous,
and tried to place upon the citizens of Perth the burden of upholding the
fabric. The interest of the citizens seems to have been diverted from the
church, and directed, probably at the beginning of the thirteenth century, to
the building of the Dominican monastery, and about the middle of the
century to the erection of the Carmelite or Whitefriars' monastery. It is
probable that in connection with repairs necessary for the church, King
Robert the Bruce in 1328 granted that stones might be taken from quarries
belonging to the Abbey of Scone, "for the edification of the Church of
Perth." Of the twelfth century church of St. John nothing now remains to
indicate its architecture, although it may have been both magnificent and
extensive. After the death of Robert the Bruce in 1329 the restoration begun
by him probably ceased, and during the unrest of the fourteenth century the
church probably suffered further damage. In 1335 King Edward III. was in
Perth, and slew his brother, John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, before the
high altar of the Church of St. John for his excesses and ravages in the
western districts of Scotland. In 1393-1394, after a parliament at Scone,
Walter Trail, Bishop of St. Andrews, conducted divine service in St. John's
Church. From 1401 till 1553-1556 there is a continuous record of the
foundation of altars in the church, and of endowment of already existing
ones. The chapel in which St. James' altar was situated stood on the south
side of the church, and the foundation charter of the altar of St. John the
Evangelist, founded in 1448 by Sir John de Bute, states that the altar was
situated "in the new choir of the Parish Church." The church consists of a
choir and nave, with north and south aisles, and north and south transepts
without aisles. The nave and choir are of almost equal length; there was a
chapel on the west side of the north transept that no longer exists, but the
wide arch of the opening into it is partly visible in the transept. It was two
storeys in height.
It is pronounced[290] as evident from the style of the architecture that the
choir and crossing beneath the central tower belong to the period about
1448. The transepts may be later, and both are of the same period. The two
eastern bays of the main arcade of the choir are more elaborately moulded
than the others, and round the eastmost pillar on the south side there is cut
an inscription containing the names of John Fullar and his wife.[291] It has
been remarked that the tithes and fees received by the magistrates probably

did not suffice for the work laid on them by the monks of Dunfermline, and
that John Fullar and his wife volunteered to pay for a part, certainly for the
pillar on which their names are inscribed. In the second bay of the choir
from the east on the north side there is a round arched doorway, now built
up, and it led to the sacristy, afterwards used as a session-house; it was
taken down about 1800, and the meetings were held in a building on the
south side of the nave near the west end, which has also been removed. The
present north and south doorways in the choir are modern, although the
south one is in the position of the old doorway. The choir has no triforium,
but good plain masonry instead, undivided by wall shafts; the clerestory
windows are small and round arched, are divided into two lights by a
central mullion, and have plain tracery in the arch-head. The nave is
divided, like the choir, into five bays, and has no triforium nor clerestory;
there is a deep blank wall above the arcade arches. "This wall is of rough
masonry compared to that in the choir, and the whole of this part of the
church is of a much coarser and ruder description, betokening a later age.
The capitals of the piers are of the very rudest kind, and are a perfect
contrast to the delicate work of the choir. In the meagre description of St.
John's to be found in the books on Perth, this rudeness is pointed to as a
sign of great antiquity, but the reverse is unquestionably the case. This nave
is undoubtedly 'the New Kirk of Perth' referred to in the Chronicle, in which
'ane Synodall assemblie' was held in April 1606."[292] Early in the
nineteenth century it was contemplated to raise the nave wall and erect a
clerestory; two of the windows adjoining the tower on the north side were
actually built, and still remain with massive buttresses, surmounted by high
finials; the work was never finished, and could not be carried farther west,
as there is no proper support for such a massive building. Tradition says that
at one time the church extended farther west, and it seems not improbable
that a western tower in the centre of the front may have been contemplated,
and even begun. "This tower, like those at Stirling, Linlithgow, and Dundee,
may have been intended to open towards the church with a wide arch, of
which the jambs still remain; but this idea having been abandoned, and any
part of the tower which then had been built having been taken down, the
present makeshift gable was put up instead to fill up the gap, which, in
these circumstances, would be left for the supposed opening into the
church."[293] On the north side of the nave there is a large porch called
Halkerston's Tower. It was a two-storied building, the upper storey being of

great height and vaulted as well as the lower one. The erection of the west
end of the church is referable to about 1489,[294] when payments were made
"to the kirk werk of Pertht." The central tower was erected after the
adjoining part of the nave, and has one window in each face. The parapet
and corbelling were renewed about forty years ago.[295] The exterior of the
church has been altered at various times, and an open parapet carried along
the top of the choir wall over the clerestory windows as well as along the
aisle walls and up the sloping gables of the east end. Dormer windows to
light the galleries break in on this aisle-wall parapet, as well as on the roof
of the nave.
It was in the Church of St. John, Perth, that John Knox denounced the Mass
in 1559, and the multitude afterwards demolished the ornaments, images,
and altarpieces as well as the monasteries and religious houses in Perth—an
example quickly followed by others throughout the country. In Scott's
novel, The Fair Maid of Perth, the church is the scene of the trial by bier-
right to discover the slayer of Proudfute.
The East Church (or choir) has been recently restored, and many look
forward to the day when, the present partition walls being removed, St.
John's Church will once more reveal the full splendour of its striking and
grand interior. Perth awaits a generous restorer, and St. John's affords a
grand opportunity for patriotism and beneficence.

Dundee Church Tower

About 1198 the church of Dundee was bestowed on Lindores Abbey, and
the church then existing is stated to have been erected by David, Earl of
Huntingdon, as a thank-offering for his escape from a storm at sea. About
1442 an agreement was formed between the abbot of Lindores and the
provost and burgesses of Dundee, by which the latter undertook the
construction and maintenance of the choir of Dundee Church. The only part
of the ancient church which now remains is the western tower, and it was
erected about 1450.[296] Three parish churches in connection with the tower
were developed from the original chapel—St. Mary's or the East Church,
St. Paul's or the South Church, St. Clement's or the West Church. The
church was damaged by the English before the Union, and St. Clement's
had to be rebuilt in 1789. The three churches were almost totally destroyed

by fire in 1841, and the choir and transepts were thereafter rebuilt. The
church tower survived, and has resisted for over four centuries storm and
tempest, fire and siege. Its massive strength and height are features that
strike the eye from far. It is square, and 165 feet high. The western entrance
consists of two round arched doorways, comprised within a larger circular
or elliptical arch, which is again enclosed by a square moulding. The arch
mouldings are enriched with foliage, while the jambs and central pillar are
moulded with alternate rounds and hollows. In the spandril over the centre
shaft there is a circular panel with a Virgin and Child; below are the arms of
the diocese of Brechin on a shield. Above the doorway is a lofty traceried
window, and above this window the tower is vaulted. The height from the
floor to the groined ceiling is about 47 feet. At each of the four corners
there is a large circular shaft, and each shaft is fitted into its position in a
manner different from the others. The sedilia or stone seats still remain
entire, and extend along the north, south, and west walls. The tower is
divided into two principal stages by an enriched parapet and outside
passage. The parapet is pierced with quatrefoils and ornamented with
crocketed pinnacles. The roof is of the saddle-back kind, with gables
towards the east and west. It was evidently meant to have an open crown
termination, and the preparations exist for the springing of the angle arches.
[297]

The tower was restored by the eminent Sir Gilbert Scott in 1871-1873.
Stirling Parish Church.—Two churches in Stirling are spoken of in the
reign of David I. One of them was the chapel royal, which was dedicated by
Alexander I.; and the "vicar" of the "Kirk of Stirling" is mentioned in 1315
and in the time of David II. There are also notices of it in the reigns of
Robert II. and Robert III., when it is designated as the Church of the Holy
Cross of Stirling. Of this earlier church, which was burnt, nothing now
remains. The present edifice consists of two divisions, the nave and the
choir, which were built at two different periods. The nave, which is the
oldest part, is referred to in the Chamberlain's Accounts from July 1413 to
June 1414, and the date of the choir is known to be between 1507 and 1520.
The church contains a central nave with north and south aisles (the aisles
being vaulted in stone), an eastern apse, and a western tower. The nave has
five bays, the choir three bays, and they are separated by a wide bay which

may be termed the crossing. The crossing now serves as an entrance hall to
the two churches, into which the building is now divided. Walls are built
across each side of the crossing, so as to enclose the choir as one church
and the nave as the other. The west tower, which is vaulted, opens into the
nave through a lofty pointed arch, springing from moulded responds. The
original entrance to the church was through the western tower, but the
western doorway was destroyed in 1818, and part of a window now
occupies its place. The tower is pronounced to be one of the best specimens
of the Scottish architecture of the sixteenth century, as applied to
ecclesiastical structures,[298] and the situation of the church on the Castle
Hill gives it an imposing and picturesque effect.
The piers of the nave (with the exception of two) are round and massive
cylinders, and the east and west responds are semi-cylinders. The general
appearance of these pillars has been taken to illustrate what is so often
found in Scotland (both in ecclesiastic and domestic work) during the
fifteenth century and onwards—viz. a tendency to imitate Norman and
Early Pointed details.

"This tendency is also seen in the nave piers of Dunkeld
Cathedral, in the piers and arches of the naves of Aberdour
Church and Dysart Church, in the imitation of First Pointed
work in the late cloisters of Melrose, and many other examples
which might be cited. But the later counterfeit is never perfect,
there being always some touch of contemporary design which
reveals the imitation.[299]"
Over the crossing was an upper room, known as the King's room, from
which the service could be seen, but it was destroyed about the middle of
this century. At the north-west corner of the church was a chapel (now
removed) with a wide opening into the church. It was called Queen
Margaret's, and is supposed to have been built by James IV. in honour of his
queen. Another chapel was dedicated to St. Andrew at the north-east end of
the nave, and is still entire. It was erected by Duncan Forrester of Garden,
Knight, who was a liberal benefactor of the church.
The church is associated with many historical events. It was here that the
Regent Arran publicly renounced Protestantism in 1543, and here in the
following year also the Convention met that appointed Mary of Guise
regent. The church, although "purged" in 1559, was not injured, and was
used in 1567 for the coronation of James VI., then but thirteen months old.
When General Monk in 1651 was besieging the castle, the church tower
was one of the points of vantage seized by his soldiers, and the little bullet
pits all over it indicate how hot must have been the fire directed against
them. It was held by the Highlanders in 1746, and its bells pealed in honour
of the victory at Falkirk. John Knox has preached within its venerable
walls.
It was divided into two buildings in 1656, and comprises still the east and
west parish churches, the east being renovated in 1869. Since then a large
number of stained-glass windows have been introduced.
Church of St. Leonard's College, St. Andrews.—The Hospitium or Guest
Hall of St. Leonard's was founded by Prior John White in the middle of the
thirteenth century for the reception of pilgrims and visitors to St. Andrews.
Some remains of the guest hall have been excavated, from which it seems
to have been a hall with central nave and two side aisles. The building was

afterwards used as a nunnery, and in 1512 was appropriated as a college. It
was then founded by Prior John Hepburn in conjunction with Archbishop
Alexander Stewart. As a college, it was under the superintendence of the
prior and chapter, and was for the education of twenty-four poor students. It
became famous, however, and was attended by sons of noblemen. George
Buchanan was at one time principal, and the college helped to spread a
knowledge of sacred music throughout the country. A long range of
buildings on the south side of the church was used as the students'
residence. The church was long used for public worship, but after the
college of St. Leonard's was united to that of St. Salvator in 1747, St.
Leonard's was abandoned in 1759. Within recent times several alterations
have been made on it, the steeple being taken down and the west end "set
back" to give more room for access to a private house.
The chapel is an oblong, and is without division between nave and chancel.
The church appears to have been extended 24 feet at the east end, when it
was converted into a college.[300] The design of windows and buttresses
(perpendicular) is pronounced to accord well with the date of erection in the
sixteenth century, and is similar to that of English colleges. On the north
side is a room with a round barrel vault, probably the sacristy.[301] There is a
piscina in the east window sill.
Church of The Holy Trinity, St. Andrews.—This church, usually named the
Town Church, is of ancient foundation, but was almost entirely rebuilt at the
end of the eighteenth century. An early church is said to have been built
here in 1112 by Bishop Turgot, and subsequently dedicated by Bishop de
Bernham to the Holy Trinity. It had in its palmy days thirty altarages, each
with a separate priest and fifteen choristers, and it was from the pulpit here
that John Knox preached his famous sermon on the purifying of the temple.
The church demolished at the close of last century is believed to have been
erected in 1412.[302] The north-west tower is the only part of the old
structure which survives.[303]
"Like the north-west tower at Cupar, it rises from the north and
west walls of the north aisle, without buttresses to mark its
outline or break the upright form of the walls. The square
outline, however, is partly relieved by a square projection at
north-west angle, which contains the staircase. The east and

south walls are carried by arches, which formerly allowed the
lower story of the tower to be included within the church, and
the round pier at the south-east angle is made of extra thickness,
so as to bear the weight of the tower."[304]
The parapet is plain and rests on simple corbels. Above it rises a short and
stunted octagonal spire with lucarnes, like most of the late Scottish
examples. There is over the staircase a small turret with pointed roof. It is
carried up within the parapet, and groups picturesquely with the main spire.
The tower resembles the one at Wester Crail, and both are of fifteenth
century date. It is of this tower or steeple[305] that we hear in John Knox's
History of the Reformation in Scotland. When a captive on a French galley
lying between Dundee and St. Andrews the second time that the ship
returned to Scotland (probably June 1548),
"The said Johne (Knox), being so extreamlye seak that few
hoped his lyeff, the said Maister James (Balfour) willed him to
look to the land, and asked if he knew it? Who answered, "Yes, I
know it weall: for I see the stepill of that place whare God first
in publict opened my mouth to His glorie, and I am fullie
persuaded, how weak that ever I now appear, that I shall nott
departe this lyif till that my toung shall glorifie his godlie name
in the same place."[306] His hope, as we have just seen, was not
disappointed."

CHAPTER VI

SCOTTISH MONASTICISM
The old Celtic monastic system, with Iona as its centre, was superseded by
the monastic system of the Roman Church in the eleventh century, and the
old Culdee monks were either driven from their ancient settlements or
compelled to become Augustinian canons or Benedictine monks. The life of
Queen Margaret marks the period of transition in Scotland from the old
system to that of the Church of Rome both in building and in every other
department, and what Queen Margaret began, her sons, Edgar, Alexander
and David completed. St. Margaret had a monk of Durham for her chaplain;
Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, was her chosen counsellor. She
introduced Benedictines from Canterbury into her foundation at
Dunfermline. Edgar and Alexander took for their adviser St. Anselm—
Lanfranc's successor, preferred English priests, and peopled the monasteries
with English monks. David was even more earnest in the pursuit of this
policy, and the kings who followed him found little to "Anglicise." Saxon
refugees were followed into Scotland by Norman knights; these were
received by David and presented with lands, and the extent of their
possessions is apparent in the names of the proprietors settled in every part
of the country. The policy is apparent: their settlement helped to keep the
country in order, and defend it from the attacks of the unsubdued tribes in
the north and west. It also helped to facilitate the spread of the Roman
Catholic system throughout the country. "The new colonists," says Dr.
Cosmo Innes, "were of the 'upper classes' of Anglican families long settled
in Northumbria, and Normans of the highest blood and name. They were
men of the sword, above all service and mechanical employment. They
were fit for the society of court, and many became the chosen companions
of our princes. The old native people gave way before them, or took service
under the strong-handed strangers, who held lands by the written gift of the
sovereign."[307] ... "The new settlers were of the progressive party, friends
of civilisation and the Church. They had found churches on their manors, or

if not already there, had founded them. To each of these manorial churches
the lord of the manor now made a grant of the tithes of his estate; his right
to do so does not seem to have been questioned, and forthwith the manor—
tithed to its church—became what we now call a parish."[308] Examples of
these parish churches have already been considered, and the two-fold
movement of a cathedral system with parochial benefices was continued for
a time. It was the most effective way of superseding the old Celtic church,
and the policy was throughout inspired by the aim of substituting the
parochial system with a diocesan episcopacy for the old tribal churches with
monastic jurisdiction and functional episcopacy. But this was accompanied
by a third movement, which to a very great extent paralysed it, and became
a source of weakness to religion. The parochial system was shipwrecked
when scarcely formed by the introduction of monasticism, which was then
in the ascendant throughout Europe. "The new monks," says Dr. Cosmo
Innes, "of the reformed rule of St. Benedict or canons of St. Augustine,
pushing aside the poor lapsarian Culdees, won the veneration of the people
by their zealous teaching and asceticism.... The church, too, with all its dues
and pertinents, was bestowed on the monastery and its patron saint for ever,
reserving only a pittance for a poor priest to serve the cure, or sometimes
allowing the monks to serve it by one of their own brethren. William the
Lion gave thirty-three parishes to the new monastery of Arbroath, dedicated
to the latest and most fashionable High Church saint, Thomas à Becket."
[309]

The Church thus became territorial instead of tribal; episcopal instead of
abbatial, and the new abbeys began to acquire large territory in the country.
By the end of the thirteenth century the old line of Celtic kings closed in
Alexander, and the movement was complete; the Church had ceased to be
Celtic in usage and character, and had become Roman. This stream of
tendency came from the south, and cathedrals with abbeys were constituted
after English models. "Of the Scottish sees, all," says Dr. Joseph Robertson,
"save three or four, were founded or restored by St. David, and their
cathedral constitutions were formally copied from English models. Thus the
chapter of Glasgow took that of Salisbury for its guide. Dunkeld copied
from the same type, venerable in its associations with the name of St.
Osmund, whose "Use of Sarum" obtained generally throughout Scotland.
Elgin or Moray sent to Lincoln for its pattern, and transmitted it, with

certain modifications, to Aberdeen and to Caithness. So it was also with the
monasteries. Canterbury was the mother of Dunfermline; Durham, of
Coldingham; St. Oswald's at Nosthill, near Pontefract, was the parent of
Scone, and through that house, of St. Andrews and Holyrood. Melrose and
Dundrennan were daughters of Rievaux, in the North Riding. Dryburgh was
the offspring of Alnwick; Paisley, of Wenlock."[310]
Roman monasticism thus became an important factor in Scottish life, and it
is true to say that for a very considerable period the history both of piety
and civilisation in Scotland was the history of its monasticism. It was a
stage in the national development, a movement in religious progress, and it
was only abolished when the salt had lost its savour, when monasticism had
ceased to be spiritual and had become worldly and corrupt. The system had
served its day in helping to educate the nation, and when its purpose was
achieved it passed away.
Mediæval architecture was, too, the outcome of the leisure in the cloister,
and the men who designed and built those venerable temples must have
been men to whom their work was their religion, and who regarded it as the
way of honouring God. One cannot look at their architecture without
realising how true are Ruskin's definitions of Art:—"Art has for its business
to praise God."[311] "Great Art is the expression of a God-made great man."
[312] "Art is the expression of delight in God's work."[313] "All great art is
praise." "Art is the exponent of ethical life."[314] One cannot look at their
ruins and not recall that by their destruction a beauty has passed away from
the earth; one cannot read of the rude forces that destroyed them, and not
see that the judgment on things is always on character, and that the last
testing principle is, "See—not what manner of stones, but what manner of
men." While we deplore the forces that destroyed, we have also to deplore
the indefensible lives of the monks which at their last stage stirred such
forces to their depths.
There were four principal rules, under which might be classed all the
religious orders. (1) That of St. Basil, which prevailed by degrees over all
the others in the East, and which is retained by all the Oriental monks; (2)
That of St. Augustine, which was adopted by the regular canons, the order of
Premontré, the order of the Preaching Brothers or Dominicans, and several
military orders. (3) That of St. Benedict, which, adopted successively by all

the monks of the West, still remained the common rule of the monastic
order, properly so called, up to the thirteenth century; the orders of the
Camaldules of Vallombrosa, of the Carthusians, and of Citeaux recognised
this rule as the basis of their special constitutions, although the name of
monk of St. Benedict or Benedictine monk may still be specially assigned
to others. (4) The Rule of St. Francis signalised the advent of the Mendicant
orders in the thirteenth century. It is to be noted that the denomination of
monks is not generally attributed to the religious who follow the rule of St.
Augustine, nor to the Mendicant orders.[315]
The canonical hours at which the monastic bell regularly summoned the
monks were seven in number:—(1) Prime, about 6 a.m.; (2) Tierce, about 9
a.m.; (3) Sext, about noon; (4) Nones, from 2 to 3 p.m.; (5) Vespers, about 4
p.m. or later; (6) Compline, 7 p.m.; (7) Matins and Lauds, about midnight.

Scottish monasticism exhibited the expansion of the two main streams—the
Augustinian and the Benedictine, and each subsequent order is to be
regarded as an endeavour towards reform. Space will only permit us to deal
with the Augustinian establishments at St. Andrews, Holyrood, and
Jedburgh; with the Premonstratensian abbey of Dryburgh; with the
Benedictine abbey of Dunfermline; with the Cluniacensian abbey of
Paisley; with the Tyronensian abbeys of Kelso and Arbroath; with the
Cistercian abbey of Melrose. The Premonstratensian order was a reform on
the Augustinian, and the Cluniacensian, Tyronensian, and Cistercian orders,
reforms on the Benedictine order. A study of their history and architecture
in representative forms will introduce us to the piety and beauty of former
days, as well as to an order of things very different from our own.[316]
St. Andrew's Priory.—The priory or Augustinian monastery was situated to
the south of the cathedral (q.v.), and was founded by Bishop Robert in 1144.
The structure has now almost disappeared. It comprised about twenty acres,
and was enclosed about 1516 by Prior John Hepburn with a magnificent
wall, which, starting at the north-east corner of the cathedral, passed round
by the harbour and along behind the houses, till it joined the walls of St.
Leonard's College on the south-west.
This, about a mile in extent, is all that now remains, but it is
thought at one time to have passed back from the college to the

cathedral. The wall has thirteen turrets, and each has a canopied
niche for an image. The portion towards the shore has a parapet
on each side, as if designed for a walk. There were three
gateways, the chief of which, on the S.W., is known as the
Pends, and of which considerable ruins still remain. Another
gateway is near the harbour, and the third was on the S. side.
Martine in his Reliquiæ Divi Andreæ mentions that in his time
fourteen buildings were discernible besides the cathedral and St.
Rule's Chapel. Among these were the Prior's House or the old
inn to the S.E. of the cathedral, of which only a few vaults now
remain; the cloisters, W. of this house, and now the garden of a
private house, in the quadrangle of which the Senzie Fair used to
be held, beginning in the second week of Easter, and continuing
for fifteen days; the Senzie House, or house of the sub-prior,
subsequently used as an inn, but now pulled down and the site
occupied by a private house. The refectory was on the S. side of
the cloister, and has now disappeared, as well as the dormitory
between the Prior's House and the cloister, and from which
Edward I. carried off all the lead to supply his battering
machines at the siege of Stirling. The Guests' Hall was within
the precincts of St. Leonard's College, S.W. of Pend's Lane; the
Teinds' Barn, Abbey Mill, and Granary were all to the S.W. The
new inn, the latest of all the buildings, was erected for the
reception of Magdalene, the first wife of James V. The young
queen, of delicate constitution, was advised by her physicians to
reside here; she did not live to occupy the house, as she died on
7th July 1537, six weeks after her arrival in Scotland. It was for
a short time the residence of Mary of Guise when she first
arrived in Scotland, and after the priory was annexed to the
archbishopric in 1635 the building became the residence of the
later archbishops. Several of its canons had sympathies with the
Scottish Reformation. The prior of St. Andrews had superiority
over the priories of Pittenweem, Lochleven, Monymusk, and the
Isle of May, and was also a lord of regality. In Parliament he
took precedence of all priors, and he, his sub-prior, and canons
formed the cathedral chapter. The priory possessed in all thirty-
two churches or their great tithes. From 1144 to 1535 there were

twenty-five priors; from 1535 to 1586 the lands were in the
possession of the Earl of Murray and Robert Stewart, as lay
commendators; from 1586 to 1606 they were held by the
Crown; from 1606 to 1635 by the Duke of Lennox; from 1635
to 1639 by the Archbishop of St. Andrews; from 1639 to 1661
by the University; from 1661 to 1688 by the archbishop again;
from 1688 by the Crown. The part within the abbey wall was
sold by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests to the United
Colleges.[317]
Holyrood Abbey (Midlothian).—The abbey of Holyrood was founded by
King David I. in 1128 for the canons regular of the order of St. Augustine,
and was dedicated in honour of the holy cross or rood brought to Scotland
by his mother, Queen Margaret. This cross, called the Black Rood of
Scotland, fell into the hands of the English at the battle of Neville's Cross in
1346. The abbey was several times burned by the English, and the nave on
the last of these occasions, 1547, was repaired with the ruins of the choir
and transepts. This was used as the parish church till 1672, when it was
converted into the chapel royal. In 1687 it was set apart by King James VII.
for the service of the Roman Catholic Church, but was plundered and again
burned at the Revolution in the following year. It remained neglected until
1758, when it was repaired and roofed; the new roof, proving too heavy for
the walls, fell with a crash in 1768, destroying all the new work. It suffered
neglect again till 1816, when it was repaired, and in 1857 it was still further
improved.
The abbey early became the occasional abode of the kings of Scotland, and
James II. was born, crowned, married, and buried in it. The foundations of a
palace apart from the abbey were laid in the time of James IV., Edinburgh
having then become the acknowledged capital of the country. Holyrood
Palace was henceforth the chief seat of the Scottish sovereigns. In it the
nuptials of James IV. were celebrated; here also Mary Queen of Scots took
up her abode in 1561 on her return from France, and here James VI. dwelt
much before his accession to the throne of England in 1603.
The abbey church was beautiful in its architecture and of great
size. It consisted of nave, choir, transepts with aisles, and
probably lady chapel to the east, two western towers, and a

tower over the crossing; but of all that splendid structure there
now only remain the ruins of the nave and one western tower.
The surviving nave is in a ruinous state and consists of eight
bays, the main piers of which are complete on the south side, but
only represented by two fragments on the north side.[318] The
vaulting of the south aisle still survives, but that of the north
aisle is gone. The north wall of the aisle still stands, and the east
and west ends of the nave are restored. The N.W. tower is still
preserved, but the companion tower at the S.W. angle was
demolished when the palace was rebuilt in the seventeenth
century. Some remains of the cloister are still observable on the
S. side of the nave.
The chief part of the architecture is pronounced to be first
pointed, but the doorway at the S.E. angle, which led from the
cloister into the nave is pronounced to be of genuine though late
Norman architecture. There was a nook shaft on either side, the
divided cushion caps of which survive. The arch is round and
contains two orders, both ornamented with zigzags. These
orders are enclosed with a label, containing a double row of
square facets and sinkings.
Some alterations have taken place adjoining the doorway, and
two of the windows, that over the doorway and that to the west
of it, are circular-headed and have a Norman character in their
nook shafts and cushion caps. These windows were probably
constructed in imitation of Norman windows which existed
there originally. It is not improbable that the choir was built
before the nave, and was of Norman work, and this supposition
is regarded as accounting for the Norman work found at the first
bay of the nave, and which may have been erected in connection
with the choir and crossing.
The oldest part of the nave after the S.E. doorway is the wall of
the north aisle. The windows above the arcade are single lancets,
one in each bay. The south wall of the south aisle is similarly
designed, but the details are different and of a rather later

character. The lower story contains a wall arcade having single
pointed arches, with first pointed mouldings. The windows over
the arcade correspond generally to those in the north wall, and
are all pointed except the two east bays already mentioned. The
lower part of the exterior of the south wall, running westward
from the Norman doorway, is arcaded with a series of large
pointed arches, each enclosing five smaller pointed arches, and
with a plain wall space between the large and small arches. The
above large arches were the wall arches for a groined roof over
the cloister walk, but whether that vault was ever built it is now
regarded as impossible to say. The vaulting of both aisles has
apparently been similar, but the south aisle alone retains it,
which is of a simple character, consisting of transverse and
diagonal ribs.
The main arcade of the nave has consisted of eight bays; the
triforium is divided into two arches in each bay by a single
central shaft, springing from a corbel over the apex of each arch
of the main arcade, and running up to the string-course beneath
the clerestory. This would suggest the view that the vaulting was
sex-partite. Each arch of the triforium is acutely pointed, and
contains two smaller pointed arches within it, each of which has
an inner trefoiled arch. The tympanum of the large arch is
pierced with a quatrefoil or trefoil. To counteract the weakening
tendency of the triforium passage, saving arches, as may be seen
from the south, have been introduced to carry the chief pressure
across from main pier to main pier. A similar strengthening arch
exists in the outer wall of the triforium gallery at Amiens. The
west end is pronounced to have contained the finest work of the
building, and the west door with the two towers must have
presented a lovely and imposing front. The S.W. tower was
removed to make way for the palace being erected, and even the
W. doorway is encroached on by the palace wall. A portion of
the S.W. tower is still visible in the interior, and contains a
doorway. The upper part of the W. end was reconstructed by
Charles I. in 1633, and contains two nondescript windows of
seventeenth century Gothic with an inscription between them.

The tympanum of the doorway has also been altered at this time,
and an oaken lintel introduced containing a shield with the
initials of Charles I. The western doorway has been a beautiful
specimen of first pointed work, and the W. side of the N.W.
tower is ornamented with two tiers of arcades. "The lower
arcade contains five pointed arches, with a trefoiled arch within
each. These rest on triple shafts, with carved caps and rounded
abaci. Over each shaft and between the arches there is a circle
containing a boldly carved Norman head. The feature is unique
and its effect is fine. The upper arcade consists of three larger
arches, each containing two smaller arches, and all resting on
shafts with carved and rounded caps. The shields in the larger
arches are pierced with bold quatrefoils. Two circles occur in the
spandrils over the arches, but they do not now contain heads."
[319] The same design is continued round the S. side of the tower,
and along the W. wall of the nave as far as the main doorway,
but the N. and E. sides of the tower are plain. Above the two
arcades the tower contains a large two-light window on the N.E.
and W. sides. Each window is divided into two openings by a
single central shaft, having a carved cap and broad square
abacus, on which rest the two plain pointed arches of the inner
openings. The shield above is pierced with a bold quatre-foil.
The two western piers of the crossing are still standing, and
within the arch there has been erected in modern times a large
traceried window. The spaces below the window and across the
side aisles have been built up with fragments of the demolished
structure, and a window is thus formed at the east end of each
aisle.
The church has evidently undergone a thorough repair during
the fifteenth century, probably during the period when Crawford
was abbot (1460-1483). "The work executed at this time
consisted of the addition of seven buttresses on the north side
and several buttresses on the south side of the aisles. Those on
the north side are large, and may either enclose the old
buttresses or have been substituted for them. They have a set-off
near the centre, above which each contains an elaborately

ornamented and canopied niche. Beneath and above the niche
there are carved panels, which have contained angels and
shields, with coats of arms. The arms of Abbot Crawford are
said to have been carved on the panels, but they are now too
much decayed to be distinguishable. Above the upper panels the
buttresses are continued with several set-offs, and finished with
a small square pinnacle. The pinnacles have been crocheted and
terminated with a carved finial, but they are now greatly wasted
away. There were, doubtless, flying arches from the above
buttresses to the clerestory, but they must have fallen with the
roof. A somewhat elaborate north doorway has been introduced,
in a style similar to that of the buttresses, in the second bay from
the west tower. The arch is semicircular, and has an ogee
canopy. There are small niches above the arch on each side
which contained statues, now demolished. This doorway was
probably constructed by Abbot Crawford at the same date as the
buttresses."[320]
"A series of buttresses was also erected about the same time on
the south side of the fabric. It is believed, however, that these
buttresses are partly old or are on old foundations. In order not
to interfere with the cloister walk, which ran along next the
south wall, and where it would have been inconvenient to have
any projections, the buttresses were carried in the form of flying
arches over the top of the cloister roof. At the clerestory level
flying arches, similar to those on the north side, rested against
the upper portions of buttresses and pinnacles introduced
between the windows. On the outside of the cloister walk the
flying arch abutted upon oblong masses of masonry, which
probably at one time were finished with pinnacles, but these no
longer exist."[321]
Robert Bellenden, the twenty-fifth abbot of Holyrood, and
successor to Abbot Crawford,[322] presented the abbey with
bells, a great brass font, and a chalice of gold. He was also
beneficent to the poor, and completed the restoration of the
fabric by covering the roof with lead. This happened about
1528, and in 1539 the office of commendator was given to

Robert, natural son of James V., while still an infant. The brass
font was carried off by Sir Richard Lee, an officer in Hertford's
army, in 1544, and was removed to St. Alban's Abbey. It was
afterwards sold for old metal. The brass lectern of the abbey was
also taken by Sir Richard Lee, and presented to the Parish
Church of St. Stephen's at St. Alban's, where it still is. It is in the
form of an eagle with outstretched wing, and contains a shield
with a lion rampant and a crozier, with the inscription,
"Georgius Crichton, Episcopus Dunkeldensis."[323] Before
becoming bishop, Crichton was abbot of Holyrood, 1515-22.
Jedburgh Abbey (Roxburghshire).—In 1118 David I., while Prince of
Cumbria, founded a priory on the banks of the Jed, and placed it in
possession of canons regular from the Abbey of St. Quentin at Beauvais in
France. In 1147 the priory was raised to the dignity of an abbey and
dedicated to the Virgin Mary, while the smaller buildings of the priory
served as a nucleus for the larger buildings of the abbey. Its abbots were
sometimes men of distinction, and in 1285, when John Morel was abbot,
Alexander III. was married in the abbey with much ceremony to Iolanda,
daughter of the Count de Dreux. In the wars between England and Scotland
(1297-1300) the abbey suffered so severely that the monks were unable to
inhabit it, and were billeted on other religious houses. Jedburgh had to bear
the brunt of many English onslaughts, and in 1410, 1416, 1464 it was
damaged by repeated attacks of the English. In 1523 both town and abbey
fell before the forces of the Earl of Surrey. The abbey was stripped of
everything valuable and set on fire. In 1544-1545 the process of destruction
was twice repeated under Sir Ralph Eure and the Earl of Hertford
respectively. In 1559 the abbey was suppressed, and its resources went to
the Crown. For some years it was left a roofless ruin, and a building
designed for the parish church was afterwards erected within the nave,
roofed over at the level of the triforium, and used as a place of worship till
1875, when a new church built in excambion by the Earl of Lothian was
opened for worship, and the abbey ruin can now be viewed "clear of that
incubus upon its lovely proportions."
Like most ancient buildings that have been added to from time to time, the
abbey shows different styles of architecture, and the choir, which is early
Norman, is undoubtedly the oldest part. The church consists of a choir with

side aisles extending eastward for two bays, beyond which was an aisleless
presbytery, the east end of which is demolished; a nave of nine bays, which
had vaulted side aisles; a central crossing with square tower above; a north
transept well preserved, and a south transept, of which the south end is
destroyed.[324]
It has been suggested that the choir may have terminated with an
eastern apse, but of this there is no proof. What survives consists
of two bays next the crossing, the lower portions of which are in
the Norman style. A unique arrangement is visible here, as far as
Scotland is concerned, and resembles a somewhat similar design
at Gloucester Cathedral and Romsey Church, Hampshire. The
main piers have the peculiarity of being carried up as massive
cylindrical columns to the arch over the triforium. The lower
story has the round arch and vaulting ribs supported on corbels,
projected from the round face of the piers. The triforium arch is
round and moulded, and has a well-wrought chevron ornament.
"It rests on large caps of the divided cushion pattern. The main
arch is formed into two openings by a central round shaft and
two half round responds, with massive cushion caps carrying
plain arches."[325]
The clerestory is of Transition work, having one lofty stilted and
pointed arch, and two smaller pointed arches in each bay. When
the Transitional clerestory was erected, the eastern part of the
choir is thought to have been built, and the remains of two lofty
pointed windows are preserved to the east of the cylindrical
piers. The same Norman style of architecture as in the choir is
continued in the south and north transepts, and appears to have
originally also extended into the nave. "This is apparent from
the mode in which the string-course over the triforium runs
along on the north side from the choir to the nave, where it is
broken off. That the Norman nave has probably extended
westwards from the crossing is further evidenced by the
existence of the west end wall, with its great doorway and
windows, and the south doorway to the cloister, which portions
are all of characteristic Norman design." The Norman work
must have preceded the Transition work in choir and nave by a

considerable portion of time. There is no gradual development
visible.
The nave (129 feet in length and 27½ feet in breadth) "is divided
into nine bays, each of which comprises a main arch resting on
clustered piers, a triforium with one round arch containing two
pointed arches, and a clerestory forming a continuous arcade,
with four pointed arches in each bay. The main clustered piers
contain four principal shafts at the angles, and four intermediate
shafts between them. The former are brought to a point on the
face, the latter are flatter. The caps are simple and of an ordinary
transitional form, each with a square abacus. The bases are also
simple, and stand on a massive square plinth, a feature not
uncommon in Norman work. The arches of the main arcade are
somewhat acutely pointed, and the mouldings are bold, and
resemble first pointed work."
The clerestory shafts are of trefoil section; the arches are all
pointed, and contain first pointed mouldings. The west end of
the nave and doorway are Norman in character, and Sir Gilbert
Scott declared the great western doorway and south doorway to
be "perfect gems of refined Norman of the highest class and
most artistic finish." The doorpiece is surrounded by three
gablets, the central one still retaining a trefoiled arch. The west
wall has flat buttresses of Norman character, and "the upper
portion of the wall has a central round-headed window, flanked
on each side by three small pointed arch heads, the caps carrying
which rested on long single free shafts, now gone. The central
window has deep mouldings, but no enrichments. The west front
has been finished with an octagonal turret on each side, as at
Kelso Abbey, and the gable contains a central circular window,
which has been filled with tracery at a late date. The west end
walls of the aisles have each contained a circular-headed
window of Norman design, with a chevron ornament in the arch
and a nook shaft at each side."
"The lower part of the walls of the choir and the western wall
and doorway and south doorway being all of Norman work, it

seems probable that the whole building was set out and partially
executed in Norman times, and that the work was either stopped
for a considerable period and then resumed, or that the structure,
after being completed, was destroyed, and had to be restored in
the late Transition style. The Transition work is well advanced in
style, and may be regarded as being of the date of the end of the
twelfth century or beginning of the thirteenth century."
"The Norman north transept is fairly well preserved, but both
the north and south transepts have undergone great repairs about
the end of the fifteenth century. The crossing appears to have
been so greatly damaged by the assaults of the fifteenth century
that it was found necessary to rebuild it. The restoration is
distinctly visible in the south-east pier of the crossing, the style
of which is quite different from that of the Norman work
adjoining in the choir and south transept, and the junction of the
new work with the old is very apparent. This pier has clearly
been rebuilt. It is plain next the crossing, but next the aisle it
consists of a series of shafts with a moulded cap of late date.
The upper mouldings of the cap form a continuous straight line,
while the bells of the caps are broken round the shafts—a style
of cap common in Scotland at the end of the fifteenth century."
"This pier and the south aisle of the choir beside it appear to
have been restored by Abbot John Hall (appointed 1478), whose
name occurs on the pier and on one of the bosses. The south-
west pier of the crossing has also been rebuilt. This work was
carried out by Abbot Thomas Cranston (appointed 1482). On a
shield on this pier are carved the arms and initials of Abbot
Cranston—three cranes and two pastoral staves—saltierwise.
The same abbot's initials are placed on the north side of the west
arch of the crossing, where the chamfer begins, and on the lower
part of the north-west pier. The south-west pier, the north-west
pier, and the arch between them would thus appear to have been
rebuilt by Abbot Cranston. The base inserted by him is different
from the old Norman base.

"About half-way up the south-east pier, rebuilt by Abbot Hall,
the springer of an arch may be seen projecting to the west.
Abbot Hall had evidently intended to throw an arch across the
transept at this point, but Abbot Cranston changed his plan and
the arch was not carried out. The mouldings of the portions
executed by the two abbots differ in their respective parts of the
structure.
"To the north of the original Norman north transept an addition
to the transept has been erected. It is cut off from the old
transept by a wall, and thus forms a separate chapel, measuring
27 feet in length by 22 feet in width internally. This chapel is
vaulted with the pointed barrel vault usual in Scotland in the
fifteenth century, and, consequently, the side windows are low,
their pointed arch being kept below the springing of the vault.
The window in the north end wall, however, is of large
dimensions. The windows are all filled with good fifteenth
century tracery, similar to that in the restored south aisle of the
choir. This part of the edifice is now used as a mortuary chapel
for the family of the Marquess of Lothian. The tower over the
crossing is 33 feet square and 86 feet in height. It contains three
pointed and cusped lancets on each side, and is without
buttresses. It appears to have been erected about 1500. At the
top, near the north-west corner, are engraved the arms and
initials of Abbot Robert Blackadder, who was afterwards
promoted to the offices of Bishop and Archbishop of Glasgow.
He was appointed to that see in 1484, and died 1508. His arms
are a chevron between three roses."
The abbey thus completed was not permitted to remain unmolested.
Described by Sir Ralph Eure as "the strength of Teviotdale," and by
Hertford as "a house of some strength which might be made a good
fortress," it was, as already mentioned, the frequent object of attacks by the
English. It was pillaged and burnt in 1544 and 1545, and never recovered
from the damage done. In 1559 the monastery was suppressed. In 1587 the
bailery of the abbey was continued or restored by a grant of King James VI.
to Sir Andrew Ker, and in 1622 the entire property of the lands and baronies
which had belonged to the canons of Jedburgh was erected into a temporal

lordship, and granted to him with the title of Lord Jedburgh. Sir Alexander
Kerr of Fernieherst was ancestor to the Marquess of Lothian.[326]
Dryburgh Abbey (Berwickshire).—The name Dryburgh has been derived by
some from the Celtic darach-bruach, "bank of the grove of oaks," and
vestiges of pagan worship have been found in the Bass Hill, a neighbouring
eminence. St. Modan, a champion of the Roman party, is said to have come
hither from Ireland in the eighth century, and a monastery on very scanty
evidence has been attributed to him. St. Mary's Abbey was founded by
Hugh de Morville, Lord of Lauderdale and Constable of Scotland, in 1150.
According to the Chronicle of Melrose, Beatrix de Beauchamp, wife of de
Morville, obtained a charter of confirmation for the new foundation from
David I.; the cemetery was said to have been consecrated on St. Martin's
Day 1150, "that no demons might haunt it"; the community, however, did
not come into residence till 13th December 1152.
The monks were Premonstratenses or White Friars; called by the latter
name because their garb was a coarse black cassock, covered by a white
woollen cape, "in imitation of the angels in heaven, who are clothed with
white garments." The monks introduced were from Alnwick. "A large part
of the domestic buildings seems to have been erected within fifty or sixty
years of the date of the foundation, as they are built in the transition style of
the beginning of the thirteenth century. The church appears to have been in
progress during the thirteenth century, as in 1242 the Bishop of St.
Andrews, owing to the debts incurred in building the monastery and other
expenses, gave the canons permission to enjoy the revenues of the churches
under their patronage, one of their number performing the office of vicar in
each parish. The canons took the oath of fidelity to Edward I. in 1296, upon
which their property was restored to them. Their possessions were widely
spread, and extended into several counties, as appears from letters
addressed by Edward regarding them to the sheriffs in the counties of Fife,
Berwick, Roxburgh, and Edinburgh."[327]
Tradition states that the English under Edward II., in their retreat in 1322,
provoked by the imprudent triumph of the monks in ringing the church bells
at their departure, returned and burned the abbey in revenge. Dr. Hill Burton
remarks that Bower cannot be quite correct in saying that Dryburgh was
entirely reduced to powder, since part of the building yet remaining is of

older date than the invasion. King Robert the Bruce contributed to its repair,
but it has been doubted whether it ever was fully restored to its former
magnificence. Certain disorders among the monks in the latter part of the
fourteenth century brought the censure of Pope Gregory XI. upon its
inmates. Being within twenty miles of the border, the abbey was frequently
exposed to hostile English attacks, and we hear of its burning by Richard II.
in 1385, by Sir Robert Bowes and Sir Bryan Latoun in 1544, and again by
the Earl of Hertford in 1545—James Stewart, the abbot commendator,
having with others crossed the Tweed into Northumberland and burned the
village of Horncliffe. It was annexed to the Crown in 1587, and the lands
were erected into a temporal barony, with the title of Lord Cardross, in
favour of the Earl of Mar, from whom they have passed by purchase
through the hands of several proprietors.
Chaucer was held to have visited the abbey, but the claim has been
demolished by Dr. Hill Burton in Billings' Antiquities. Among the
distinguished men, however, connected with the abbey was Ralph Strode,
"the Philosophicall Strode," to whom and the "moral Gower" Chaucer
inscribed his Troilus and Cresseide. He was a friend both of Chaucer and
John Wiclif.[328] Andrew Forman was superior of Dryburgh, and was much
occupied with affairs of Church and State under James IV. and James V. He
was appointed in 1501 to the bishopric of Moray, holding at the same time
the priories of Coldingham and Pittenweem, with the commendatorship of
Dryburgh. He became afterwards Archbishop of Brouges, and finally
Archbishop of St. Andrews. He is said to have written (1) Contra Lutherum,
(2) De Stoica Philosophia, (3) Collectanea Decretalium.[329]
The monastery had the usual buildings around the cloister; the
church was on the north side, and stood about ten steps above
the level of the cloister garth. The sacristy, chapter-house,
fratery, and other apartments stretch from the transept
southwards along the east side; above these, on the upper floor,
were the dormitories, entering by an open staircase from the
south transept. Along the south side of the cloisters lay the
refectory, which, on account of the slope of the ground, was
raised on a basement floor of vaulted cellars. On the west side of
the cloister garth are now only a few vaulted cellars. A small
stream runs along the S.W. side of the monastic buildings, and

beyond the stream are the remains of what seems to have been a
detached chapel.
The oldest portions of the structure are those forming the eastern
range; they are of Transitional date or about the beginning of the
thirteenth century.[330] The sacristy has a stone bench round the
walls and three steps in the floor. It has a door from the transept
and an outer semicircular-headed doorway of Transition
character from the cloister. Access is also obtained by a small
door in the north side to a wheel-stair leading to the upper
floors, and visible as a projecting turret at the S.E. angle of the
transept. The east window of the sacristy is pronounced
remarkable, having two round-headed windows surmounted by
a visica-formed aperture. It has a piscina in the south wall near
the east end. The apartment next the sacristy may originally
have been a parlour, but is now appropriated as a mausoleum.
There is an ambry in the south wall near the east end, and the
doorway is semicircular and of Norman character. The floor of
the chapter-house is several feet below the level of the cloister
walk; the ordinary central doorway and side windows opening
from the cloister are placed in their usual position on the level of
the cloister walk. The side openings were unglazed, and were
used for seeing and hearing what was proceeding in the chapter-
house below. The doorway is large and deeply recessed; the
outer arches of the windows on each side of the doorway are
plain semicircles, filled in with two pointed lights having a
central shaft.
The chapter-house retains its round barrel vault, and has three
pointed windows in the east end and two similar ones in the side
walls, where the chapter-house projects beyond the general line
of the buildings. In the interior a round arched arcade runs along
the east side, supported on single shafts, and there are traces of a
similar arcade running round the side walls. There is an entrance
doorway in the south wall; the east gable wall over the chapter-
house still exists, possessing flat buttresses of a Norman type at
the angles and between the windows, but the pointed arches
indicate Transition work. There is a lovely fragment of carved

work still preserved in the chapter-house, representing the pascal
lamb slain and surrounded by a wreath of foliage, above which
are the letters I.H.S. The vine leaves flowing from the lamb may
symbolise the branches springing from the true vine.
South of the chapter-house was probably the fratery or monks'
day room. It has been vaulted at a late period—probably third
pointed. There is a fire-place in the centre of the west wall, and
an outer doorway at the south end of the same wall. The
apartment was lighted by three plain round arched windows in
the east wall, one of which has had tracery inserted in after
times. At the N.W. angle, opening from the level of the cloister,
is a round-headed doorway, and traces of a staircase which
served as the day access to the dormitory. South of the fratery is
the slype or passage, with arched openings to the east and west.
It has also a doorway to the fratery, and another to the apartment
on the south side, the latter of which now only exists in part, the
south end of the range having been destroyed. The range of
these buildings still retains its eastern wall to the full height of
two stories—the upper story being doubtless the dormitory.
On the south side of the cloister, where the refectory once stood,
there are now only the ruins of the vaulted basement on which it
stood. At the east end of this range there is a doorway from the
cloister giving access to a staircase which led down to the lower
level of the fratery, and the remainder of the south side was
probably all occupied by the refectory. The west wall is almost
all that survives; it is now ivy-clad, and contains a picturesque
circular window, with radiating tracery. Adjoining this wall in
the S.W. angle of the cloister there is an arched recess,
apparently intended for a tomb and monument, but now empty.
Over the doorway in this angle is a large shield, containing the
arms of John Stewart, who was commendator in 1555. On the
shield are the initials J.S., with the crozier in the centre. He was
brother to the Earl of Lennox, and uncle to Lord Darnley, who
married Queen Mary. The arms are those of the Stewarts of
Lennox.

The cloister occupies a space of 93 feet by 91 feet, and was
surrounded by a vaulted walk which has entirely disappeared. It
is evident that the cloister walk was at least partly vaulted, from
the small remains of the springing of the vaults which are visible
in the eastern wall on each side of the doorway to the chapter-
house. The south wall of the nave of the church extends along
the north side of the cloister, and at the N.E. angle is the
doorway which led from the cloister into the nave—a handsome
specimen of the Transition style. The nave of the church is
entered through this handsome doorway by ten steps up from the
cloister, and presents a scene of terrible destruction. The west
end wall partly remains, "and shows by the responds attached to
it the form of the nave piers, with their caps and bases. The
position of the piers along the nave is now roughly indicated by
a collection of fragments arranged as nearly as possible in the
original position and form. The mouldings indicate a late date,
and were, doubtless, restorations; but the responds, which were
not so liable to destruction, are of first pointed date. The
responds which form part of the west wall show that there was a
central nave 28 feet wide and side aisles, each about 13 feet 6
inches wide, making a total width of 55 feet. There have been
side chapels in the nave, apparently divided by walls, some
portions of which remain, with ambries in the chapels. The
western doorway has a round arched head, but its details show
that it is of late design. This part of the edifice has apparently
been restored in the fifteenth century, after the destruction of the
abbey by Richard II. in the end of the fourteenth century."[331]
The transept has a slight projection to the north and south; this
part of the building and all to the east of it are evidently of
thirteenth century work, but only a few detached portions
remain. The south transept gable has a large window filled with
simple pointed tracery, rising in steps above the roof of the
dormitory. The arch through which the stair to the dormitory
passed is visible in this wall. To the east of the transept is a choir
of two bays, with aisles, and beyond which is an aisleless
presbytery. The portions left are pronounced to be of a very

beautiful design, both internally and externally. The exterior is
simple but elegant, and of first pointed work; the interior shows
evidence of more advanced design. The clerestory is of beautiful
design; "each bay contains an arcade of three arches, the central
one, which is opposite the window, being larger than the side
arches. The arches are supported on detached piers, behind
which runs a gallery. These piers each consist of two shafts, with
central fillet. They have first pointed round caps, over which a
round block receives the arch mouldings as they descend. A
small portion of the north end of the transept adjoins the above,
which shows that the structure has been carried up in two stories
of richly moulded windows, all in the same style as the
adjoining portions of the choir. The remaining portion of the
aisle is vaulted with moulded ribs springing from responds and
corbels corresponding in style with the choir."[332]
Here rests the dust of Sir Walter Scott and his kinsfolk, and of it
Alexander Smith wrote that "when the swollen Tweed raves as it
sweeps, red and broad, round the ruins of Dryburgh, you think
of him who rests there—the magician asleep in the lap of
legends old, the sorcerer buried in the heart of the land he has
made enchanted."
Dunfermline Abbey (Fife).—Dunfermline was from a very early period the
residence of the kings of Scotland and here Malcolm Canmore had his
tower; here he entertained the royal fugitives from England, and married the
Princess Margaret in 1068. The Glen of Pittencrieff contains the remains of
the Tower of Malcolm Canmore, and of a subsequent royal palace, and they
were in 1871 pronounced by the House of Lords to be Crown property.
Malcolm's Tower is believed to have been built between 1057 and 1070,
and the royal palace may have been founded as early as 1100, although
more likely it was not built till after the departure of Edward I. of England,
in February 1304. The kings of Scotland, from Robert Bruce onward,
appear to have frequently resided in the palace.
According to Turgot, Queen Margaret, after her marriage, founded a church
"in that place where her nuptials were celebrated," and it was dedicated to
the Holy Trinity in 1074. It became the place of royal sepulture, and Queen

Margaret was buried within it. There are frequent references from this time
onwards of grants to the church of the Holy Trinity, and to interments of
royal personages therein. "The original church of Canmore," says Professor
Innes, "perhaps not of stone, must have been replaced by a new edifice
when it was dedicated in the reign of David I.,"[333] and Messrs.
MacGibbon and Ross add
"As no notice has been preserved of the erection of any new
church till the building of the choir in the first quarter of the
thirteenth century, it has been supposed that the nave of the
existing structure (which is in the Norman style) may have been
the church founded and erected by Queen Margaret. But the
style of the building forbids this supposition. None of the
English cathedrals were founded till the end of the eleventh
century, and few were carried out till the expiry of the first
quarter of the twelfth century. Scotland would certainly not be in
advance of England in its style of architecture, and we know that
little, if any, Norman work was executed in this country till the
days of David I.... The style of the structure is early Norman,
and would naturally follow the erection of Durham Cathedral,
which took place about twenty-five years earlier."[334]
The same authorities think that the original church of Malcolm stood where
the new choir was afterwards erected, and that David I. added the Norman
nave to it.
"The nature of the site seems to favour this view, as the ground
to the west slopes rapidly away, and scarcely allows room for
the west end of the nave; while the conventual buildings, for
want of suitable space, have had to be carried with an archway
over a public street."[335]
Alexander I. seems to have contemplated its erection into an abbey, and in
the year of his succession David I. remodelled it as a Benedictine Abbey,
and placed in it an abbot and twelve brethren brought from Canterbury. By
the close of the thirteenth century it had become one of the most
magnificent institutions in Scotland.

David I., after introducing the Benedictine order, probably added the
Norman nave to the then existing church erected by his royal parents, and it
was evidently resolved at no distant time from this to rebuild the early
church and form a new choir and transept worthy of the new settlement.
This was done, and between 1216 and 1226 the choir, aisles, transept, and
presbytery were erected, and Abbot Patrick, formerly Dean and Prior of
Canterbury, presided at Dunfermline during the whole of the above time.
Appeals were made to the Popes Honorius III. and Gregory IX. on account
of the expenses incurred by church erection and the increase of the number
of canons from thirty to fifty.
In the dispute of 1249 regarding the consecration of the new choir, Pope
Honorious IV. decided that a new consecration was not necessary, as the
consecrated walls of the oldest part (the nave) continued in use. In that year
Queen Margaret was canonised, and in 1250 her body was transferred from
the old church to the new lady chapel in presence of all the chief men of the
kingdom. "The translation of the saintly foundress," says Professor Innes,
"was probably arranged to give solemnity to the opening of the new
church."[336] This is known in history as the "Translation of S. Margaret,"
and the "grate companie" of king, nobles, bishops, abbots, and dignitaries in
procession kept time "to the sound of the organ and the melodious notes of
the choir singing in parts." Soon after this, describing what it had become
towards the close of the thirteenth century, Matthew of Westminster wrote:
"Its boundaries were so ample, containing within its precincts three
carrucates of land, and having so many princely buildings, that three potent
sovereigns, with their retinues, might have been accommodated with
lodgings here at the same time without incommoding one another." In 1244
it had become a mitred abbey, Pope Innocent IV. having, at the request of
Alexander II., empowered and authorised the abbot to assume the mitre, the
ring, and other pontifical ornaments; and in the same year, in consideration
of the excessive coldness of the climate, he granted to the monks the
privilege of wearing caps suitable to their order; but they were,
notwithstanding, enjoined to show proper reverence at the Elevation of the
Host and other ceremonies.[337]
"This sumptuous pile," says Professor Innes, "was destroyed and levelled
with the ground by the soldiers of Edward in 1303, excepting only the
church and a few dwellings for the monks[338]—Edward I. of England

having occupied it from 6th November 1303 to 10th February 1304. It was
restored, probably in much less than its former magnificence, after Bruce
was settled on the Scottish throne, and it evidently remained in that
condition until 28th March 1560, when the choir, transepts, and belfry were,
with the monastic buildings, "cast down.""
It was a very wealthy abbey, and the greater part of the lands in the western,
southern, and eastern districts of Fife, as well as in other counties, belonged
to it. The abbey also possessed many rights, and the abbot was Superior of
lands—the property of others—and received the resignation of his vassals
sitting on their bended knees, and testifying all due humility. The abbot and
convent were invested with the power of enforcing their rights by
excommunication, and they exercised it on several occasions. The abbey
possessed the right of a free regality, with civil jurisdiction equivalent to
that of a sheriff over the occupiers of the lands belonging to it, and with a
criminal jurisdiction equivalent to that of the Crown, wielding the power of
life and death. A bailie of regality, appointed by the abbot, and officiating in
his name, resided in an edifice called the Bailie House, near the Queen's
House, and presided in the regality courts.
The abbey church succeeded Iona as a place of royal sepulture, and kings,
queens, and princes were buried within it. Gordon gives the list of eight
kings, five queens, seven princes, and two princesses, besides other notable
persons,[339] so that it may well be called the "Scottish Westminster."
The abbey church, when complete, was cruciform, and
comprised a seven-bayed nave, with side aisles, a transept, a
choir with a lady chapel, and three towers, two western ones
terminating the aisles and flanking the gable of the nave, and the
great central tower rising from the crossing. The monastic
buildings were also on a magnificent scale, but of the church
and monastic structures there only now remain the Norman
nave, the base of the Lady Chapel, and part of the refectory and
kitchen.
The nave is well preserved and the piers are circular. The plan of
these with that of the wall responds shows that the original
intention was to groin the aisles. The two eastern bays between

the eastern pillars are built up with solid masonry, and only a
portion of the arches is visible. The two western bays and the
triforium arches above them have also been filled up with solid
building to strengthen the western towers.[340] "The pillars
which support the west towers are of greater size than the others,
and are of a different section. One of the pillars and the
corresponding arch of the north arcade are of late Gothic work,
and may be part of the repairs ordered by the Privy Council in
1563, or of the work done in 1594 under the direction of
William Schaw, Master of Works, who at that time built the
north-west tower and steeple, as well as the porch on the north
side of the nave. At the same time, also, certain great buttresses
were built against the outer walls, which are now conspicuous
features of the structure."[341]
The great western doorway, a good example of Norman work,
remains unaltered, and consists of five orders, having alternately
round and octagonal shafts, chiefly with cushion caps, but some
are ornamented with scrolls. The abacus is heavy, and is carved
with sunk diapers. The orders are continued round the arches,
and contain chevron ornaments (much decayed), rosettes, and
diapers.[342] The outer order contains large heads and geometric
figures in the alternate voussoirs—an arrangement similar to
that of Whithorn and Dalmeny, where the geometric figures also
resemble those adopted here.[343] The original north doorway,
partly concealed by Schaw's porch, is similar in design, with the
addition of an arcade above the arch, resembling but still plainer
than that over the doorway of Dalmeny Church. The south
doorway of the church is of late work, and there appears to have
been another south doorway at the east end of the nave, but it is
now built up.[344] The whole of the aisle walls are arcaded in the
interior up to the height of the window sills, but the arcade has
been partly cut away for monuments. The general design of the
nave recalls that of Durham Cathedral, and Dr. Joseph
Robertson remarks, "Though not of great size, the sombre
masses of the (nave) interior are impressive. The English visitor
will remark more than one point of resemblance to Durham and

Lindisfarne; and there is no violence in the conjecture that the
same head may have planned, or the same hands have hewn,
part of all the three. We know that when the foundations of
Durham were laid in 1093 by the confessor and biographer of
St. Margaret, her husband Malcolm was present; and when the
new church received the relics of St. Cuthbert in 1104, her son
Alexander witnessed the rites.[345] Both at Durham and
Dunfermline there are the same circular piers with zig-zag
ornaments, and massive cushion caps and clustered piers occur
in each. The small circular bases, resting on great square plinths,
are also common to both. The triforium and clerestory are
simple in design, and the aisles are vaulted and groined. The
windows of the aisles are single round-headed lights, having
plain sconsions, with one recessed shaft on each side, and the
arch enriched with chevron mouldings.[346] Internally and
externally they are of similar design.
From the existence of the large west end pillars, it was evidently
intended from the first to have two western towers. The northern
one, along with the upper part of the adjoining gable, was
destroyed to a considerable extent at the Reformation, and in its
present state it was designed and built up by William Schaw.
The bold corbelling at the top recalls the similar treatment of the
towers of St. Machar's, Aberdeen, and other examples derived
from domestic architecture.[347] The south-west tower seems to
have remained intact, although in a ruinous condition, till 1807,
when it fell, having been struck with lightning. Three years later
the present top was put on the old walls.[348] The Lady Chapel at
the east end was built to receive Queen Margaret's shrine, and is
now reduced to a small fragment, consisting of part of the south
and east walls, which remain to the height of about 2 or 3 feet.
"It has been a small structure of about 26 feet 9 inches by 22
feet, of delicate and refined pointed work, as is apparent from
the bases of the wall arcading and the edge of the surrounding
seat, enriched with nail-head ornaments, which still exist. The
Lady Chapel appears from an old view to have been a low
structure, reaching only to the sill of the great east window of

the choir, and it was evidently vaulted in two compartments."
[349]

No stones now remain of the thirteenth century choir, as they
were all removed to make room for the modern church, begun in
1818; before this, however, considerable remains of the choir
and the whole of the foundations were standing.[350] The choir
was a prolongation of the present nave, having transepts and a
great aisle on the north side. There was a lofty central tower of
two stories, with three windows in each storey facing the four
sides, and it was this part of the structure which suffered on the
28th March 1560, when "the wholl lordis and barnis that were
on thys syde of Forth passed to Stirling, and be the way kest
doun the Abbey of Dunfermling."[351] The nave was used as a
parish church till 1821, when the new choir was opened. In the
south transept of it are three much-admired white marble
monuments: General Bruce's by Foley (1868), the Hon.
Dashwood Preston Bruce's by Noble (1870), and Lady Augusta
Stanley's by Miss Grant of Kilgraston (1876). The remains of
King Robert the Bruce were discovered in 1818 at the digging
for the foundation of the new parish church. They were found
wrapped in a pall of cloth of gold, thrown apparently over two
coverings of sheet lead, in which the body was encased, all
being enclosed in a stone coffin. "There was strong internal
evidence of the remains being those of Robert Bruce, and after a
cast of the skull had been taken, they were replaced in the
coffin, immersed in melted pitch, and reinterred under mason
work in front of the pulpit of the new parish church. An inlaid
monumental brass was in 1889 inserted in the floor over his
tomb." Near the east end of the church is a square tower, with
terminals showing an open hewn stone-work, in place of a
Gothic balustrade, having in capitals on the four sides of the
tower's summit the words "King Robert the Bruce," and at each
corner of the tower there is a lofty pinnacle.
The church occupies a commanding situation, from which the
ground falls away on the west and south sides. The monastic
buildings were on the south side of the nave, but on a lower

level. Of these structures considerable remains still exist. "The
ground between the dark walls and the church has, in recent
years, been levelled up, the outer portions of the monastic
buildings serving as retaining walls. With the exception of these
outer walls, the site of the monastery is thus buried."[352]
The refectory stood on the south side of the cloister, and the
whole length and height of its south and west walls still exist.
The south wall was divided into seven bays, and in six of them
there are lofty two-light windows. The eastern bay has a reading
desk, from which one of the monks read aloud during meals. It
is lighted from the outside by two windows. On the side next the
hall there are two lofty openings.[353]
Adjoining the refectory on the south-west is a large tower,
beneath which runs St. Catherine's Wynd, through a "pend" or
archway, whence it is called the "Pend Tower." "The outside of
the refectory and 'Pend Tower' is very imposing, with a simple
row of lofty buttresses and windows along the top. The west
gable wall of the refectory is still entire, and has a large window
of seven lights. The tracery of this window is in good
preservation, and is one of the most favourable examples of a
kind of tracery developed in Scotland during the fifteenth
century. At the north-west corner of the refectory is the staircase
tower, which leads down to the offices below, and upwards to
the refectory roof, over which access was obtained to the upper
story of the 'Pend Tower.' In the north wall of the refectory, near
the west end, are the remains of a flue, which may have
belonged to a fire-place. The 'Pend Tower' is still entire, wanting
only the cape house and roof. It served as a connecting passage
between the abbey buildings and the royal palace beyond. A
door led from the refectory by a passage into a groined chamber,
and from thence into a room in the palace situated over the
kitchen. The kitchen is a lofty room, now roofless, having
remains of large fire-places and some curious recesses. Below
the kitchen, but entering from another part of the palace, there is
a large vaulted apartment with central pillars. These pillars were
continued up through the kitchen, and probably to the room,

now gone, which stood over the kitchen. Another arched
passage led from this apartment through below St. Catherine's
Wynd and up to the monastery. The building known as the
palace was doubtless intimately connected with the monastery,
and the kitchen may have been used in connection with both."
[354] Within the "Pend Tower" on the first floor is a five-sided
room with a fire-place, and it appears to have been a sort of
guard room. It is vaulted and has irregularly placed ribs. Over
this, and entering from the circular stair adjoining, is another
groin-vaulted room, which had a fire-place of good design.
The passage and staircase are additions made at the time when
the tower was built, and the arches were thrown between the
already existing buttresses of the refectory, and in the second
bay the arch is at a low level to permit of the descending stair,
while the builders have just managed to save a very beautiful
doorway belonging to the earlier building, and now hardly seen
in the shadow of the overhanging addition.[355] To the east of the
refectory is a narrow chamber with the remains of a two-light
window in the south wall, and projecting southwards from this
is the lower part of the wall of the fratery, reaching as high as
the floor of the refectory. On the east side of the fratery extends
the south wall of a building called the Baillery Prison.[356] These
fragmentary structures exhaust the remains of the monastic
buildings. The chapter-house was on the east side of the cloister
garth. The monastery was burned by Edward I. in 1303-4, but
Tytler says the church escaped.[357] Froissart states that in 1385
Richard II. burned the abbey and town, and it is doubted if any
of the existing monastic buildings belong to an earlier date than
that last mentioned.[358] "William Schaw, Master of Works,
besides the buildings already referred to,[359] erected in 1594
certain of the immense buttresses which form such conspicuous
features in all the views of the abbey. He likewise built, and
doubtless designed, the Queen's House and the Bailie and
Constabulary House. In connection with the latter houses there
are considerable remains of buildings still existing to the north-
west of the abbey, and there seems every probability that they

formed part of the structures of the abbey and of the Queen's
House. They are extremely picturesque as seen from the low
ground to the west. The lofty house on the right hand dates
probably from the end of the seventeenth century, and is a fine
example of the period. The adjoining buildings are considerably
earlier, and in the lower parts, where they are buttressed, they
are probably of pre-Reformation times. The upper portions are
somewhat later, and are very likely part of the work of Schaw.
The porch to the latter buildings is on the other side, and is
quaint and well known from being seen from the church.
William Schaw died in 1602, and was buried in the nave, when
the monument to his memory was erected by order of Queen
Anne."[360]
Paisley Abbey (Renfrewshire).—In his history of this great abbey, the Very
Rev. Dr. Cameron Lees thus describes its situation:—
"In the heart of the busy town of Paisley stands the Abbey, its
venerable appearance contrasting most strangely with its
surroundings. Many chimneys—so many that it seems
impossible to count them—pour forth their smoke on every side
of it; crowds of operatives jostle past it; heavily laden carts
cause its old walls to tremble; the whirr of machinery and the
whistle of the railway engine break in upon its repose; while
within a stone's throw of it flows the River Cart, the manifold
defilements of which have passed into a proverb. But it is not
difficult, even without being imaginative, to see how beautiful
for situation was once the spot where the Abbey rose in all its
unimpaired and stately grace. It stood on a fertile and perfectly
level piece of ground, close by the Cart, then a pure mountain
stream, which, after falling over some bold and picturesque
rocks in the middle of its channel, moved quietly by the Abbey
walls on its course to the Clyde. Divided from the Abbey by this
stream, rose wooded slopes, undulating like waves of the sea till
they reached the lofty ridge called the Braes of Gleniffer, from
the summit of which the lay brother, as he herded his cattle or
swine, could get views of the Argyleshire hills, the sharp peaks
of Arran, and the huge form of Ben Lomond. To the north, on

the other side of the Clyde, were the fertile glades of Kilpatrick,
and beyond, the Campsie range. Gardens and deer parks girdled
the Abbey round; few houses were near except the little village
of dependants on the other side of the stream; and no sound
beyond the precincts broke the solitude, save the wind as it
roared through the beech forest, the bell of a distant chapel, or,
on a calm evening, the chimes of the Cathedral of Saint Mungo,
seven miles away. It was a well-chosen spot, answering in every
way the requirements of the Benedictines, who, we are told,
"preferred to build in an open position at the back of a wooded
chain of hills.""[361]
Paisley illustrates what was said by Dr. Cosmo Innes regarding the country
as a whole.
"Scotland of the twelfth century had no cause to regret the
endowment of a church.... Repose was the one thing most
wanted, and people found it under the protection of the crozier."
[362]

The Church became the great factor in the development of civilisation
throughout the district. Had not the monastic system been good, it would
not have lasted so long; had it not had within it the elements of weakness, it
would not have come to such an untimely end. And even while we criticise
it is well to recall the words of Newman: "Not a man in Europe who talks
bravely against the Church, but owes it to the Church that he can talk at
all."[363]
The great abbey of Paisley was much to its neighbourhood, and its history
is the history of its district. It is a memorial of the coming to Scotland of the
great family of Stewart, which has left such a deep impress on Scottish
history. Walter, son of Alan of Shropshire, joined David I. at the siege of
Winchester, and the king showed to him great favour, taking him into his
household, and conferring on him the title of Lord High Steward of
Scotland. King Malcolm was even more generous, ratified the title to Walter
and his heirs, and bestowed on him a wide territory, chiefly in
Renfrewshire.[364] The Steward soon colonised after the fashion of the time,
built a castle for himself in the neighbourhood of Renfrew, and gave

holdings to his followers throughout the wide territory of Strathgyff, as his
Renfrewshire property was called. But in those days no colonisation was
complete without a monastery, and this the Lord High Steward proceeded to
found, entering into an agreement with Humbold, Prior of Wenlock Abbey
in the native county of his family, to establish at "Passelay" a house of the
Cluniac Order of Benedictines, being the same order as the house at
Wenlock. Humbold in 1169 brought thirteen monks from the parent house,
and, having settled them at Renfrewshire in an island of the Clyde called
the King's Inch, returned to Wenlock. There was at this time in Paisley an
early church, dedicated to St. Mirinus, an Irish saint of the sixth century,
and a disciple of the great school of St. Congal at Bangor. St. Mirin was a
contemporary of St. Columba, and must have been a friend of the great
apostle of Scotland. He was probably the founder of the early Celtic church
at Paisley, and seems to have been an itinerant preacher round the district,
regarding Paisley as his centre, where at last, "full of miracles and holiness,
he slept in the Lord." It matters little whether these legends regarding
miracles are historically correct, for the value lies in the moral of them.
"The falsehood would not have been invented unless it had started in a
truth, and in all these legends there is set forth the victory of a good and
beneficent man over evil, whether it be of matter or of spirit."[365]
When the monks had founded their church at Paisley they dedicated it to the
Virgin Mary, to St. James, St. Milburga, and St. Mirinus. St. James was the
patron saint of the Stewarts, and to him the church on the Inch of Renfrew,
where the monks first took up their abode, was dedicated. St. Milburga was
the patron saint of Wenlock, and it was natural that the Shropshire monks
should place their new home at Paisley under the patronage of a saint whom
they held in reverence, and who was a link between Paisley and the scene of
former days. St. Mirinus was the Celtic saint of the neighbourhood, and by
calling the new monastery after his name they reconciled the sympathies of
the people to themselves, and connected their church with the old historic
church of Scotland. The monastery was at first in the second rank of
religious houses, and was ruled by a prior. The abbey of Clugny was very
jealous of raising any of its subordinate houses to the rank of an abbey, but
it was very inconvenient for the monastery of Paisley to be in subjection to
one so far away as the French abbot, and commissioners appointed by a
papal bull in 1219 decreed that the monks of Paisley might proceed to the

canonical election of an abbot, the patron of Paisley, the Lord High Stewart,
also giving his permission. Twenty-six years later, the abbot of Clugny
surrendered his rights, which had been reserved by the papal bull,—the
monks, through the Bishop of Glasgow, promising prompt payment of the
two marks for the future, and undertaking that the abbot of Paisley should
personally or by proxy visit Clugny every seven years to make obeisance
and render an account to his superior.[366]
William was probably the first abbot of Paisley, and he presided from 1225
to 1248. He established and consolidated the prosperity of the convent, and
obtained from the Popes several bulls conferring privileges on the
monastery.[367]
The following picture, drawn by a master-hand, has been applied by Dr.
Lees to the monastic life at Paisley during the prosperous reigns of
Alexander II. and III.
"In black tunics, the mementoes of death, and in leathern
girdles, the emblems of chastity, might then be seen carters
silently yoking their bullocks to the team, and driving them in
silence to the field, or shepherds interchanging some inevitable
whispers while they watched their flocks; or wheelwrights,
carpenters, and masons plying their trades like the inmates of
some dumb asylum, and all pausing from their labours as the
convent bell, sounding the hours of prime, nones, or vespers,
summoned them to join in spirit where they could not repair in
person, to those sacred offices. Around the monastic buildings
might be seen the belt of cultivated land continually encroaching
on the adjoining forest, and the passer-by might trace to the toil
of these mute workmen the opening of roads, the draining of
marshes, the herds grazing, and the harvests waving in security
under the shelter of ecclesiastical privileges which even the
Estergoth and Vandal regarded with respect. If we exchange for
the 'Estergoth and Vandal' the marauding baron and Highland
chief, the picture is a true one of the surroundings of Paisley
Abbey in those peaceful years."[368]

"During the prosperous reigns of Kings Alexander II. and III.
the church was erected, but of the work of that period (the
thirteenth century) there remain only a portion of the west front
and part of the south wall of the nave, including the south-east
doorway to the cloister and three windows. The structure
appears to have suffered severely during the War of
Independence. It stood in the vicinity of Elderslie, the land of
Sir William Wallace, and doubtless met with a similar savage
treatment to that allotted to the patriot leader. It is stated to have
been burnt by the English in 1307, and the burning would
appear to have led to a very complete destruction of the edifice,
as the portions of the original work which survive are very
small."[369]
The abbey church was a parish church, within the territory of which the
house of Elderslie was situated, and the connection of the family of
Elderslie with the monks of Paisley would naturally be very close. Wallace
himself was probably educated at the school of the Paisley Clunaics,[370]
and the influence of the abbey may have helped to mould within him the
character which Fordun thus describes:—
"He (Wallace) venerated the church and respected the clergy; his
greatest abhorrence was for falsehood and lying; his uttermost
loathing for treason, and therefore the Lord was with him,
through whom he was a man whose every work prospered in his
hand."[371]
The monks of Paisley during the times of Wallace and Bruce were on the
patriotic side. After Bruce had murdered the Red Comyn before the altar of
the Franciscan friars at Dumfries, the deed lay heavy on his conscience, and
the Steward used his influence with the Pope to procure absolution. A
commission was issued to the abbot of Paisley by Berengarius, the
penitentiary of the Pope, to absolve the Bruce and appoint him proper
penance for his crime.
"How the duty committed to him was discharged by the Abbot
or what penance he enjoined, we do not know. It may have been
to fulfil the penance imposed at Paisley that Bruce desired so

ardently to visit the Holy Sepulchre. He was excommunicated
again soon afterwards, and years elapsed before he was finally
restored to the favour of the Church; but his absolution at
Paisley was a gleam of sunshine in the midst of his stormy life,
and one of the most interesting pictures in the history of our
abbey is that of the monarch kneeling before its altar and amidst
its fire-stained walls."[372]
James, the Steward, died on 16th July 1309, and, like the earlier Stewarts,
was probably buried in the ruined abbey. He was succeeded by his son
Walter, who married Marjory, the daughter of Robert the Bruce. Their
married life was short, and the untimely death of Marjory took place within
a year. Walter died at Bathgate in 1326, and, like his wife, was buried in the
abbey.

"When long time their dule had made
The corps to Paslay have they had,
And there with great solemnity
And with great dule eirded was he."

Robert, the son of Walter and Marjory, was but a boy of ten or eleven years
of age at his father's death, but he was a boy with great expectations. Failing
the death of the king's son without heirs, the Scottish Parliament had
solemnly ratified his succession to the Scottish throne. King Robert the
Bruce died in 1329, and his only son, David II., succeeded him. By neither
of his marriages had he any issue, and he was succeeded by his sister's son,
Robert II., who became the founder of the Stewart dynasty.
"The abbey was now under royal patronage, and Walter, the son
of Alan, its founder—the Shropshire colonist—the progenitor of
a race of kings."[373]
Under royal favour and patronage the abbey entered on a course of
prosperity, unbroken till the time of the Reformation. Robert II. died in
1390, and was buried at Scone.
"If this be true, he was the first of the Stewarts who were laid
elsewhere than in the precincts of the abbey, and the
circumstance is all the more strange because Elizabeth More, the

much-loved wife of his youth, and Euphan Ross, his queen, are
buried there."[374]
Robert III. had two sons, the elder of whom was David, Duke of Rothesay
(1378-1402). He was under the guardianship of Albany, who after a short
time starved him to death at Falkland. Robert, anxious for the safety of his
younger son, James, resolved to send him to France, but on his way thither
he was captured by an English vessel, and thereafter imprisoned in the
Tower of London. There is good reason for believing that Albany and the
Douglases had to do with the imprisonment of the Prince, and they did
everything to prevent his release. When the news was brought to the king in
the castle of Rothesay, he succumbed to paroxysms of grief, and died 4th
April 1406.
"Touched by grief," says Fordun, "his bodily strength vanished,
his countenance paled, and, borne down by sorrow, he refused
all food, until at last he breathed forth his spirit to his Creator."
He was buried in the abbey of Paisley before the high altar, and was the last
of the Stewarts who was laid there.[375]
After the destruction of the abbey, caused by the wars with England, the
edifice seems to have remained for long in a dismantled condition, but gifts
having been received from the Bishops of Argyle and Glasgow to aid the
restoration of the building, the work was begun. Besides, the abbey was
from 1388 to 1408 under the ban of excommunication, and this must have
powerfully added to the delay in the building operations. Part of this work
was carried out under Abbot Lithgow (1384-1433), who was buried by his
own desire in the north porch, where his memory is still preserved. The
chief part of the rebuilding of the abbey church was carried out under Abbot
Thomas de Tervas (1445-1459). The Chronicle of Auchinleck says of this
abbot:—
"The quhilk wes ane richt gud man, and helplyk to the place of
ony that ever wes, for he did mony notabil thingis, and held ane
nobil hous, and wes ay wele purvait. He fand the place al out of
gud reule, and destitute of leving, and al the kirkis in lordis
handis, and the kirk unbiggit. The bodie of the kirk fra the bucht
stair up he biggit, and put on the ruf, and theekit it with sclats

and riggit it with stane, and biggit ane great porcioun of the
steple, and ane staitlie yet-hous: and brocht hame mony gude
jowellis, and clathis of gold, silver, and silk, and mony gud
bukis, and made statelie stallis, and glassynnit mekle of al the
kirk, and brocht hame the staitliest tabernakle that wes in al
Skotland, and the maist costlie: and schortlie he brocht al the
place to fredome and fra nocht till ane michty place, and left it
out of al kind of det, and al fredome, till dispone as them lykit,
and left ane of the best myteris that wes in Skotland, and
chandillaris of silver, and ane lettren of brass, with mony uther
gud jowellis."[376]
Abbot Thomas is said to have obtained the privilege of having a tavern and
selling wine within the gates of the monastery, and is believed to have
raised money thereby for the reconstruction of his church.[377] The quaint
language of the ancient Chronicle of Auchinleck, translated into ordinary
English, means that besides journeying to Rome and procuring the articles
mentioned, he carried up the triforium and clerestory, finished the roof,
erected a great part of the steeple, and built a stately gate-house.
At the death of Abbot Tervas, Pope Pius II. decreed that the disposition of
the office and of the whole revenues of the monastery should fall to the
Pope, and he appointed Henry Crichton, a monk of Dunfermline, to be
commendator of the abbey, and assigned a pension of 300 florins out of the
revenues to Pietro Barlo, Cardinal of St. Mark's in Venice, to be paid to him
by Henry and his successors at the Feast of St. John the Baptist, under pain
of excommunication, in case of his failing to make payment within thirty
days after the appointed term, and total deprivation if he persisted in his
opposition six months after his excommunication. When he got himself
fairly installed as abbot he declined to pay the stipulated pension to the
Cardinal of St. Mark's, and made some legal quibble the ground of his
neglect. Trouble followed, and since this, the appointment of its first
commendator, the rights of the abbey began to be invaded. Abbot George
Shaw (1472-1498) endeavoured to guard the monastery against
encroachments; he built a refectory and other structures, reared a lofty
tower over the principal gate, enclosed the church, the precincts of the
convent, the gardens, and a little park for deer within a wall about a mile in
circuit.[378] Of this once magnificent wall, with its four-sided beautiful

stones and lofty statues, very few fragments now remain, but there are still
two tablets that belonged to it. The central shield bears the royal arms, the
shields to the right and left of it the Stewart arms and the abbot's own; and
there is an inscription by the pious builder himself, which is as follows:—

Ye call it ye Abbot Georg of Schawe
About yis Abbey gart make yis waw
A thousande four hundereth zheyr
Auchty ande fywe the date but veir
[Pray for his saulis salvacioun]
That made thys nobil fundacioun.

It has been thought that this inscription was designed by John Morow,
whose name appears on a tablet in Melrose Abbey.[379]
"The character of the lettering in design and workmanship is the
same as at Melrose. The references to the building operations,
the poetical form of the composition, the manner in which the
names are introduced, 'Callit was I,' and 'Ye callit,' and the
devout expressions with which they close, make it clear that the
inscriptions are the work of the same author."
The fifth line is chiselled away, and was possibly deleted because it did not
harmonise with the theology of the Reformed Church.
Abbot George Shaw was succeeded by his nephew, Robert Shaw, vicar of
Munkton, and a son of the Governor of Stirling. He was canonically
elected, and his election was approved by the Crown,—the Pope also gave
his consent on condition that Robert Shaw should take the monastic habit
within six months, and decreed that the old abbot should enjoy as his
pension a third part of the fruits of the monastery, and might return to his
former position when he thought proper. Robert Shaw took office in 1498,
and his uncle lived for some years after, "the pensioner of the abbey" as he
is called in charters. George Shaw died probably in 1505, and Dr. Lees says
of him:—
"He filled his place well, and the visitor to Paisley who sees his
shield of three covered cups with the pastoral crook behind them
upon the wall of one of the outhouses, which has been ruthlessly

transformed by modern iconoclasts, or reads the defaced
inscription which tells of the 'nobil fundacioun' he reared, will
do well to remember that they are the memorials of a good man,
one of the best of his time, to whose wisdom and benevolence
the town of Paisley owes its existence."[380]
This refers to the creation of Paisley as a burgh by Abbot Shaw, who
obtained in 1488 a charter creating the village of Paisley into a free burgh of
barony, and thereby raising the status of the people both socially and
politically. The burgher was no longer in the condition of a serf or slave,
who could be transferred from one master to another, and he escaped from
all the severities and exactions of the feudal system. The burghs had power
of self-government, and were able to develop commercial and industrial
operations. The burgh of Paisley was endowed with the usual privileges,
and a right to hold a market every Monday, and two yearly fairs—one on
the day of St. Mirren, and the other on the day of St. Marnock. In 1490 the
abbot and chapter granted to the magistrates of the burgh in feu-farm the
ground on which the old town stands and certain other privileges.
After an examination of the Rental Book, Dr. Lees regards it as
"corroborating all that historians tell us regarding the lands of those
ecclesiastics being the best cultivated and the best managed in Scotland....
The neighbourhood of a convent was always recognisable by the well-
cultivated land and the happy tenantry which surrounded it, and those of the
Abbey of Paisley were no exception to the general rule prevailing
throughout the rest of Scotland.[381]
"The monks were kind masters. No cases of eviction or
deprivation are recorded. The same lands descended without rise
of rent from father to son. Children are held bound to maintain
their parents in their old age, and widows are specially cared for,
and are occasionally provided with another husband!"[382]
During the fifteenth century many altars were erected and endowed by the
burgesses, and the Chapel of St. Mirin, which occupies part of the site of
the south transept, was erected in 1499, and endowed by James Crawford of
Kylwynet, a burgess of Paisley, and his wife.

Abbot Robert (1498-1525) was received on 19th October 1525 as Bishop of
Moray in the cathedral of his northern diocese, and the next abbot was John
Hamilton, a natural son of the Earl of Arran, who had entered the church as
a monk of Kilwinning, and whom Magnus speaks of with contempt as a
"yonge thing." The earl was high in favour with the queen, who had at the
time the disposal of the church benefices, and he wished the bishopric for
his son. The queen, however, appointed Abbot Robert to the see of Moray,
and Hamilton to the abbey of Paisley. It was one of the deeds of shame
enacted in the Scottish Church which ultimately brought its severe
judgment.
Abbot John Hamilton (1525-1547) rebuilt at immense cost the first tower
that appears to have had insecure foundation, and fell. It seems to have had
an untimely end, falling, according to one account, with its own weight, and
with it the choir of the church, or, according to an another account, being
struck with lightning. In 1559, with Kilwinning and Dunfermline, the abbey
of Paisley was suppressed, and what that meant can best be expressed in the
words of Sir Walter Scott:—
"They fumigated the church with burnt wool and feathers
instead of incense, put foul water into the holy-water basins;
they sung ludicrous and indecent parodies to the tunes of church
hymns; they violated whatever vestments belonging to the abbey
they could lay their hands upon; and playing every freak which
the whim of the moment could suggest to their wild caprice. At
length they fell to more lasting deeds of demolition, pulled
down and destroyed carved woodwork, dashed out the painted
windows, and in their vigorous search after sculpture dedicated
to idolatry, began to destroy what ornaments yet remained entire
upon the tombs and around the cornices of the pillars."
Although the monks were expelled, the people of Paisley still continued
firm in adhering to the old faith, and the doors of the abbey were "steyked"
against the reformed preachers. The abbot and his friends were accused as
"in the toun of Paslay, Kirkyard and Abbey place thereof,
openlie, publicklie, and plainlie taking auricular confession in
the said kirk, toun, kirkyaird, chalmeris, barns, middens, and

killogies thereof, and thus makand an alteration and innovation
in the state of religion, which our Soverane Lady found
publicklie standing and professit within this realm, ministrand,
and alswa irreverently and indecentlie the Sacramentis of Holy
Kirk, namely, the Sacramentis of the Body and Blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ."
It was a serious charge, and if proven was punishable by death. Hamilton
had a powerful friend in Queen Mary, who interfered in his behalf, and he
and his companions were committed to ward.
Besides retaining the office of abbot at Paisley, Hamilton was appointed
Bishop of Dunkeld in 1543-44 by his brother, acting for the Queen, and
after the murder of Cardinal Beaton, on 29th May 1546, was raised to the
position of Archbishop of St. Andrews and Primate of Scotland. Probably
he never returned to Paisley until, in the adversities of his later years, and
the monastery being sacked and burnt by the Reformers, he was forced to
take refuge at Dumbarton Castle, where he was made prisoner, and
afterwards executed at Stirling. The Master of Sempill had been appointed
bailie of the monastery, and, at the dissolution, the whole of the church
property was handed over to Lord Sempill. The property finally came into
the possession of Lord Claud Hamilton, nephew of the archbishop, and the
monastic buildings were converted into the "Place of Paisley," the residence
of the Abercorn family.
After the archbishop's execution his body was quartered, and afterwards
buried, probably in Paisley. Dr. Lees says:—
"There is in the church a tablet, which looks as if it had marked
his grave. It has upon it the archbishop's coat of arms, the letters
J. H., the initials of his name, and the motto he assumed, and
which contrasts strangely with his troubled life and tragic end
—'Misericordia et Pax.'"[383]
Amid all that is said against the last archbishop of the old Church of
Scotland, and the last abbot of Paisley, it is well to recall that the
"Catechisme," which usually passes under his name, from having been
printed at his expense at St. Andrews in 1552, exhibits a solitary instance of
an attempt on the part of the old Roman Catholic clergy to convey spiritual

instruction to the people, and is creditable to Archbishop Hamilton's
memory.[384]
Referring to the disposal of the abbey property, Dr. Lees says:—
"The manner in which the Church property was gifted away
forms a scandalous episode in the history of Scotland. Men like
Claud Hamilton, who never had done anything for their country,
became enriched and ennobled through the spoliation. It is vain
to picture regretfully what might have been; but any one can see
how much better it would have been for Scotland if the whole
community, instead of a few unworthy individuals, had got the
benefit of the Church's wealth. Those who did get it have in too
many instances made a very miserable use of their ill-gotten
gain."[385]
Prior to the Reformation the monastery consisted of a church, the cloister
and conventual buildings. The church comprised a long aisleless choir, a
nave with aisles, a north transept, a south transept, with St. Mirin's Chapel
attached to the south of it, and a tower and spire over the crossing.[386]
The choir walls, containing an elegant sedilia and piscina,
remain standing to the height of 9 feet, and it is questioned
whether the choir was ever finished during the restoration. There
is a string-course all round; the building is of fifteenth century
work, and occupies the place of an earlier choir, which has been
demolished. The wall at the east end of the nave, which
separates it from the transept, may have been erected during the
restoration of the fifteenth century, with the intention of
rendering the nave a complete church until the transept and
choir were restored. This seems to have been in progress when
the Reformation interrupted the work. The design of the sedilia
resembles that at St. Monans, Fife, and adjoining the sedilia is
the piscina, the aperture of which is still visible.
The north transept is in ruins, but the north wall, with the
remains of a fine traceried window, still exists, as well as a
traceried window in the west wall. The south transept is also in
ruins, while the tower and spire have disappeared. St. Mirin's

Chapel is well preserved, but the openings connecting it with the
south transept are built up.
The nave survives as a whole, and contains six bays, divided by
massive piers, and surmounted by a triforium and clerestory.
There is a north porch, and two doorways from the cloister on
the south side.
The oldest portion of the building is pronounced to be the
eastern part of the south wall of the south aisle of the nave,
where it adjoins the transept. This portion of the wall consists of
three bays, containing the S.E. doorway from the cloister to the
nave, and three pointed windows in the upper part. The doorway
is of the transition style, and the windows above are simple in
style, and are early pointed work—this part of the building
probably dating from the first half of the thirteenth century.[387]
The western portion of the south aisle of the nave and the whole
of the south clerestory are evidently portions of the restored
church of the fifteenth century.[388] The south aisle wall contains
the S.W. and S.E. doors from the nave to the cloister.
The west end of the nave is in part amongst the ancient portions
of the structure, and the western entrance doorway is thirteenth
century work.[389] The aisle windows of the west front belong to
the first pointed period. The upper portion of the west front
above the two large windows is of considerably later date.[390]
"The design of the west front, which contains above the door-
piece two large windows, with pointed niches and small circles
inserted between the arch-heads, is probably original, but the
upper portion and gable, including the large traceried window,
are doubtless part of the restoration of the fifteenth century. The
tracery of the two central windows is peculiar, and may possibly
be of the fourteenth century, but that of the large upper window
is later, probably of the same period as the restoration of the
interior of the nave. The tracery of the large upper window is a
specimen of the late kind of design employed in Scotland in the
fifteenth century."[391]

The interior of the west end of the nave exhibits the change of
style caused by the restoration of the fifteenth century. The first
or western bay of the main arcade is original, including the first
arches (one on each side), the first pillars, and the arches
between them, and the aisle responds. "These pillars and arches
are of large dimensions and first pointed section, and appear to
have been designed to carry western towers, but a part of their
thickness has been cut off next the choir. A portion of the
triforium wall, a piece of the string-course over the main arcade,
and the corbelled vaulting shaft in the angle as high as the top of
the triforium, are also parts of the original structure. The later
work has been joined to the above old parts in a very awkward
manner."[392] The cap of the west pier on the north side belongs
to the first pointed work, while the corresponding cap on the
south side and all the other caps belong to the fifteenth century
restoration.[393] Except the west piers, the piers of the nave are
of the clustered form, common in late Scottish work, and might
be about the same date as the restoration of St. Giles, Edinburgh
(which they resemble), in the early part of the fifteenth century.
[394]

The triforium design consists of large segmental arches, the
same width as the main arches, springing from short clustered
piers introduced between them. It somewhat resembles the
triforium of the nave at Dunkeld Cathedral. The clerestory is
probably designed in imitation of that of Glasgow Cathedral,
and is divided into two pointed arches in each bay. They spring
from a series of clustered shafts with round moulded caps that
are late imitations of early work.[395] The earlier part of the nave
restoration, including the main piers and arches, and perhaps the
tracery of the two lower windows of the west front, were
possibly executed by Bishop Lithgow, who built the north
porch, and the completion of the nave (the upper portions) was
carried out in the time of Abbot Tervas—the middle of the
fifteenth century. A peculiarity of the nave interior is a series of
large corbels, which project from the spandrils of the triforium
arcade, and the object of which was to enable a passage to be

carried round the solid piers introduced between the windows.
Each of the large corbels springs at its lowest point from the
sculptured grotesque figure of a man or animal. They were
mostly the work of Thomas Hector, a sculptor, who lived at
Crossflat,[396] and whom the abbot retained for his skill in the
art.[397] The employment of such grotesque figures was very
much affected by the monks of Clugny, and was the occasion of
a rebuke from St. Bernard. "What business had these devils and
monstrosities in Christian churches, taking off the attention of
the monks from their prayers." One of these figures near the
west gable represents a man in a kilt, and Dr. Lees thinks that
many worshippers in the Abbey in more modern times have in
the midst of long sermons found relief in the contemplation of
those curious carvings which the saint thus vigorously
denounced.[398]
St. Mirin's Aisle was erected in 1499, and there is a large
pointed window in the east end, having jambs with single shafts.
It is divided into four lights, and the arch-head is filled with
good simple tracery. Beneath the eastern window is a frieze of
one foot eight inches deep between two cornices of eight inches
deep, which were intended for sculpture. Three compartments,
measuring four feet, at the north or right side, and seven
compartments, measuring ten feet, at the south or left side, are
carved and filled with sculpture. Dr. Lees says the reference of
them to Mirin is clear beyond all doubt: "In the one on the
extreme left we see Mirin's mother bringing him to St. Congal.
In the next St. Congal putting the religious habit on Mirin. In the
next Mirin taking oversight of the monastery of Banchor. There
is after this a blank, and then we have certain sculptures relating
to Mirin's encounter with the Irish king, who wears a crown on
his head. In the first we have the servant of the King driving
Mirin away from the door of the palace. In the next the King
roaring with pain and held by his servants. In the next the Queen
lying in bed with a picture of the Virgin on the wall, it being the
custom to hang such before women during confinement. Then
we have the King on his knees before Mirin, and afterwards

Mirin received by him with joy. The next two sculptures
represent the last two acts of the Saint—the brother looking
through the keyhole and seeing Mirin illuminated by a celestial
light, and the Saint restoring to life the dead man in the Valley of
Colpdasch.... As they are evidently earlier than the date of the
erection of the chapel, they have probably been transferred with
the relics of the Saint from an older shrine. They look like
twelfth-century work, but it is possible they may be even
earlier."[399] The ceiling of the chapel is beautifully groined, and
the east end, where the altar stood, is raised four steps above the
western part. The west wall contains an outer doorway from the
cloister court, and there is a traceried window above it. A large
ambry adjoins the door in the outer wall. The chapel was
connected with the south transept by two wide archways, now
built up, and near the east end is a piscina, with three-sided
head, like that in the choir.
There is a dormitory above the chapel, arched by stone, and the
entrance is by a doorway in the middle of the south side of the
arch. The apartment is lighted by two windows—one in the east
gable, and the other in the west. In the west gable there is a
private stair leading from the dormitory to the chapel, and the
priest, who was bound by the charter to live at the chapel,
doubtless occupied the sleeping-place above it.[400] The chapel
at the Reformation was converted into a family burying-place by
Claud Hamilton, the commendator, and various members of the
Abercorn family lie buried in the vault below, the chapel
belonging to the present Duke, and being under his control.
On the floor of this chapel there now stands an ornamental altar
tomb, which was found lying in fragments near the Abbey by
the Rev. Dr. Boog, one of the Abbey ministers, and who in 1817
had it brought within the chapel and erected again. It supports a
recumbent figure, believed to be the effigy of Marjory Bruce,
the daughter of Robert I. and the mother of Robert II. "The head
of the figure is surmounted by a large cusped canopy, placed in a
horizontal position, on the end of which is carved a crucifixion.
The pedestal is carved with a series of Gothic compartments, in

each of which there is carved a shield, enriched with heraldic
blazons and figures of ecclesiastics. The panels at the west end
contain—the first the fess chequé of the Stewarts between three
roses; the third the fess chequé, surmounted of a lion rampant,
and the central one, two keys saltierwise, between two crosiers
in pale."[401] The chapel is famed for an echo, described by
Pennant in his Tour Through Scotland,[402] but Dr. Lees regards
the description of the far-famed traveller as either much
exaggerated, or the strength of the echo has become diminished
since his time. "When any number of persons are within the
building, an echo is scarcely audible at all. It is amusing
sometimes to see a group of people expending the strength of
their lungs in vain by attempting to evoke it."[403]
Crosses seem to have been placed at intervals on the roads
leading to the church. One of the south piers of the nave is
called the Cathcart pillar, and has carved upon it a shield bearing
the Cathcart arms. This is believed to be a memorial of Sir Allan
Cathcart, who has thus been described by Barbour:—

A knycht, that their wis in hys rout,
Worthy and wycht, stalwart and stout,
Curtaiss and fayr, and off gud fame,
Schyr Allane of Catkert by name.

King Robert the Bruce died in 1329, and Sir Allan of Cathcart
and Sir James of Douglass sailed in 1330 for the Holy Land with
the King's heart. Sir James was killed in Spain in conflict with
the Moors, and Sir Allan came back with the heart of the King,
which was buried in Melrose Abbey. The pillar commemorates
his safe return.
On the west buttress of the north transept, at 21 feet in height, is
the shield of the Stewarts, with a pastoral staff, and the word
"Stewart."
The first central tower erected over the crossing seems to have
been of inferior workmanship and to have given way. Another is

believed to have been erected by Abbot Tervas, which probably
fell during the siege by Lennox and Glencairn, and may have
destroyed much of the choir and transept in its fall. Western
towers appear to have been contemplated.
"We are only able," says Dr. Cameron Lees, "to conjecture what
was the position of the conventual buildings. But after
comparing the plan of Wenlock, from which the monks
originally came, with that of Crosraguel, which they afterwards
erected, we think it is probable that the chapter-house, with
Saint Mirin's Chapel, occupied the east side of the cloister court,
the refectory the south side, and the dormitory the west. The
Abbot's house probably stood at the south end of what is called
Cotton Street. There were buildings also between the Abbey and
the river Cart attached to the monastery, portions of the
foundations of which are occasionally uncovered."[404] "The
shape of the cloister court has been partially retained. The
conventual buildings were almost all converted after the
Reformation into dwelling-houses, and though fragments of the
old houses, such as an occasional pillar or arch, are to be found,
there is little to remind one of dormitory, parlour, or refectory."
[405]

The nave is still used as the parish church. About 1782 it was in a dreadful
condition. The roof was full of holes, through which the birds obtained free
access, "distracting the attention of the worshippers in time of sermon."
They built their nests and reared their young under the arches of the
clerestory. A few of the gentry had "lofts" or galleries, but the bulk of the
worshippers brought their seats to church with them, while the poorest sat
upon stones on the earthen floor.[406] Things had become so bad that the
heritors thought of pulling down the abbey, and building a "commodious
kirk" with the stones.[407] This insane proposal was averted from execution
by the energy and wisdom of the Rev. Dr. Boog, minister of the First
Charge in 1782, and to him the country owes the credit of preserving all
that now remains. "He received much assistance from the Dowager
Countess of Glasgow, who resided at Hawkhead, and through their joint
exertions the Abbey was not only saved from destruction, but was repaired
in a way which, considering the ignorance of that time on the subject of

restoration, was highly creditable."[408] Dr. Lees describes the condition of
the building at his induction in 1859 as dreadful: "The interior was like a
vault in a churchyard."[409] But thanks to the exertions of the Rev. Mr.
Wilson and Dr. Lees himself, several thousand pounds were collected and
spent in remedying this state of affairs. The church was made seemly as a
venerable temple for prayer ought to be. "The unsightly galleries were taken
down, the floor cleared of the accumulated rubbish of centuries, the body of
the church re-seated, the clerestory windows opened up, the transept walls
and windows restored, and the turrets rebuilt. Men of all creeds contributed
to the work, and when the Abbey, on the 27th April 1862, was re-opened for
public worship, it could scarcely be recognised, so changed was it from its
former condition."[410] In closing his splendid volume Dr. Lees adds, "We
trust the time is not far distant when the Abbey of the first Stewart will
stand forth again in all its pristine beauty—with transept, and choir, and
tower, as in the days of the founder." That hope will soon pass into a reality,
and Scotland will have a completely restored abbey church used as a parish
church.
Kelso Abbey (Roxburghshire).—In 1113 David, Earl of Huntingdon, and
heir-presumptive to the Scottish throne, introduced a colony of thirteen
Reformed Benedictine monks from the newly founded abbey of Tiron in
Picardy, and planted it near his forest castle of Selkirk. He endowed it with
large possessions in Scotland, and a valuable territory in his southern
earldom of Huntingdon, but the French monks were dissatisfied with their
position on the banks of the Ettrick, and on David's accession to the throne
of his brother he removed them from Selkirk—"a place unsuitable for an
abbey"—and established the monastery "at the Church of the Blessed
Virgin on the bank of the Tweed, beside Roxburgh, in the place called
Calkow."[411] The abbey was dedicated to the Virgin and St. John the
Baptist. Its first abbot was Ralph, one of the French monks, and the Scotch
chronicles state that he succeeded St. Bernard, the reformer of the order, in
his abbacy at Tiron, on his death in 1116, but Dr. Cosmo Innes thinks this
can scarcely be reconciled with the succession of abbots as given by the
French writers.[412] The monastery soon became the richest and most
powerful in Scotland, and in 1165 the Pope granted permission to the abbot
to wear the mitre, and the abbot claimed precedence of all the superiors of
monasteries in Scotland. In 1420 this precedence was decided by James I.

in favour of the prior of St. Andrews.[413] Many of the abbots were
distinguished men, who were employed in the affairs of the kingdom, and
several were promoted to bishoprics.[414] Foremost in rank and power, the
monks of Kelso also vindicated their place by the practice of the monastic
virtues, and a copy of Wyntoun's Chronicle is supposed to have been
written at Kelso.[415] They seem to have recalled the saying, claustrum sine
lîteratura vivi hominis est sepultura ("the cloister without literature is the
grave of a living man"), and Dr. Cosmo Innes remarks
"That the arts were cultivated within the Abbey walls we may
conclude without much extrinsic evidence. The beautiful and
somewhat singular architecture of the ruined church itself still
gives proof of taste and skill and some science in the builders, at
a period which the confidence of modern times has proclaimed
dark and degraded; and if we could call up to the fancy the
magnificent Abbey and its interior decorations, to correspond
with what remains of that ruined pile, we should find works of
art that might well exercise the talents of high masters. The
erection of such a structure often extended over several hundred
years. Kelso bears mark of having been a full century in
building; and during all that time at least, perhaps for long
afterwards, the carver of wood, the sculptor in stone and marble,
the tile-maker and the lead and iron-worker, the painter, whether
of scripture stories or of heraldic blazonings, the designer and
the worker in stained glass for those gorgeous windows which
we now vainly try to imitate—must each have been in
requisition, and each, in the exercise of his art, contributed to
raise the taste and cultivate the minds of the inmates of the
cloister. Of many of these works the monks themselves were the
artists and artisans, and it would be a grievous mistake to
suppose that the effect was merely that of living and working in
an artist's shop. The interest and honour of the convent, the
honest rivalry with neighbouring houses and other orders; above
all, the zeal for religion which was honoured by their efforts, the
strong desire to render its rites magnificent, and to set forth in a
worthy manner the worship of the Deity—all these gave to the

works of the old monks a principle and a feeling above what
modern art must ever hope to reach."[416]
Situated as it was near the Border, the abbey suffered severely during the
War of Independence. The monastery was laid waste and the monks were
supported by contributions from the other houses of their own order. In
1344 the abbey buildings were destroyed by fire, and David II. granted
permission to the monks to cut wood in Selkirk and Jedwart Forest to
enable them to carry out the necessary repairs.
In 1511 the Bishop of Caithness was appointed commendator, and decline
of the abbey soon followed. After the battle of Flodden in 1513, David Ker
of Cessford took possession of the abbey, and his brother was appointed
abbot. In 1522 and 1523 invasion and havoc spread over Teviotdale; Lords
Ross and Dacre pillaged the town, sparing the abbey; but in 1523 Lord
Dacre sacked and burned it. The abbot's house and buildings surrounding it,
the chapel of the Virgin, and the cells of the dormitory were all reduced to
ashes; the lead was stripped from the roof, and the abbey rendered
uninhabitable. All religious services were stopped, and the monks had to
retire in want and poverty to a village near. From 1536 to 1538 James
Stewart, natural son of James V., was abbot, and drew the revenues. In 1542
the Duke of Norfolk, and in 1545 the Earl of Hertford, again attacked and
further destroyed the abbey. On the latter occasion the garrison of the abbey
—numbering 100, of whom 12 were monks—refused the summons of the
Herald to surrender, and succeeded in repulsing the Spanish mercenaries,
who were the first to attack the building. It was then bombarded and the
monastery captured; but the garrison still held out in the strong square
tower of the church, whence some of them, though strictly watched,
escaped by means of ropes during the night. The next day the assault was
resumed, the tower carried, and the defenders were put to the sword. The
buildings were then sacked and destroyed, the order being given to "breik
them" and "thake of the leied, and outer myen the towres and strong places,
and to owaier trowe all." By the following Sunday this had been strictly
carried out; the abbey was razed, and "all put to royen, howsses, and
towres, and stypeles." The removal of the lead to Wark alone occupied the
carts of the army for several days. After this the abbeys of Melrose,
Dryburgh, and Jedburgh shared in the fate of Kelso,[417] but, unlike it, they
did not resist. Kelso Abbey was still further reduced by Lord Eure in 1546;

and finally in 1560, when a few monks still remained, the buildings were
attacked by the mob, and all the remaining fittings and furnishings
destroyed. In 1559 the revenues and property of the abbey were taken
possession of by the Lords of the Congregation in the name of the Crown.
The temporalities were afterwards distributed amongst the favourites of
James VI., and were finally conferred on Sir Robert Ker of Cessford, who
was created Lord Roxburgh in 1599. The abbey still belongs to his
successor, the Duke of Roxburgh, and the remains of the late duke are
buried in the south transept.[418] In 1649 a vault was thrown over the
transept so as to convert it into a parish church, and above this another vault
served as a prison! This is seen in Grose's view, made about a century ago.

"During service on a Sunday in 1771 a panic was caused by the
fall of a fragment of cement, and the church was thereafter
abandoned. The ruins were partly disencumbered by the Duke of
Roxburgh, 1805-16, and in 1823 the buildings were repaired by
the noblemen and gentlemen of the county."[419]
Referring to the modern town, Dr. Cosmo Innes says:—
"Reposing on the sunny bank of its own beautiful river, the
modern town of Kelso looks a fitting rural capital for 'pleasant
Teviotdale.' It has little of the air of an old monastic burgh, and
still less calls up any recollection of the heaps of ruins that
impeded the plans of the English engineers. There is not much
knowledge or tradition of its former state, and but few
memorials of its old inhabitants. Last year (1845) a worthy
burgher, who had dug up in his garden under the abbey walls
what seemed to him a rare coin of a Scotch king, was scarcely
well pleased to learn that it was a leaden bulla of Pope
Alexander III., bronzed with the oxidising of seven centuries.
In the midst of the modern town the abbey church stands alone,
like some antique Titan predominating over the dwarfs of a later
world."[420]
Considering all the dangers and neglect of the centuries, it is astonishing
that so many of the ruins still exist.
The building has consisted of choir or chancel of considerable
length, with north and south aisles, and of a transept and nave
without aisles. The north and south divisions of the transept and
nave form three arms of equal length round the three sides of the
crossing, above which rises the massive square tower.[421] The
church was originally constructed in the late Norman style of
about the end of the twelfth century, passing into the transition
style—the upper part of the tower having been rebuilt at a later
period.[422] Of the chancel only a fragment remains—two of the
south main piers with arches and two stories of arcades above,

which represent the triforium and clerestory. The chancel only
had aisles.
The main piers consist of a circular column, five feet in
diameter, with smaller attached half-columns on three sides to
carry the moulded arches between the main piers and the arches
between the latter and the aisles.[423] "The piers have caps of the
usual Norman modified cushion pattern, and the arches were
moulded and arranged in several orders. The arcade immediately
over the main arches has a row of single round shafts, with
spreading Norman caps, which carry a series of moulded arches,
occupying the position of the triforium. The upper arcade, which
takes the place of the clerestory, has shafts of triple form, with
wide spreading bases and caps of Norman and transition design.
On the latter rest the round boldly-moulded arches. The arches
opposite the windows in the outer wall are slightly larger than
the others. It will be observed that there is no main vaulting
shaft carried up over the main piers, as is almost invariably the
case, for the purpose of strengthening the wall. On the contrary,
the triforium arcade is continuous, and no provision is made to
support the side wall, except the single shafts of the running
arcade, which have a very weak effect. In the usual arrangement,
the triforium arches are separated by a substantial piece of wall,
including a vaulting shaft, and the triforium arch, which is
generally subdivided into several subordinate arches, is
introduced between the vaulting shafts. That is a much more
substantial form of construction, and also more satisfactory to
the eye, than the plan adopted here of a simple continuous
arcade." In the exterior of this portion of the choir the outside of
the clerestory windows is visible, being simple round-headed
openings, with flat buttresses between them. The remainder of
the wall is plain, but, judging from the level of the triforium
window, the vaulting of the aisle, which was very high and
partly covered the windows, seems to have been added at a later
date. The crossing is square; the piers are about nine feet square
—that at the south-east angle standing detached in consequence
of the opening into the south aisle, while those at the north-west

and south-west angles are incorporated with the walls. The piers
are designed as a series of shafts, set in square nooks (four on
each of the complete sides), with a large semicircular shaft at
each angle. The shafts are all built in courses with the piers, and
have transition bases and caps. From the latter spring large
pointed arches, with plain chamfered orders. The pointed arch
indicates the transitional character of this part of the building,
and was probably introduced in this position to give strength to
sustain the tower. The three arms of the cross branching to the
north, south, and west from the crossing are of equal size—an
unusual arrangement, as the nave is generally the longest
division of the church. This was part of the original design, as
the western doorway is one of the most prominently Norman
portions of the edifice, and no satisfactory explanation has yet
been given of the shortness of the Kelso nave. The upper portion
of the west front has been in the transitional style, and the
Norman arcading, which runs round the interior of the nave, was
continued across the west end.
The nave, north and south transepts, contain each four stories in
height, consisting of an interlacing arcade of Norman work in
the interior of the ground level, and three stories of windows
above. The upper arcades of the choir do not extend round the
nave and transepts, except in a portion of the south transept. The
windows in the different stories have all round arches, both
inside and outside, and the exterior is marked at each angle by
broad and shallow Norman buttresses, with nook shafts in the
angles, and an interlacing arcade round the lower story, both
internally and externally. In the façades of the west end and
north transept the windows of the different stories have been
grouped so as to form distinct designs. "In the west end, over the
great west doorway, there has been an arrangement of tall
windows of apparently lancet form, having on either side an
interlacing arcade of round arches, supported on tall, bended
shafts. This is now, unfortunately, greatly destroyed. Above the
arcade there runs a horizontal flat cornice, enriched with several
rows of carved ornaments, and this was surmounted by a large

opening of quatrefoil shape, surrounded with numerous
mouldings and enrichments. The angle buttresses have been
crowned with octagonal turrets."[424]
The north wall of the north transept has a fine transitional door-
piece, occupying the two lower stories. The next two stories
have each two windows, separated by a small buttress, and the
upper story has three arches in the interior. "Above these stories
is a small circular window with a curious saving arch over it,
and the whole is crowned with a top story, containing three
round-headed openings, and a gable with a small circular
aperture. The buttresses at the angles are crowned with circular
turrets, which have been finished with a projecting parapet, the
corbels for carrying which still survive. The upper part of the
gable shows signs of having been altered."[425]
The west doorway and the north door-piece are interesting; the
former, the south half of which has perished, and which was
finished with a sloping gable and stone roof, is regarded as a
rich specimen of the elaborate carved work that characterised
the late Norman period. "The jambs contained five detached
shafts set in nooks, and having Norman bases and carved caps.
Over each of these shafts there springs a circular order, carved
with rich Norman ornament, now, however, very much decayed.
The jambs of the doorway also formed moulded shafts,
supporting their order in the arch."[426] The door-piece of the
north transept wall is a prominent feature, projects 4 feet 6
inches from the main wall, has two stories, and is roofed with a
sloping stone roof. The shafts have the usual Norman caps and
bases, and the mouldings of the arch are pronounced to be
peculiar in their profile. The outer one is enriched with small
medallions, the central with the billet, and the inner one with
rosettes. Above the archway there is an arcade of interlacing
round shafts—the shafts, which were destroyed, having Norman
caps. "The tympanum of the gable is covered with a reticulation
of round beads or rolls."[427] The south and west sides and a
small portion of the north and east sides of the tower remain. It
is 35 feet square over the walls, and "is carried up with plain

masonry externally, but the interior has immediately over the
great arches of the crossing an arcade of round moulded arches,
supported on triple shafts similar to those of the choir. Above
this arcade is another story containing simple round arched
openings, which are lighted on the exterior by circular windows
containing quatrefoils. Over this tier is the upper story, which
contains three pointed and deeply-recessed windows on each
side of the tower. Broad, flat buttresses are placed at each angle
of the tower, similar to those of the main building, and these
were, no doubt, originally finished with turrets like those of the
transepts.... The upper part of the tower is later than the lower
part. This is apparent from the pointed windows of the top story
and the quatrefoiled circular windows of the story beneath. The
lower story immediately over the great arches is, without doubt,
of about the same date as the choir."[428] There were probably
similar staircases in other parts of the structure now removed,
but the approach to the upper floors is now by one staircase in
the N.W. angle of the transept. Passages between the arcades
and the outer walls went round the building on every floor, and
in the angles of the tower there are small wheel stairs leading to
every floor, and passages running round the tower on every
story. These arcades and passages have tended to weaken the
structure, and it has been found necessary to strengthen it with
numerous iron tie-rods, iron beams, etc.[429]
There was an outer door in the S.W. angle of the transept, and
another in the north wall of the nave adjoining the crossing. A
tomb recess is in the south transept wall, and in the recess
beneath are two ambries or lockers and a piscina, the only one
remaining in the building. To the south of the transept there is a
vaulted chamber that may have been the sacristy.[430]
Arbroath Abbey (Forfarshire).—This abbey was founded in 1178 by
William the Lion, and dedicated to S.S. Mary and Thomas à Becket. Becket
had been martyred at the high altar of Canterbury Cathedral only seven
years before, and William the Lion had recently suffered defeat and capture
by the English at Alnwick. William had been personally acquainted with
Becket, and is supposed to have regarded him as a private friend.

"Was this the cause," asks Dr. Cosmo Innes, "or was it the
natural propensity to extol him who, living and dead, had
humbled the crown of England, that led William to take St.
Thomas as his patron saint, and to entreat his intercession when
he was in greatest trouble? Or may we consider the dedication
of his new abbey, and his invocation of the martyr of
Canterbury, as nothing more than the signs of the rapid
spreading of the veneration for the new saint of the high church
party, from which his old opponent himself, Henry of England,
was not exempt?"
As showing the eagerness with which King William pushed on the
buildings, Hollinshed mentions that
"The King came by the Abbey of Aberbrothoc to view the work
of that house, how it went forward, commanding them that were
overseers and masters of the works to spare for no cost, but to
bring it up to perfection, and that with magnificence."[431]
The abbey received great endowments from King William and from many
subsequent princes and barons; acquired in 1204 a charter of privileges
from King John of England and was one of the foremost and richest in
Scotland. Its monks were Tyronenses, and the first were brought from Kelso
Abbey.
"By the year 1178 part of the church was ready for dedication.
William the Lion died in 1214, and was buried in the east end of
the edifice, which was then finished. Shortly afterwards the
south transept was sufficiently well advanced to admit of the
burial within it, before the altar of St. Catherine, of Gilchrist,
Earl of Angus. On the 18th of March 1233, during the time of
Abbot Ralph de Lamley, the church was dedicated. The time
occupied in the erection and completion of the structure was
thus a little over fifty-five years, and when its dimensions are
considered, it will be found in comparison with other churches
to have been carried on with great rapidity."[432]
The abbots had several special privileges; they were exempted from
assisting at the yearly synods; they had the custody of the Brecbennach, or

consecrated banner of St. Columba; they acquired from Pope Benedict, by
Bull, dated at Avignon, the right to wear a mitre, and were in some
instances the foremost churchmen of the Kingdom. The abbey was toll-free,
i.e. protected against the local impositions which of old beset all
merchandise.
"But," says Dr. Cosmo Innes, "the privilege the abbot most
valued (and intrinsically the most valuable) was the tenure of all
his lands, 'in free regality,' i.e. with sovereign power over his
people, and the unlimited emoluments of criminal jurisdiction....
Even after the Reformation had passed over abbot and monk,
the lord of regality had still the same power, and the
Commendator of Arbroath was able to rescue from the King's
Justiciar and to 'repledge' into his own court four men accused
of the slaughter of William Sibbald of Cair—as dwelling within
his bounds (quasi infra bondas ejusdem commorantes). The
officer who administered this formidable jurisdiction was the
Bailie of the Regality, or 'Justiciar Chamberlain and Bailie'—the
Bailiary had become virtually hereditary in the family of Airlie.
[433] ... The mair and the coroner of the abbey were the executors
of the law within the bounds of the regality, and the best thought
it no degradation to hold their lands as vassals of the great
abbey."[434]
The monks made a harbour and fixed a bell on the Inchcape Rock as a
warning to sailors; the abbey was burnt in 1272 and 1380.
Referring to its chartulary as a record of the names of the old Scottish
families Dr. Cosmo Innes says:—
"Many of our ancient families went down in the War of
Independence, and few of our present aristocracy trace back
beyond the revolution of families and property which took place
under Bruce. The Earls of Angus, Fife, and Strathearn are little
more than mythological personages to the modern genealogist....
It is the common case all over Scotland."[435]
In connection with the monks he has the following interesting note:—

"It is to be remarked that in Scotland, as in other countries,
while the secular or parochial clergy were often the younger
sons of good families, the convents of monk and friars were
recruited wholly from the lower classes; and yet—not to speak
of the daily bread, the freedom from daily care, all the vulgar
temptations of such a life in hard times—the career of a monk
opened no mean path to the ambitious spirit. The offices of the
monastery alone might well seem prizes to be contended for by
the son of the peasant or burgess, and the highest of these placed
its holder on a level with the greatest of the nobility."[436]
The last abbot was Cardinal Beaton, at the same time Archbishop of St.
Andrews. The abbey suffered after the Reformation from the revenues
having become the property of the Hamiltons, and as they were
appropriated to the private use of that family, there were no funds to keep
up the buildings, which fell gradually into decay, and were freely used by
the magistrates and townspeople as a quarry. The property was converted
into a temporal lordship in favour of Lord Claude Hamilton, third son of the
Duke of Chatelherault.
In sketching the history of this famous abbey, the "Aberbrothock
Manifesto" of 1320 must be recalled, in which it becomes manifest that the
Scottish Church was never a complaisant vassal of Rome.[437] There
breathes in it a spirit of freedom and natural independence, and a refusal to
accept the interference of Rome in the affairs of the State. The Scottish
nobles protest against the papal countenance given to the English
aggressions, and distinctly tell Pope John XXII. that "not for glory, riches,
or honour we fight, but for liberty alone, which no good man loses but with
his life."[438]
The abbey church consisted of a choir of three bays, with side
aisles and an aisleless presbytery; a nave of nine bays, with
aisles and north and south transepts with eastern aisles; two
western towers and one large central tower. Considerable
portions of these divisions still remain, but the greater part of the
north side of the choir, the north transept and nave, and almost
all the piers and pillars have been swept away. Beginning at the
east end, the eastern wall is entire for nearly half its height,

having an arcade below and three lancet windows above, with
the lower portions of an upper row of similar windows.
Somewhat less of the return wall of the south side of the
presbytery, comprising two bays, remains, and adjoining it is the
sacristy, a late building fairly well preserved. The end wall of
the south transept is almost complete, along with a considerable
portion of the west wall of the transept, which gives a good idea
of the grandeur of the church. The whole of the nave south wall
remains, showing a row of windows and indications of the
groining of the aisle. The central aisle was not vaulted, but
covered with a wooden roof. Most of the bases of the nave
pillars are in position, as are also the foundations of the north
transept. The west end fragment and the two towers left
standing, are striking and impressive in their vigorous work.[439]
Bold, vigorous work, with refinement of detail, is seen in the
western doorway. It is round arched, and its outer order, if it
may be so called, extends inwards for about five feet, unadorned
as a bold and plain tunnel arch, having a pointed arch in each
ingoing. It then becomes shafted and richly moulded, after the
transition manner. This arrangement, while it gives a fine
shadow under the arch, has a feeling of rudeness, which, to a
considerable extent, characterises the whole west front. "There
is a remarkable resemblance in the decoration of this doorway to
that of the doorway in the porch of Lerida Cathedral, Spain,
supposing the tunnel arch of Arbroath away, and the moulded
part brought forward to the face of the wall, as is the case at
Lerida.... A similar ring ornament, on a large scale, is also to be
seen in a doorway at Lamington, Lanarkshire, where it is
likewise used along with the zig-zag, but there the ringed order
is the outer enrichment."[440]
The removal of the outer part of a gallery, which existed over
this doorway, has increased the rude appearance of the west
front, but the inner part of this gallery still remains. Within the
great thickness of the wall a chamber of considerable size was
obtained, and it opens into the nave by six pointed arches, and to
the outside over the doorway by three arches. It is regarded as

obvious that three gablets projected outwards from the wall for a
distance of about four feet, supported on two intermediate
shafts, and that the gallery was closed in at each end with walls
or haffits, both of which still remain in part. We now see the
west front robbed of its most unique features; the gallery was
reached by a long passage at each end from stairs in the angle-
buttresses. It probably was a gallery for an orchestra, and may
have also been used as a pulpit to address an open-air audience.
[441]

Above this gallery was an immense circular window, a portion
of which still survives. "It is probable that this part of the
building was erected at two different times, the west doorway
and some of the pillars of the gallery being in the early transition
style, while the triple windows to the front and the six-light
arcade towards the interior are in the first pointed style. When
the gallery was completed in the first pointed period, the floor
space was enlarged by extending it to the front, hence the
necessity for the deep tunnel arch over the west doorway. The
pointed arches in the ingoing also indicate this first pointed
period."[442]
The western towers opened with arches into the north, south,
and central aisles, but only the north tower retains its massive
pier and arches, while of the south tower nothing but the
foundation of the pier exists. The south wall of the transept is
externally plain, the upper part being visible above the
dormitory roof. The façade has two plain lancet windows, one
shorter than the other, and above them is a large wheel window.
The interior of the transept is a very grand design in the early
pointed style.[443] Beneath the splayed lancets there is a round
arched open arcade, with a passage behind it, and beneath this,
two tiers of wall arcades with pointed arches, the central arcade
being very acutely pointed, the lower one not so decidedly, and
with trefoil cusps in the arches. A staircase in the S.E. angle of
the transept gave access to the dormitory by the door, seen built
up on the outside.[444] This staircase also leads to the various
passages in the thickness of the walls, and the church doorway

leading to this stair is round arched and ranges with the lower
pointed arcade. The lower arcade of the south end is continued
along the west wall, and above this rise two widely-splayed
windows. All the lofty south transept windows have passages on
two floors, and the transepts had chapels on the east side. "The
respond of the great arcade against the south wall is beautiful in
detail. Above this there exist fragments of the responds of the
triforium story and the clerestory. All the above features of this
part of the abbey point plainly to its having some lingering
remains of transition style, retaining, as it does, some round
arches along with the general features of the design."[445]
The vestry or sacristy was built by Abbot Walter Painter
between 1411 and 1433, and is a two-storied building, the
ground floor having a groined ceiling, still entire, and the upper
room being roofless. Its features are of fifteenth-century work,
and the building is in good preservation.
Only fragments of the conventual buildings remain. "An
octagonal turret marks the south-east corner of the chapter-
house with the south and east return walls, and adjoining the
south transept is the slype, the walls of which determine the
other walls of the chapter-house. On the wall of the south
transept is clearly seen the mark of the dormitory roof, with the
door between the church and dormitory now built up."[446] The
north wall and a portion of the west wall proceeding southward
from it are all that remain of the extensive enclosure of the
abbey. The enclosure was said to have been of great height and
to have extended 1150 feet on the east and west, 760 feet on the
north, and 480 feet on the south. There were great towers at the
angles and entrance gateways on the north and at the south-east
angle. In the centre of the north wall is the portcullis entrance
gatehouse. The front wall is almost entire, and the upper floor
window is crossed by the corbels which carried the movable
wooden hoarding that was erected over the gateway when
required for its defence.[447] At the western extremity of the
north enclosing wall there is a large square tower, three stories
in height in the inside, and four stories on the outside, owing to

the fall of the ground. The two lower floors are round-vaulted,
and the cape-house on top is said to have been removed during
this century.[448] The building adjoining the tower to the east
was called the Regality Court-house, and had a groined ceiling.
The abbot's house is on the south side of the cloister, and is the
best preserved abbot's house in Scotland. It is three stories high,
and the two upper floors have been converted into a modern
private dwelling-house. It has been altered externally and
spoiled of its ancient internal fittings, with the exception of two
fine carved panels, one representing the Virgin, and the other a
large Scotch thistle. The kitchen has central pillars supporting a
groined roof,[449] and the other offices connected with the
kitchen are all vaulted. The abbey suffered from fire in 1272 and
in 1380, while in 1350 it was injured "from the frequent assaults
of the English ships."[450] Service was up to 1590 conducted in
the lady chapel "stripped of its altars and images."
Melrose Abbey (Roxburghshire).—The editor of the Liber de Melros has
said in reference to this abbey:—
"The incidental mention of the condition of the abbey itself at
different times strongly illustrates the history of the district and
the age. At one time powerful and prosperous, accumulating
property, procuring privileges, commanding the support of the
most powerful, and proudly contending against the slightest
encroachment; at another, impoverished and ruined by continual
wars, obliged to seek protection from the foreign invader: in
either situation it reflects back faithfully the political condition
of the country.
But the political events of a country of so narrow bounds and
small resources as Scotland are insignificant unless they are
associated with the development of principles and feelings that
know no limits of place or power. How rich Scotland has been
in such associations is testified by the general sympathy which
attends her history and her literature, and gives a pride to her
children that forms not the weakest safeguard of their virtue. It
is in recalling freshly the memory of times in which the proud

and virtuous character of her people was formed, and which it is
their delight and their duty to look back upon, that such studies
as the present are most useful. Every local association, every
faint illustration of antiquity, each indication of the bygone
manners of a simple age, are in this view to be treasured, not
only as filling a page of a meagre history, but as so many moral
ties to bind us closer in affection to the country of our fathers."
[451]

This abbey has a charming site in the hill-girt hollow known as the vale of
Melrose, occupying one of those peaceful situations near a river which the
Cistercians delighted to choose and colonise. An ancient monastery of
Melrose had existed since the seventh century, on a broad meadow nearly
surrounded by a "loop" of the Tweed, about 2½ miles lower down the river.
It was established about 650 by St. Aidan, the missionary from Iona, who
preached in Northumbria, and founded the abbey of Lindisfarne. Eata was
the first abbot we hear of, and he was a disciple of St. Aidan. St. Cuthbert
spent much of his early life at this monastery of old Melrose, and
afterwards chose as the scene of his labours Hexham and Lindisfarne. The
monks of Lindisfarne, when expelled by the Danes, took refuge at Melrose,
and brought with them St. Cuthbert's body, which afterwards found its
resting-place at Durham. In the eleventh century this old monastery of
Melrose had become a ruined and desolate place. It afterwards became the
retreat of a few monks, amongst whom was the celebrated Turgot, the
confessor of Queen Margaret. A chapel was erected and dedicated to St.
Cuthbert, which at first belonged to Coldingham, but was gifted finally by
David I. to the new abbey of Melrose.
This abbey was founded in 1136 at a place then called Fordell, and was
endowed by David I. and his nobles with extensive lands. The monks were
of the Cistercian order, and were brought from Rievalle in Yorkshire. The
original buildings were not finished till 1146, and on the 28th of July in that
year the church was solemnly consecrated and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
It is thought that such buildings with an oratory were probably the residence
of the monks, and their period would suggest the Norman style, like that of
the abbeys of Kelso, Jedburgh, and Dryburgh. Every trace of these early
buildings has disappeared, and, situated as it was on the border-country,
Melrose Abbey was exposed to danger, and frequently suffered in the wars

between the two countries. It was in the chapter-house at Melrose that the
Yorkshire barons united against King John and swore fealty to Alexander II.
in 1215. In 1295 Edward I. gave formal protection to its monks, and in 1296
he issued a writ ordering a restitution to them of all the property they had
lost in the preceding struggle. In 1321 or 1322 the original structure was
destroyed by the English under Edward II., and the abbot, with a number of
the monks, was killed. In 1326 Robert I. gave a grant of £2000 to be applied
to the rebuilding of the church, and in 1329, a few months before his death,
he wrote a letter to his son David, requesting that his heart should be buried
at Melrose and commending the monastery and the church to his successor's
favour. His wish was granted, and so late as 1369 we hear of King David II.
renewing his father's gift, and it is to this grant we owe a considerable part
of the present building. In 1328 Edward III. ordered the restoration to the
abbey of pensions and lands which it had held in England, and which had
been seized by Edward II. In 1334 the same king granted a protection to
Melrose in common with the other Border abbeys, and in 1341 he came to
Melrose to spend Christmas. In 1385 Richard II., exasperated by his
fruitless expedition into Scotland, spent a night in the abbey and caused it to
be burned. Notwithstanding these disasters, the abbey increased in wealth
and architectural splendour, and it was not till more severe damage and
dilapidations befell it during the reigns of Henry VIII., Edward VI. and
Elizabeth, that ruin began finally to impend. The approach of the
Reformation influenced its downfall, and though donations for rebuilding
were given by various individuals, the abbey never recovered the damage
then suffered. In 1541 James V. obtained from the Pope the abbeys of
Melrose and Kelso, to be held in commendam by his illegitimate son James,
who died in 1558. In 1560 all the "abbacie" was annexed to the Crown, and
in 1566 Mary granted the lands to James, Earl of Bothwell, with the title of
Commendator. After passing through the hands of Douglas of Lochleven
and Sir John Ramsay, the estates were ultimately acquired by the Scotts of
Buccleuch. The abbey gradually fell into decay through neglect. The
materials were used for the erection of other structures, and Douglas built
from the ruins a house which still stands to the north of the cloisters and
bears the date 1590. The masonry also formed a quarry for the
neighbourhood, and in 1618 the remaining portion of the structure was
fitted up as the parish church, "and in order to render it secure, a plain
pointed barrel vault was thrown across the nave, and was supported by plain

square piers built against the old piers on the north side. The original
vaulting seems to have been previously demolished."[452] A great number of
the stone images of saints which filled the numerous wall niches were left
untouched till 1649, when they were almost all cast down and destroyed,
but by whose order is unknown. Of the abbey there now only remain the
ruins of the church, and of it the most competent authorities say:—
"No building in Scotland affords such an extensive and almost
inexhaustible field for minute investigation and enjoyment of
detail such as this. Whether we consider the great variety of the
beautifully sculptured figures of monks and angels playing on
musical instruments, or displaying 'the scrolls which teach us to
live and die,' or turn to the elaborate canopies and beautiful
pinnacles of the buttresses, or examine the rich variety of foliage
and other sculptures on the capitals of the nave and the doorway
and arches of the cloisters; or if, again, we take a more general
view of the different parts of the edifice from the numerous fine
standpoints from which it can be so advantageously
contemplated, we know of no Scottish building which surpasses
Melrose either in the picturesqueness of its general aspect or in
the profusion or value of its details. It occupies an important
position also historically, and it in part supplies an admirable
example of that decorated architecture, the existence of which in
this country has been so often denied, but of which, we trust, a
sufficient number of examples are now provided to render that
reproach to Scottish architecture no longer justifiable. We have
to thank the fine red sandstone of the district, of which the
church is built, for the perfect preservation of all the details of
the structure. These remain, even in the minutest carving, as
perfect and complete as the day they were executed."[453]
The cloister and domestic buildings, including the hall of Abbot
Matthew, were situated on the north side of the church. They
have now entirely disappeared, leaving only a portion of the
cloister which indicates their position. The church is cruciform,
and the choir is unusually short and the nave unusually long.
The aisled choir extends only two bays eastwards from the
crossing, beyond which point the presbytery is carried one bay

farther, without aisles, and is lighted by large north and south
windows as well as by the great eastern window.
The shortness of the choir rendered it necessary that part of the
nave should be appropriated for the monks, and the enclosing
screen wall of this portion of the "choir" extended to the fourth
pier west from the crossing, where it was carried across the nave
and formed the rood screen. The screen was wide and contained
a gallery, on the top of which stood the rood.[454] The nave
extends to eight bays, but it has been intended to be longer—the
west end being incomplete. Extending southwards, beyond the
south aisle, is a series of eight chapels, which produced
externally, along with the south aisle, the appearance of a double
aisle.[455] The north aisle is narrower than the south aisle, and
the position of the cloister may have hampered the design.
This difference may have arisen from the plan of the original abbey of the
twelfth century being adhered to in the later construction.[456]
The transepts contain the usual eastern aisle only, in which are situated four
chapels.
The superstructure of the church has severely suffered and the
western part is greatly demolished. The portion eastwards from
the rood screen is in better preservation. The vaulting of the
aisles is well-preserved, but that of the centre aisle is
demolished—a pointed tunnel vault having been constructed in
1618. The eight chapels are well preserved, but some parts of
the three furthest west ones are damaged and have lost their
vaulting. The tracery in the chapel windows is lovely; the
vaulting of the nave, south aisle and chapels, is supported by a
series of flying buttresses, "which form one of the most
prominent and beautiful elements of the building. No church in
Scotland retains such a striking example of that important
feature of Gothic architecture."[457]
The eastern piers of the crossing were demolished probably in
Henry VIII.'s time, and their destruction entailed that of the
central tower, of which the western wall only remains. The

transepts have suffered by the fall of the tower, but fortunately
the south wall of the transept with its finely decorated window is
still preserved. From the south transept access is obtained to the
roof of the nave aisle and to the uppermost parts of the structure
by a turnpike stair, which also forms the only mode of approach
to the tower.[458] "The choir, so far as the east is concerned, is
well preserved, the buttresses and gable, the celebrated eastern
window, and the remarkable vaulting of the presbytery being all
in good order. The remainder of the choir, however, has been
greatly wrecked by the fall of the central tower; but many of the
windows of the choir and transept with their perpendicular
tracery have escaped destruction, and afford the best example in
Scotland of that form of design."[459]
The building, as it now stands, is, generally speaking,[460] of a
date subsequent to Bruce's time, and much of it is later than the
destruction which occurred under Richard II. in 1385.[461] "The
nave, from the crossing to the rood loft, and part of the transepts
are, undoubtedly, the oldest portions of the existing edifice. The
work in these is, for the most part, of the Scottish decorated
period. The nave piers, with their beautifully carved caps, and
the mouldings of the arches are distinctly decorated work; and
the flying buttresses and pinnacles on the south side of the nave
are, without doubt, of the same period. So also is the south wall
of the transept, with its magnificent window and tracery and its
buttresses, enriched with fine canopies and quaint figures carved
as corbels.
"All these features bear a close affinity to the decorated work of
the nave of York Minster, erected about 1400. The flying
buttresses, with pinnacles enriched with crockets and foliaged
finials; the niches, with their elaborate canopies and corbels
composed of figures of monks and angels; the statues which
formerly filled the niches, of which very few now remain; the
decorated tracery of the south transept window, and the whole
character of the work, both in its general scope and in its details,
is of fine decorated design, and vividly recalls that of York,
Beverley, and other English examples. It is not improbable that

some parts of the nave and transept were erected during the
period between the death of King Robert Bruce and the invasion
of Richard II. It should be mentioned that Bruce's bequest was
not all received till 1399, and the operations also probably
proceeded slowly. The doorway in the south wall of the south
transept is apparently an insertion in older work."[462] The south
chapels of the nave have apparently been added during the
repairs in the earlier part of the fifteenth century; the buttresses
were probably executed towards the middle of that century, and
the east one contains the arms of Abbot Hunter.[463] There is a
distinct change in the transept's design from that of the nave, as
if the former had been added to the latter at a later period.[464]
The east wall and the other eastern parts of the choir are more
recent than the nave, and probably this portion of the church had
been more damaged by Richard II. than the nave, and required
to be almost wholly rebuilt. The style here corresponds closely
with the "perpendicular" of England which prevailed in the
fifteenth century.[465] The great eastern window is exceptional
and unique, and has more of the character of perpendicular than
any other style. Scott, referring to it, has described the moon as
shining

Through slender shafts of shapely stone,
By foliaged tracery combined;
Thou would'st have thought some fairy's hand,
Twixt poplars straight, the osier wand,
In many a freakish knot, had twined;
Then framed a spell, when the work was done,
And changed the willow-wreaths to stone.

The design of the west wall of the north transept is different
from that of the other parts of the building, but the clerestory
windows are of the same design as the rest of the older church.
"The wall ribs of the vaulting include two windows in each; and
the space between the windows is occupied by two niches, each
carried up from a shaft—with late canopies, containing statues
of St. Peter and St. Paul, the former having the keys and the

latter holding his sword. These are the best preserved statues in
the church, but they are not of very remarkable workmanship."
[466] The building or restoration of the eastern part of the edifice
is regarded as indicating, from its style, work of the middle of
the fifteenth century, and the vaulting of the south transept
appears to have been erected by Abbot Hunter about the same
time,[467] probably from 1450 to 1460. More of the vaulting in
the eastern part of the nave may have been carried out at that
epoch. The vaults all contain, besides the main and ridge ribs,
subsidiary ribs, or tiercerons, indicating a similarity to English
examples.[468]
The vaulting of the presbytery is peculiar, and points to a
somewhat later time; examples of vaulting similar to that of the
presbytery of Melrose may be seen at Winchester Cathedral, and
other English examples of the fifteenth century.[469]
The south chapels to the west of the fifth buttress west from the
transept, on which buttress another specimen of Abbot Hunter's
arms is engraved, are of comparatively late date.[470] "This
buttress belongs to the earlier part of the nave, and the chapel
seems to have been repaired when the additional chapels to the
west were erected. Besides the three hunting horns in the shield
of Abbot Hunter in the examples above mentioned, the arms
engraved on the fifth buttress contain two crosiers, saltierwise,
and the initials A. H. on the right and left; also, in chief a rose,
and in base a mason's mell for Melrose. The work in the chapels
to the west is inferior to that of those to the eastward, although
copied from them. The chapels each contain an enriched piscina,
and these are so inferior in style of workmanship as to lead to
the belief that they were inserted after the chapels were built.
One of them contains the initials of Abbot William Turnbull,
whose date is the beginning of the sixteenth century. A late
piscina has also been inserted in the south transept.
"Work in the nave and in the south chapels was apparently in
progress during the reign of James IV., as the royal arms, with
the letters I. Q. (Jacobus Quartus) and the date 1505 on the

westmost buttress testify."[471] On the south side of the cloister
is a very lovely doorway that leads into the church. To the right
of this and along the east wall of the cloister, are arched recesses
of a late style, and in the south wall is an arcade of trefoil form,
with nail-head enrichments. The latter is an example of the late
revival of early forms which prevailed towards the close of the
Gothic epoch.[472]
It has been stated that the arcade of the cloister formerly
extended 150 feet each way. The cloister wall is now reduced to
the portions which abut against the nave and transept—50 feet
on the east side and 80 feet on the south side. "The former side
contains a wall arcade of seven arches. These are of the form
called drop arches, with crocketed ogee hood moulding, and
have plain spandrils above, over which there runs a straight
cornice, enriched with flowers and shells of all descriptions very
beautifully carved."[473] Of these Sir Walter Scott said:—

Nor herb nor floweret glistened there
But was carved in the cloister arches as fair.

The tower was doubtless erected about the same time as the
transept.[474] In the south transept are two inscriptions that have
given rise to much speculation and continue to exercise Border
antiquaries. One of these is carved over the doorway in the west
wall which gives access to the wheel stair, and part of the
inscription is carried down one side for want of room. It is the
following:—

Sa gays the cumpas evyn about,
Sa trouth and laute. do but duite.
Behald to ye hende q. Johne Morvo.[475]

The other inscription is carved on a tablet in the wall on the
south side of the same door:—

John Morow sum tym callit was I
And born in Parysse certanly

And had in kepyng al masoun werk
Of Santandroys ye hye kyrk
Of Glasgw Melros and Paslay
Of Nyddysdayll and of Galway
I pray to God and Mari bath
And sweet S. John kep this haly kirk frae skaith.
In the centre of the former inscription is a sunk panel containing
a shield with two masons' compasses, arranged somewhat like a
saltier, and beneath a figure resembling a fleur-de-lys.
The late Dr. John Smith, in the Proceedings of the Antiquarian
Society of Scotland, considers these inscriptions as applying to
one man, who may have been the master mason of the building.
But Mr. Pinches, in his account of the abbey, mentions that John
Murdo, or Morow, was engaged in building a church in
Galloway in 1508. It thus seems likely that these inscriptions are
not earlier than that date, and have been added to the building
after its completion.[476]
An interesting view regarding John Morow will be found in A
Mediæval Architect, by Mr. P. MacGregor Chalmers. He
believes that the south chapel of the transept was that of St.
John, and as John Morrow's tablet is opposite this chapel, his
prayer to "sweet St. John" is most appropriate. Mr. Chalmers
also points out that the chapels at the east end of Glasgow
Cathedral are dedicated to the same saints and in the same order
as those in the east aisle of the transept at Melrose.[477]
Immediately beneath the site of the high altar at Melrose is the
resting-place of the heart of Robert Bruce, and to the south of it
is a dark-coloured polished slab of encrinital limestone said to
mark the grave of Alexander II., who was buried near the high
altar in 1249. Others maintain, however, that it marks the burial-
place of St. Waltheof or Waldeve, who was the second abbot of
the monastery founded by King David, and that it is the slab
placed here by Ingram, Bishop of Glasgow (1164-1174).

The chancel was also the burial-place of the Douglases. The
Douglas tombs were all defaced by Sir Ralph Evers in 1544. At
the northern end of the north transept a small doorway leads into
the sacristy, in which is the tombstone of Johanna, Queen of
Alexander II., with the inscription "Hic jacet Johanna d. Ross."
Melrose is the Kennaquhair of the Abbot and the Monastery.

CHAPTER VII

GENERAL SURVEY OF SCOTTISH
MEDIÆVAL ARCHITECTURE
Mediæval architecture of Scotland arranged according to the periods stated
in Chapter II.:[478]—
Transition from Celtic to Norman Architecture:—Abernethy Round Tower,
Perthshire (p. 7). Restennet Priory, Forfarshire (p. 7). St. Regulus, St.
Andrews, Fifeshire (p. 18).
Norman Architecture:—Markinch Tower (Fifeshire). Present church
modern, early church consecrated 1243; the tower is an ancient Norman
building. Muthill Church (Perthshire), has Norman tower at the west end,
with nave having north and south aisles and an aisleless choir. The church is
now in ruins, and was built by Michael Ochiltree, who was Dean of
Dunblane (1425) and Bishop (1430). St. Serf's, Dunning (Perthshire), has
Norman tower, with elaborately carved and pointed archway opening from
the tower into the church, which has been greatly altered. The W. gable wall
of the church and part of the N. and E. wall are original. There appears to
have been a chancel; the ancient corbels at N. parapet survive, and the
raggle of the original roof is seen against the E. side of the tower. Church
mentioned here in 1219 (ecclesia sancti servani de Dunnyne). Cruggleton
Church (Wigtownshire), in ruins; has early Norman chancel arch and north
doorway recently restored; the plan shows a simple oblong with chancel
arch. Monymusk Church (Aberdeenshire), founded by Malcolm Canmore;
remains of ancient Norman church in lower part of the tower and chancel
arch, incorporated in modern church on old site. Ancient Celtic centre. St.
Brandon's, Birnie (Morayshire), has nave and chancel without aisles;
chancel has no window in E. wall, but round-headed windows in N. and S.
walls; chancel arch has semicircular attached shaft with moulded base and
heavy Norman cap, with numerous sub-divisions. Advanced date. Stone
font of Norman design, and Celtic bell. St. Oran's Chapel, Iona (p. 65). St.

Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Castle, comprises a nave with chancel arch
and chancel, which has a round apse, formed within the square E. end of the
exterior. The genuine surviving Norman masonry begins below the line of
the S. windows; rest later work. Chancel has locker and piscina, chancel
arch decorated with chevron design, nave arched roof is later than the walls.
Chapel is a fairly advanced example of Norman work in plan and
decoration. Dunfermline Abbey (p. 139). Kirkwall Cathedral (p. 69). St.
Blane's Church (Bute) has oblong nave and chancel separated by lofty wall
with chancel arch. Norman masonry in nave and chancel arch. Dalmeny
Church (p. 102). Leuchars Church (p. 104). Bunkle Church (Berwickshire)
has Norman work in ruined semicircular apse, with arch leading into it, and
may be earlier than 12th century. Edrom Church (Berwickshire) has still
surviving a Norman doorway of beautiful design, now an entrance to a
burial vault. An aisle is attached to the church, and was founded by
Archbishop Blackadder in 1499; two angle buttresses are of interest.
Legerwood (Berwickshire) has attached to the parish church (old, but
frequently repaired), and cut off by a wall, the roofless ruins of the original
Norman chancel. A Celtic interlaced stone is built into the S. wall near the
W. end. Chirnside (Berwickshire) has Norman work in the doorway of the
ruined church, and at the sides there are remains of a projection, probably a
porch. A western tower, vaulted in stone, was removed in 1750. St. Helen's
Church (Berwickshire), near Cockburnspath, now in ruins, was a Norman
structure, with the exception of the W. gable wall (14th or 15th century). It
was barrel-vaulted throughout, and the N. chancel wall is entire. There is a
narrow E. window. Tyninghame Church (Haddingtonshire) was one of the
churches dedicated to St. Baldred; the structural remains exhibit elaborate
ornamental work of the Norman style. Stobo Church (Peeblesshire) is a
Norman structure, to which alterations and additions have been made in the
16th and 17th centuries. It was the church of a plebania, with subordinate
churches. Duddingston (Mid-Lothian) is a Norman edifice, used since 12th
century as the parish church. It has been much altered, originally consisting
of nave, chancel, and perhaps tower, and the chancel arch is the only
Norman feature now remaining in the interior. St. Andrew's Church,
Gullane (Haddingtonshire), is now a roofless ruin, and was made collegiate
in 1446. The semicircular chancel arch is almost the only part of the 12th
century work now surviving. Uphall Church and St. Nicholas Church
(Linlithgowshire). Uphall Church, consisting of nave, chancel, western

tower, is a Norman structure throughout, much altered. When this became
the parish church in the 16th century, St. Nicholas (one mile east) was
abandoned. Two relics of it remain—the font, of which the basin is old, and
the bell, now used in Uphall Church, and dated 1441. Abercorn
(Linlithgowshire). A church was founded here in 675 under St. Wilfrid, and
became the see of the earliest bishopric in Scotland from 681 to 685. The
monks were forced to retire to Whitby, but the site was occupied by a
church, and part of the existing structure (the round-headed doorway in S.
wall) is of Norman date. The tympanum is filled with stones arranged in
zig-zag patterns. The church has been altered in modern times; there are
good specimens in the churchyard of hog-backed tombstones, with figures
of fish scale pattern arranged in rows, and scales of a squarer shape. Kelso
Abbey (p. 169).
St. Martin's Church (Haddington) is a very ancient chapel; a simple oblong;
portion of barrel vault still exists; choir formerly existed; the arch is late
Norman in design. Kirkliston Church, Linlithgowshire, has ancient tower
and Norman doorways (S. and N.E.), and belonged originally to the Knights
Hospitallers of St. John. St. Mary's, Ratho, Mid-Lothian, has Norman work
preserved in doorway in S.W. wall. St. Peter's, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire,
has chancel of Norman period. St. Mary's, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, had a
nave with side aisles and a chancel, but of the ancient church only a
fragment now remains in the E. wall with eastern tower attached to it. The
E. wall masonry indicates the Norman period, and the eastern tower,
although built against, had no connection with the church, while it is of later
erection by two or three centuries. Lamington Church (Lanarkshire) has the
old N. doorway still preserved. St. Boswell's Church, Roxburghshire, has
been entirely rebuilt, but has some relics of carved corbels and other
fragments of Norman date. Smailholm Church, Roxburghshire, is distinctly
a Norman structure throughout its entire length, although greatly altered in
the 17th century. Linton Church, Roxburghshire, is old, but has been
restored and renewed. There is a Norman font, and a sculpture in the
tympanum of the ancient church doorway may possibly represent St.
George and the Dragon, or Faith overcoming Evil. It was placed in 1858
over the entrance to a new porch then erected. Duns Church, Berwickshire,
had the chancel of the ancient structure existing until 1874, when it was
removed, and not a stone now remains. Its masonry, judged from a

photograph, looks very like Norman work. St. Lawrence Church, Lundie,
Forfarshire, was a Norman structure, of which little remains except the
ashlar walls, a narrow window, and outside check for a shutter. The chancel
arch was built up in 1786, when the apse appears to have been taken down;
the top of a sacrament house of late date survives. Kirkmaiden Church,
Wigtownshire, has a nave that appears to be of Norman date, and there is an
apparent chancel at the east end, but its dimensions and origin are not
distinct. Herdmanston Font, Haddingtonshire, is a relic of the Norman
period, and stands in the burial vault of the Sinclairs of Herdmanston.
The Transition Style.—Dundrennan Abbey (Cistercian), Kirkcudbrightshire,
was founded by David I. about 1142. Portions of N. and S. transepts, choir,
chapter-house, some cellar walls and other walls, with a few carved caps
now remain. Queen Mary was welcomed at the abbey after her flight from
Langside, and embarked for England from Port Mary, at the mouth of the
Abbey Burn. Jedburgh Abbey (p. 129). Kinloss Abbey (Cistercian),
Morayshire, was founded by David I. in 1150, and colonised from Melrose.
The enlightened Robert Reid, founder of the College of Edinburgh, was its
abbot in 1528. Till 1650 the buildings were tolerably entire, and were then
used to construct Cromwell's citadel at Inverness. The remains are now
mere fragments. The Nunnery, Iona (p. 68). St. Nicholas Church, Aberdeen
(p. 78). Coldingham Priory (Benedictine), Berwickshire, was founded or
refounded in 1098 by Edgar, son of Queen Margaret, and dedicated to St.
Cuthbert, S.S. Mary and Ebba. The canons of Durham controlled it until
1504, and in 1509 it was placed under the rule of Dunfermline. It suffered
both from fire and its nearness to the Border; it was also damaged by
Cromwell, and was afterwards used as a quarry. Little of the monastery now
remains, and of the church only the N. and E. walls of the choir and
fragments of the S. transept. In 1662 the W. and S. walls of the choir were
rebuilt to make that part of the edifice suitable for worship, and in 1854-55
the choir was restored, its W. and S. walls being again partly rebuilt, S.
porch added, and the corner turrets carried up to their present height. Stones
are preserved of an earlier church than the existing one. Dryburgh Abbey (p.
134). Airth Church (Stirlingshire) dates from the period about the beginning
of the 13th century, but only a small part of the early structure remains—a
bay of what has been a nave arcade, opening into a north aisle. Lasswade
Church, Mid-Lothian, had an old church, consisting of oblong chamber and

tower. The S. wall doorway and tower reveal Transition work about first
half of 13th century. Bathgate Church, Linlithgowshire, is now a ruin, being
abandoned in 1739 for a new church. The doorway is almost the only
feature of its architecture left, and its details are of transitional period. In the
church is a recumbent statue.
First Pointed Period.—St. Andrews Cathedral and Priory (pp. 13, 123); St.
Mary's, Kirkheugh, St. Andrews (p. 102); Arbroath Abbey (p. 177);
Holyrood Abbey (p. 124). Kilwinning Abbey (Tironensian), Ayrshire, was
erected on a site occupied in the 8th century by an Irish monk called St.
Winnan, who is believed to be the same as St. Finnan of Moville. On the
spot sanctified by his cell the monastery was erected in the 12th century by
Richard or Hugh Moville, who came from England, was created by the
Scottish king Great Constable of the Kingdom and presented with the
lordships of Cuninghame, Largs, and Lauderdale. The church was erected
early in 13th century. The buildings were destroyed shortly after the
Reformation, and the parish church was erected on the site of the choir
about 1775. The ruins consist of S. wall and gable of S. transept, one pier
with respond and arch between S. transept and E. aisle; handsome door
which led from nave to cloisters; entrance to the chapter-house from
cloisters; long ancient wall which formed the wall of S. aisle of nave; some
portions of W. end of nave and S.W. tower. The N. tower remained
complete till this century, and a new tower has in recent times been erected
on its site. Dunblane Cathedral (p. 47). Inchmahome Priory (Augustinian),
Stirlingshire, was founded and endowed by Walter Comyn, fourth Earl of
Menteith, and the church, which has striking resemblances in detail to the
neighbouring cathedral of Dunblane, evidently dates about 1250.
Inchmahome means Isle of Rest, and the church is fairly well preserved. In
1543 Queen Mary, as a child, found refuge here along with her mother after
the battle of Pinkie, and stayed for some months. Dr. John Brown has
charmingly written about the young queen's miniature or child's garden—a
small flower plot, the boxwood edging of which has grown up into a thick
shrubbery. Elgin Cathedral (p. 40). Pluscarden Priory (Valliscaulian),
Morayshire, was, along with Beauly and Ardchattan, founded by Alexander
II. for the Order of Vallis Caulium. Pluscarden is situated in a long, well-
sheltered valley. About 1460, when the monks had become corrupt, they
were superseded by the Black Benedictine monks from Dunfermline, and

the priory became dependent on that house. The last prior was Alexander
Dunbar, and the first lay prior Lord Seton. The existing buildings consist
chiefly of the remains of the church—an aisleless choir N. and S. transepts
with eastern aisles, and square tower. There is no nave. The monastic
buildings consist of the sacristy, or St. Mary's aisle, the chapter-house, the
slype, and monks' hall—the whole forming the E. side of the cloisters. To
the S.E. of cloister garth is probably the prior's house. The oldest parts are
transepts with eastern aisles, built doubtless soon after the foundation.
Glasgow Cathedral (p. 22). Brechin Cathedral (p. 44). Lindores Abbey
(Tironensian), Fifeshire, was founded in 1178 by David, Earl of
Huntingdon, grandson of David I., and brother of King William the Lion.
The church of Dundee belonged to the monks of Lindores, and the name
Lindores is believed to mean "church by the water." Alexander III., Wallace,
Edward I., David II. visited the abbey, and the Duke of Rothesay was buried
in the church. James, Earl of Douglas, passed the last years of his life here.
Two small coffins, found buried in the choir, are believed to have contained
the remains of two children of Earl David, the founder. The buildings,
entering from the E. side of the cloister, are the best preserved, and of the
church little but the foundations and some portions of the wall survive.
Adjoining S. transept is the vaulted slype, and the room over it may have
been the scriptorium or library. The night passage of the monks led through
that apartment, as the stair was in S.W. angle of transept, and could only be
thus reached. Cambuskenneth Abbey (Augustinian), Stirlingshire, was
founded by David I. about 1147. James III. and his queen, Margaret of
Denmark, were interred before the high altar, and a stone altar monument
has been erected over their remains by Queen Victoria. The detached tower
at the W. is almost the only part remaining in a completed state; the W.
doorway is nearly entire, as is also portion of gable wall and side walls at
S.E. corner of the buildings. Culross Abbey (Cistercian) and Parish Church,
Perthshire. The abbey was founded in 1217 by Malcolm, Earl of Fife, and
considerable remains of that period, and some walls of what might be of
earlier date, still survive, but principal parts of existing church are of later
date. A few fragments of the monastic structure survive. The tower divides
the E. from the W. church. The aisleless choir serves as parish church. The
old parish church is a ruinous structure, about one mile N.W. from the
abbey; plain oblong; in 1633 the abbey became the parish church. Beauly
Priory (Valliscaulian), Inverness-shire, was founded in 1230 and endowed

by Sir John Bisset of Lovat. The ruined church survives, but has been sadly
abused. Monastic buildings have nearly disappeared. First Pointed was later
here than elsewhere. Newbattle or Newbotle Abbey (Cistercian), Mid-
Lothian, was founded by David I. in 1140 for monks brought from Melrose.
It was a great house, and about 1350 its annual income could maintain
eighty monks and seventy lay brethren, with the corresponding
establishment. The last abbot was Mark Ker, and the lordship of Newbotle
was conferred on his son. The abbey appears to have been almost abolished
shortly after the Reformation, the only parts of the monastic buildings
allowed to remain being the fratery and portions of the chapter-house,
which were incorporated with the mansion-house. The nave of the church
contained 10 bays; the choir and presbytery comprised 1½ bay. The piers
supported a tower over the crossing, and the architecture of the transepts
was massive. Lismore Cathedral (p. 59). St. Kentigern's, Lanark, was
ancient parish church; abandoned for new one about 1777. It consisted of
two six-bayed aisles, each with a chancel, but without a nave; there remain
the lofty pointed arches dividing the two aisles, the wall of the S. one, and a
fragment of the chancels. In the S. wall is a beautiful doorway. Burntisland
Church, Fifeshire, Prestonkirk, Haddingtonshire, Cowie, Aberdeenshire,
also illustrate in whole or part this period. Deer Abbey (Cistercian),
Aberdeenshire, was founded in 1218, and succeeded a church founded in
580 by St. Columba and his nephew Drostan. The conventual buildings now
existing are subsequent in date to the founding of the abbey church
(completed first), and this may account for the abbot demitting office in
1267, "choosing rather to live in the sweet converse of his brethren at
Melrose than to govern an unworthy flock under the lowly roofs of Deir."
Luffness Monastery, Redfriars, Haddingtonshire, was founded by Patrick,
Earl of Dunbar, in 1286. The church consisted of nave and choir, without
aisles; the choir has arched recess and much-worn effigy. The remains
consist mostly of foundations. Tungland Abbey (Premonstratensian),
Kirkcudbrightshire, was founded by Fergus, first lord of Galloway, in 12th
century, and is now represented by only one doorway. Inchcolm Abbey
(Augustinian), Fifeshire, was founded in 1123 by Alexander I., who had
been driven ashore on the island by a storm, and was maintained with his
followers for three days by a hermit who made Inchcolm his retreat. There
is still a small cell covered with a pointed barrel vault, which may have
been his abode. The island was the cradle of religion in E. Scotland, and

may have been visited by St. Columba himself. Like Inchkeith, the Bass,
Isle of May, and Fidra, it possesses early ecclesiastical remains. The island,
like Iona, was celebrated as a place of burial. The monastic buildings date
from 1216 chiefly; Walter Bower continued the Scotichronicon in the
abbey. The ruins consist of the cloister court with church on N. side, and
chapter-house beyond E. range. To the N. of the church was possibly the
infirmary. The S.E. has cellars, stores, and offices. First Pointed work is
also found at the churches of Deer; Auchindoir; St. Cuthbert's, Monkton; St.
Nicholas, Prestwick; Altyre; St. Mary's, Rattray; Abdie; St. Ninian's on the
Isle; St. Colmanel's, Buittle; Cockpen; Pencaitland; Gogar Font.
Middle Pointed or Decorated Architecture.—New Abbey or Sweetheart
Abbey (Cistercian), Kirkcudbrightshire, was dedicated to the Virgin. It was
called New Abbey because it was founded a considerable time after
Dundrennan, which was regarded as the old abbey. The founder was
Devorgilla, daughter of Allan, Lord of Galloway, wife of John Baliol of
Castle Barnard in Yorkshire, and mother of King John Baliol. When her
husband died in 1269, Devorgilla had his heart embalmed and placed in an
ivory coffin, which she carried about with her; at her death it was buried
with her in a grave in front of the abbey high altar, hence the touching name
of Sweetheart Abbey. She endowed the abbey, founded Balliol College,
Oxford, and built the bridge over the Nith at Dumfries, portions of which
still survive. The abbey suffered much last century, but it has since been
well cared for, and is in good preservation. Few of our ancient churches are
so well preserved, and the ruins represent a period of Scottish Gothic of
which not many examples survive. The conventual buildings have been
almost entirely demolished, but the church is complete, although the roof is
gone, and the walls are much damaged. It comprises a nave with two side
aisles, a choir without aisles, N. and S. transepts (with eastern chapels
opening off them), and a square tower over the crossing. The precinct—a
level field of about 20 acres—surrounds the abbey, and is still partly
enclosed with a strong wall, built with large blocks of granite. Melrose
Abbey (p. 184). Lincluden College, Kirkcudbrightshire, was founded anew
about the end of the 14th century by Archibald, the Grim, who expelled the
nuns. It was a frequent residence of the Earls of Douglas, and consisted of
choir separated from nave and transept by stone screen with wide doorway.
The choir is aisleless, consisting of three bays; the nave had three bays with

a window in each, and aisle on S. side. The architecture is of great beauty.
Fortrose Cathedral (p. 52). Crossraguel Abbey (Cluniac), Ayrshire, was
founded by the Earl of Carrick and dedicated to St. Mary. The last abbot,
Quentin Kennedy, in 1562 held a famous dispute with John Knox at
Maybole. The abbey was much associated with the Bruces. In 1570
occurred the cruel "roasting of the abbot." George Buchanan received a
pension out of the abbey revenues, and King James intended to restore it as
a residence for his son Henry. The abbey ruins comprise, with the remains
of the church, cloisters, and usual buildings, an outer court to the S.W. with
picturesque gate-house, pigeon-house, and domestic buildings. The church
is a simple oblong with choir and nave, without aisles and transepts. St.
Giles', Edinburgh (p. 89). St. Michael's, Linlithgow (p. 105). St. Monans,
Fifeshire, derives its name from St. Monanus, a missionary of the 8th
century, who suffered martyrdom by the Danes on the Isle of May. The
original chapel was replaced about 1362 by the present edifice, which
suffered much at the hands of the English, and has been altered. It consists
of chancel, N. and S. transepts, with tower and spire over the crossing, and
is still used as the parish church. It is picturesque and interesting. Whithorn
Priory (p. 56). St. Mary's, Haddington (p. 107). Fearn Abbey
(Premonstratensian), Ross-shire, was founded during the reign of Alexander
II. Of it there now only remain a part of the church, and the ruins of some
structures attached to it. The church is a simple oblong, and part of it is still
used as the parish church. Balmerino Abbey (Cistercian), Fifeshire, was
founded in 1229 by Ermengard, widow of William the Lion, and her son
Alexander II. Ermengard was buried in the church before the high altar; she
was a liberal benefactress, and her son was a frequent visitor at Balmerino.
Bishop Leslie ascribes the demolition of the abbey in 1559 to "certain most
worthless men of the common people," for the damage of 1547, when
Admiral Wyndham "bornt the abbey with all thyngs that were in it," seems
to have been much repaired. The abbey buildings are now in a ruinous state,
only the chapter-house, with the erections adjoining it, being at all well
preserved. To the E. of the chapter-house are the ruins of the abbot's house.
The church is situated, as the mother church at Melrose, on the S. of the
cloister, and consisted of nave with S. aisle, transepts with the usual eastern
aisle, and short presbytery without aisles. St. Bride's College, Bothwell (p.
77). Temple Church, Mid-Lothian; the Chapel in Rothesay Castle; St.
Bride's, Douglas, Lanarkshire; St. Duthus', Tain, Ross-shire; St. Peter's,

Inverkeithing, Fife; St. Devenic's, Creich, Fife; Faslane Church,
Argyleshire; the Monument of Sir W. Olifurd, Aberdalgie, Perthshire, also
embody architecture of this period.
Third or Late Pointed Period.—Paisley Abbey (p. 148). Dunkeld Cathedral
(p. 35). Iona Cathedral (p. 60). St. Machar's Cathedral (p. 37). Trinity
College Church, Edinburgh, was situated on the W. side of Leith Wynd, and
founded by Mary of Gueldres, Queen of James II., in 1462. It was a very
fine specimen of Scottish Gothic architecture of the 15th century, and
consisted of a choir with N. and S. aisles, a five-sided apse, N. and S.
transepts, with the commencement of a tower over the crossing and N.
sacristy. The nave was never erected—the arch having a circular window
inserted in it. It was the church of Trinity College Parish till 1848, when it
was removed to make way for the railway station. The new church is in
many details an exact reproduction of the corresponding features of the
original building. St. John's, Perth (p. 108). Dundee Church (p. 113).
Glenluce Abbey (Cistercian), Wigtownshire, was founded in 1190 by
Roland, Lord of Galloway; the chapter-house is the only portion of the
abbey in good preservation. Torphichen Church, Linlithgowshire, represents
the hospital or preceptory of Torphichen, from 1153 the principal Scottish
residence of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. Of the cruciform church,
the chancel and nave are entirely gone, and there is only left a portion of the
transept or "quier." The modern church is on the site of the nave. St.
Anthony's Chapel, Edinburgh—"Sanct Antonis in the crag"—stands
conspicuous from the Firth of Forth, and was perhaps chosen with the
intention of attracting the notice of seamen coming up the Firth, who, in
cases of danger, might be induced to make vows to its tutelary saint. There
is a fine spring of clear water close to the site, which may have led to the
establishment of the hermitage there. Wall remains survive. Rosslyn Church
(p. 85). Dunglass Collegiate Church, Haddingtonshire, is cruciform, and a
deserted but complete edifice. The choir and tower may have been built in
1403, the nave after 1450. It was founded by Sir Alexander Home of Home.
Foulis-Easter Church, Perthshire, is a simple, oblong structure without
buttresses or projections of any kind; is well preserved and most interesting.
It was built by Andrew, second Lord Gray. St. Salvador's, St. Andrews (p.
102). Dalkeith Church (Mid-Lothian) was constituted collegiate in the 15th
century, and consists of a nave of three bays with aisles, N. and S. transepts,

a W. tower, and aisleless choir of three bays with E. apse. Part is used as the
parish church. St. Mungo's, Borthwick (Mid-Lothian) has been rebuilt, with
the exception of the S. aisle or chapel, and the structure has originally been
a Norman one, with aisleless nave, choir, and round E. apse. Ladykirk,
Berwickshire, is very complete and almost unaltered. It is situated on the
high N. bank of the Tweed, and is said to have been built in 1500, and
dedicated to St. Mary by James IV. in gratitude for his delivery from
drowning by a sudden flood of the Tweed. It is a triapsidal cross church,
without aisles, with an apsidal termination at the E. end of the chancel and
at the N. and S. ends of the transept. The body of the church and transepts
are covered with pointed barrel vaults, with ribs at intervals springing from
small corbels, and the whole is roofed with overlapping stone flags. The
upper part of the tower has been rebuilt, the lower part being of the same
date as the church, which is still the parish church. Seton Collegiate
Church, Haddingtonshire, probably rebuilt about the close of the 15th
century, was added to by the second Lord Seton when he made the church
collegiate in 1493, and was completed by the third Lord Seton. The
transepts, tower, and spire would appear to have been erected by the
Dowager Lady Seton in the 16th century, after her husband's death at
Flodden. Arbuthnott Church, Kincardineshire, is an interesting and
picturesque structure, containing work of three distinct periods. The chancel
was dedicated in 1242, and the nave may be in part of the same period. The
S. wing or aisle was built by Sir Robert Arbuthnott in the end of the 15th
century. The quaint W. end represents a combination of the ecclesiastical
and domestic architecture of Scotland. The church has been well restored;
the Arbuthnott Missal with the Psalter and office were written for the use of
this church by the vicar, James Sybbald, about 1491. King's College,
Aberdeen (p. 80). Church of the Holy Rood, Stirling (p. 114). St. Mary's
Parish Church, Whitekirk, Haddingtonshire, was a great place of
pilgrimage, and was visited among others by Pope Pius II. (Æneas Sylvius),
who came to render thanks to the Virgin for his safe landing in Scotland.
The church is on the plan of a cross without aisles; the choir is vaulted with
a pointed barrel vault, and the roof is slated. Over the crossing is a square
tower, finished with a plain parapet; the E. end is square, and there is a fine
porch at the S.W. angle. The S.W. porch is one of the most striking features
of the structure, and its interior is roofed with pointed barrel vaulting,
having ribs springing from carved corbels. Third or late Pointed architecture

is also found at Crichton Collegiate Church, Mid-Lothian; Corstorphine
Collegiate Church, Mid-Lothian; Crail Collegiate Church, Fife; Mid-
Calder Church, Mid-Lothian; St. Mary's Church of the Carmelite Friars,
South Queensferry, Linlithgowshire; Yester Collegiate Church,
Haddingtonshire; Tullibardine Collegiate Church, Perthshire; Maybole
Collegiate Church, Ayrshire; Biggar Collegiate Church (p. 77); Carnwath
Collegiate Church, Lanarkshire; St. Mary's Collegiate Church, Castle
Semple, Renfrewshire; Church of the Franciscans or Greyfriars, Elgin,
Morayshire, and at Aberdeen; Rowdil Priory (Augustinian), Harri,
Inverness-shire; Oronsay Priory (Augustinian), Argyleshire.
Examples of Scottish mediæval architecture are also to be found in the
following churches, arranged alphabetically by counties. Aberdeenshire:—
Kinkell, Kintore, Leask. Argyleshire:—Ardchattan and St. Mund's
Collegiate Church, Kilmun. Ayrshire:—Alloway, Old Dailly, and Straiton.
Banffshire:—Cullen Collegiate Church, Deskford, and Mortlach.
Berwickshire:—Church of Abbey St. Bathans (Cistercian Nuns),
Bassendean, Cockburnspath (an ancient structure), Preston. Buteshire:—
Church of St. Mary's Abbey, Rothesay. Dumbartonshire:—Dumbarton
Collegiate Church and Chapel at Kirkton of Kilmahew. Dumfriesshire:—
Canonby Priory (Augustinian), Kirkbryde, St. Cuthbert's, Moffat; Sanquhar.
Fifeshire:—Carnock, Dysart, Kilconquhar, Kilrenny, Rosyth, Dominican
Church, St. Leonard's (p. 116), Holy Trinity (p. 117), St. Andrews.
Forfarshire:—Airlie, Invergowrie, Mains, Maryton, Pert, St. Vigean's.
Haddingtonshire:—Church of Trinity Friars, Dunbar, and Keith.
Kincardineshire:—St. Palladius' Church, Fordoun. Kirkcudbrightshire:—
Old Girthon. Lanarkshire:—Blantyre Priory (Augustinian), and Covington.
Linlithgowshire:—Auldcathie. Mid-Lothian:—St. Triduan's Collegiate
Church, Restalrig. Peeblesshire:—Newlands, Churches of Holy Cross and
St. Andrew, Peebles. Perthshire:—Aberuthven; St. Moloc, Alyth; St.
Mechessoc, Auchterarder; Cambusmichael; Abbey of Coupar (Cistercian);
Dron Church, Longforgan; Ecclesiamagirdle or Exmagirdle, Glenearn;
Forgandenny; Abbey of Inchaffray (Augustinian); Innerpeffray (Collegiate);
Kinfauns; Methven (Collegiate); Moncrieff Chapel; Wast-town (near Errol).
Renfrewshire:—Houston, St. Fillan's, and Kilmalcolm. Selkirkshire:—
Selkirk. Wigtownshire:—St. Machutus' Church, Wigtown.

Mediæval architecture terminated with the Reformation in 1560. In closing
this necessarily brief record of our ancient Scottish churches, a word must
be added on the Scottish Reformation. It was the aim of Knox to cleanse,
not to destroy the temple, and the iconoclasm that followed was the work of
the "rascal multitude," while many of the churches and abbeys were ruined
by the attacks of the English before the Reformation, as the previous pages
indicate. The old builders, too, did a great deal of what is now known as
"scamped work," although it was partly counteracted by the excellence of
their lime and the thickness of their walls. The real cause of the subsequent
destruction was neglect, not violence, while the secularising of the old
endowments alienated into other channels the means that were necessary to
undo the effects of wind and weather. As Carlyle said, "Knox wanted no
pulling down of stone edifices; he wanted leprosy and darkness to be
thrown out of the lives of men," and it is known that he exerted himself to
save the Abbey of Scone from destruction. In the case of Dunkeld
Cathedral, the order makes it quite clear that neither desks, windows, nor
doors, glass work nor iron work, was to be destroyed (pp. 36, 37). The aim
of the reformers was at heart an endeavour to make the old temples fit
symbols of the reformed faith, and the iconoclasm of the multitude is not to
be attributed to them, but to the ignorance and savagery of the time, for
which the Church of Rome was primarily to blame. It was this that lessened
church feeling and separated the power of truth from the beauty of holiness.
It is our privilege to-day to seek the unity of truth and goodness with
beauty, to maintain the faith of the Reformation along with that beauty of
church architecture which, in its brighter days, the old church witnessed to.
It is a one-sided view which sees in Gothic nothing but the development of
utility or the endeavour to attain greater height; it is the true view which
beholds in it the ideality, piety, and faith that possessed the hearts of our
forefathers. The architect's design could never have been realised apart from
their offerings of devotion to the Christian religion. When Emerson visited
Carlyle at Craigenputtock, the latter, pointing to the parish church, said to
his American friend, "Christ's death built Dunscore Church yonder." It is a
deep, true utterance, for Christ's death has built every church in
Christendom, and these embodiments of beauty not least of all. In this light
we see what is at the heart of these ancient Scottish churches, and what has
created the affection that treasures them. The ruined walls of so many of
them ought to have been the home of the reformed faith, life, and work,

linking the present to the past by natural piety, and visibly reminding the
worshippers of the church that endureth throughout all generations. The
present revival of interest in them is like a new-discovered sense, and is
undoing the spoliation and neglect of an age subsequent to the Reformation,
and for which the Scottish Reformers are not to blame. Theirs was no easy
work, and history has vindicated its results in the progressive genius of the
Scottish people. The Reformation saved religion, but the alienation of the
religious endowments to secular purposes, often by unworthy hands, is the
chief cause of the ruins which tell of a beauty that has left the earth, and it
has deprived the Church of so many of its venerable heirlooms. Otherwise
there might have been said of the Scottish as was said of the English
Reformation that but for it there would have been little Norman or Early
English left in the cathedrals, for it just came at a time when the early styles
were being pulled fast down to make room for the later.[479] It was the
Scottish Reformers' aim to make all the churches parish churches, and each
church the centre of the life and work of each parish. Their grievance
against monasticism arose from the corrupt lives of the monks and from its
intrusion on the parochial system with the alienation of the parish teinds to
the use of the monastery. But the idea of a church in the centre of a
residence, is one not without suggestiveness to the life of to-day, with its
many activities, as a training home for workers; as a temporary retreat for
rest, meditation, and prayer to the hard-wrought ministers in the city
parishes; as a place for conference on the religious problems; as a
theological hall and settlement for divinity students, like that at Loccum
near Hanover, where a reformed mediæval monastery, free from vows, and
in the full vigour of its life, is used as a college and residence for the
students of the Reformed Church, and where the old monastic church is
used as the parish church for the people around. To visit Loccum and see it
presided over by the venerable Protestant theologian, Dr. Ullhorn, with its
garden, grounds, and farm, its church and cloisters, its great library and
residence for professors and students, is to be persuaded of the rich
possibilities that lie within the reach of the Scottish Church in the
restoration of some of its ruined abbeys. The saintly Leighton felt the need
of this, and thought "the great and fatal error of the Reformation was, that
more of these houses and of that course of life, free from the entanglements
of vows and other mixtures, was not preserved; so that the Protestant
churches had neither places of education nor retreat for men of mortified

tempers."[480] The Reformed Church would thereby purify a great idea, and
if it be true, as the late Master of Balliol asserted, that it is the great
misfortune of Protestantism never to have had an art or architecture,[481] it
can restore and adopt the old architecture that was the creation of the
Christian spirit, amid the leisure of the cloister and in times more restful
than our own.

APPENDIX

DEFINITION OF LEADING
ARCHITECTURAL TERMS[482]
Abacus—the flat member at the top of a capital. Apse—the semicircular
space at the end of a building. Arcade—a series of arches; is usually applied
to the small ornamental arches only. Barrel vault—resembling the inside of
a barrel. Bead—a small round moulding. Boss—a projecting ornament in a
vault at the intersection of the ribs. Canopy—the head of a niche over an
image; also the ornamental moulding over a door or window or tomb.
Capital, cap—the head of a column, pilaster, etc. Chamfer—a sloping
surface forming the bevelled edge of a square pier, moulding, or buttress,
when the angle is said to be chamfered off. Chevron—an inflected
moulding, also called zigzag, characteristic of Norman architecture. Clere-
story or clear-story—the upper story of a church, as distinguished from the
triforium or blind story below it, in which the openings, though resembling
windows, are usually blank or blind, not glazed. Corbel—a projecting stone
to carry a weight, usually carved. Crocket—an ornament usually resembling
a leaf half opened, and projecting from the upper edge of a canopy or
pyramidal covering. The term is supposed to be derived from the
resemblance to a shepherd's crook. Crypt—a vault beneath a church,
generally beneath the chancel only, and sometimes used for the exhibition
of relics. Cusp—an ornament used in the tracery of windows, screens, etc.,
to form foliation. Dormer—an upright window placed on a sloping roof,
giving light to the chambers next the roof. Fillet—a small square band used
on the face of mouldings. Finial—the ornament which finishes the top of a
pinnacle, a canopy, or a spire, usually carved into a bunch of foliage. Flying
buttress—an arch carried over the roof of an aisle from the external buttress
to the wall of the clerestory, to support the vault. Gargoyle—a projected
water-spout, often ornamented with grotesque figures. Jambs—the sides of
a window opening or doorway. Mullion—the vertical bar dividing the lights
of a window. Ogee—a moulding formed by the combination of a round and

hollow. Pier arches—the main arches of the nave or choir resting on piers.
Pinnacle—a sort of small spire usually terminating a buttress. Piscina—a
water-drain in a church placed on the right-hand side of an altar for the use
of the priest. Plinth—the projecting member forming the lower part of a
base or of a wall. Shaft—a small, slender pillar usually attached to a larger
one, or in the sides of a doorway or window. Slype—a passage leading from
the transept to the chapter-house. String-course—a horizontal moulding or
course of masonry, usually applied to the one carried under the windows of
the chancel, both externally and internally. Tooth ornament—an ornament
resembling a row of teeth, sometimes called dog's tooth and shark's tooth.
Transept—the portion of a building crossing the nave and producing a
cruciform plan. Transition—the period of a change of style, during which
there is frequently an overlapping of the styles. Transom—the transverse
horizontal piece across the mullions of a window. Triforium or blind story
—the middle story of a large church, over the pier arches and under the
clerestory windows; it is usually ornamented by an arcade, and fills the
space formed by the necessary slope of the aisle roofs. Tympanum—the
space between the flat lintel of a doorway and the arch over it, usually filled
with sculpture.
THE END.
Printed by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh.

THE SCOTT COUNTRY
By W. S. CROCKETT

In One Volume. Large Crown 8vo, Cloth.
Containing about 200 Illustrations.

Probable price 3s. 6d. net.
Mr. W. S. Crockett's book on "The Scott Country" will tell the story of the
famous Borderland and its undying associations with Sir Walter, its greatest
son. His early years at Sandyknowe and Kelso will be sketched by one who
is himself a native of that very district. Scott's first Border home at
Ashestiel, and the making of Abbotsford, the Ettrick and Yarrow of Scott,
the memories that cluster round Melrose, the district of Hawick, and the
country of "Marmion," will all have a place in the work. Not a spot of
historic and romantic interest but will be referred to all along the line of
Tweedside and its tributaries from Berwick to the Beild. The Border
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and comprehensive plan than has yet been attempted, will, we feel sure, be
a source of satisfaction to every reader, whether Border-born or not. To the
Scott abroad the volume will recall many a familiar memory, and at home it
should take its place as a standard work of its kind, the author being,
according to Dr. Robertson Nicoll and others, perhaps the most capable
living student of the Border and its literature. The "Scott Country" will have

close on 200 illustrations, many of them quite new; and the price is such as
to bring it within the reach of all.

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Some Appreciations of Dr. John Brown and his Books.
WILLIAM ARCHER.—"How came it that no one ever told me it was a
thing unique in literature, the autobiography—yes, that is the word—of one
of the most wonderful children, and quite the most adorable, that ever
lived?... Never has so brief a piece of printed matter affected me so
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W. E. GLADSTONE.—"My estimate of Dr. John Brown was particularly
high. It is easy and obvious to say he was a clever man and a good man, but
this is only part of the truth, and he stood, I think, both in the intellectual
and the moral order, much higher than these words of themselves convey."
ANDREW LANG.—"Three volumes of essays are all that Dr. Brown has
left us in the way of compositions; a light but imperishable literature.... No
man of letters could be more widely regretted, for he was the friend of all
who read his books, as even to people who only met him once or twice in
life he seemed to become dear and familiar."
Professor DAVID MASSON.—"Yes, many long years hence, when all of
us are gone, I can imagine that a little volume will be in circulation,
containing 'Rab and his Friends,' etc.; and that then readers now unborn,
thrilled by that peculiar touch which only things of heart and genius can
give, will confess to the same charm that now fascinates us, and will think
with interest of Dr. John Brown of Edinburgh."
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.—"Marjorie Fleming I have known, as
you surmise, for long. She was possibly—no, I take back possibly—she
was one of the greatest works of God."

A. & C. BLACK, SOHO SQUARE, LONDON.

FOOTNOTES:
[1] Skene's Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 365, 366.
[2] Mediæval Architecture, vol. i. p. 8.
[3] Ibid. pp. 8, 9, 26.
[4] Ibid. p. 145.
[5] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 1, 2.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Eccles. Arch. of Scot. vol. i. pp. 1, 2.
[8] Ibid. pp. 175-190.
[9] Ibid. p. 28.
[10] Ibid. p. 28.
[11] Ibid. p. 178.
[12] Eccles. Arch. of Scot. vol. i. p. 191.
[13] Ibid. p. 192.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Eccles. Arch, of Scot. vol. i. pp. 387, 388.
[16] Ibid. pp. 46, 47.
[17] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 1.
[18] Ibid. p. 3.
[19] Ibid. vol. i. p. 50.
[20] Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, pp. 68, 69.
[21] Ibid. p. 70.
[22] Eccles. Arch. of Scot. vol. ii. p. 332.
[23] Ibid. vol. i. p. 57.
[24] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. pp. 1-7.
[25] Ancient Church and Parish of Abernethy, p. 95.
[26] Pictish Chronicle, p. 201.
[27] Amra Columcille, pp. 29, 63.
[28] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 136, 137.

[29] Scott's Marmion.
[30] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 274.
[31] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 309, 310.
[32] Scotichronicon, bk. iv. c. 12.
[33] Reg. Pri. S. And. App. p. xxxi.
[34] Reeves's British Culdees, p. 41.
[35] Church of Scotland: Past and Present, vol. ii. pp. 309, 310.
[36] Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, p. 34.
[37] Chronicle of the Picts and Scots, p. 191.
[38] Lecture II. p. 24.
[39] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 190.
[40] Ibid. p. 186.
[41] Petrie's Round Towers and Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ireland.
[42] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 6-8.
[43] Ibid. p. 6
[44] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 16.
[45] Ibid. p. 19.
[46] Ibid. p. 26.
[47] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 184, 185.
[48] Celtic Scotland, ii. p. 186.
[49] Historians of Scotland, v. p. lxxxix.
[50] Vol. i. pp. 3-5.
[51] Sir James Marwick's Charters and Documents relating to the City of
Glasgow, part i. p. dxxiii.
[52] Preface to Register, p. xxiv.
[53] Messrs. MacGibbon and Ross and Honeyman, architects.
[54] The Book of Glasgow Cathedral, p. 229.
[55] Ibid.
[56] The Book of Glasgow Cathedral, p. 231.
[57] Ibid. p. 274.
[58] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, ii. p. 160.

[59] Book of Glasgow Cathedral, p. 232.
[60] Registrum Epis. Glas. p. xxiv.
[61] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, ii. p. 161.
[62] Ibid.
[63] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, ii. p. 161.
[64] Book of Glasgow Cathedral, p. 267.
[65] Eccles. Arch. of Scotland, ii. p. 161.
[66] Ibid. pp. 161, 162.
[67] The Book of Glasgow Cathedral, p. 324.
[68] See Professor Laurie's Lectures, pp. 136, 137.
[69] Book of Glasgow Cathedral, pp. 292-302.
[70] Theiner, p. 505; Reg. Epis. Glasg. ii. 470-473, 543, 544.
[71] Book of Glasgow Cathedral, p. 265.
[72] MacGibbon and Ross, vol. ii. p. 162.
[73] Ibid.
[74] See p. 23.
[75] Book of Glasgow Cathedral, p. 108.
[76] Ibid. p. 277.
[77] Book of Glasgow Cathedral, p. 291.
[78] Ibid. p. 305.
[79] Ibid. p. 317.
[80] Ibid. p. 304.
[81] Sir James Marwick's Charters and Documents of Glasgow, part i. p. xli.
[82] Dr. Rankin, vol. ii. p. 315.
[83] Registrum Episcopatus Glasguensis.
[84] Complete list in Book of Glasgow Cathedral, pp. 190-197.
[85] Sir James Marwick's Charters, part. i. p. dxxiv.
[86] Ibid. p. v.
[87] Book of Glasgow Cathedral, pp. 375, 376.
[88] Ibid. p. 244.

[89] Mediæval Architecture, vol. ii. p. 200.
[90] Book of Glasgow Cathedral, p. 252.
[91] MacGibbon and Ross, vol. ii. p. 172.
[92] Book of Glasgow Cathedral, pp. 239, 240.
[93] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 165.
[94] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 405.
[95] Ibid. p. 408.
[96] Myln's Lives of the Bishops of Dunkeld, p. 38.
[97] Ibid. p. 44.
[98] Myln's Lives of the Bishops of Dunkeld, p. 46.
[99] Ibid. p. 56.
[100] Ibid. p. 66.
[101] Scoti-Monasticon, pp. 216, 217.
[102] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 31.
[103] Ibid. p. 47.
[104] Registrum Episcopatus Aberdonensis, p. x.
[105] Ibid.
[106] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 379.
[107] Reg. p. xi.
[108] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 75.
[109] View of the Diocese of Aberdeen, p. 148.
[110] Ibid. p. 163.
[111] Ecclesiastical Architecture, vol. iii. p. 75.
[112] Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, p. 75.
[113] Ibid.
[114] Preface to Register, pp. xlii., xliii.
[115] Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, p. 75.
[116] Collections of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, p. 150.
[117] P. 104.
[118] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, p. 77.

[119] Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, p. 76.
[120] View of the Diocese of Aberdeen, p. 151.
[121] Ibid. p. 152.
[122] Registrum Episcopatus Moraviensis, p. xii.
[123] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 369.
[124] Registrum, pp. xiii and 40.
[125] Ibid. p. xiii.
[126] Ibid.
[127] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 121.
[128] P. xiii., No. 26.
[129] Register, No. 173, p. 204.
[130] Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, p. 52.
[131] Ecclesiastical Architecture, vol. ii. pp. 122, 123.
[132] Ibid. p. 125.
[133] Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, p. 50.
[134] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 145.
[135] Life, vol. ii. p. 437.
[136] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 397.
[137] Ibid.
[138] Ibid.
[139] Preface to the Brechin Register, p. vi.
[140] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 400.
[141] Ibid. pp. 400, 401.
[142] Dr. Rankin's History, vol. ii. p. 328.
[143] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 309.
[144] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 209.
[145] Miss Stokes, Early Christian Architecture, p. 73.
[146] Scotland in Early Christian Times, p. 45.
[147] Ordnance Gazetteer, vol. i. p. 187.
[148] Early Christian Architecture in Ireland, p. 5.

[149] Scotland in Early Christian Times, p. 41.
[150] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 213.
[151] Ibid. p. 212.
[152] Ibid.
[153] Black's Brechin, pp. 253, 254.
[154] Preface to Register, p. xvii.
[155] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 402.
[156] Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops, p. 174.
[157] Reeves' British Culdees, p. 141.
[158] MacGibbon and Ross, vol. ii. p. 86.
[159] Ibid. vol. i. p. 174.
[160] Ibid. vol. ii. p. 89.
[161] Lib. Ins. Missarum, preface, p. xxix.
[162] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 92.
[163] Ibid.
[164] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 102.
[165] Edinburgh Lectures.
[166] Keith's Scottish Bishops, pp. 177-180.
[167] MacGibbon and Ross, vol. ii. p. 107.
[168] Keith's Scottish Bishops, p. 175.
[169] History of His Own Times, vol. ii. p. 243.
[170] The Bishop's Walk, p. 7.
[171] Regist. de Dunf., p. 3.
[172] Reeves' Culdees, p. 46.
[173] The Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 395.
[174] Ibid. p. 399.
[175] Mr. Neale.
[176] His diary for 1571 is published in the Bannatyne Miscellany, vol. iii. pp.
113-156.
[177] Keith's Scottish Bishops, p. 198.

[178] Cosmo Innes's "Records of the Bishopric of Caithness," Bannatyne
Miscellany, vol. iii. p. 3.
[179] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 383.
[180] Orig. Par. vol. ii. part ii. p. 601.
[181] Transactions of the Aberdeen Ecclesiological Society (1892), p. 36.
[182] Transactions of the Aberdeen Ecclesiological Society (1892), p. 40.
[183] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 482.
[184] Ibid. p. 485.
[185] Ibid. p. 486.
[186] Celtic Scotland, vol. i. p. 69.
[187] Ibid. vol. ii. p. 408.
[188] Dr. Rankin, vol. ii. p. 350.
[189] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 265.
[190] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 83, 84.
[191] Ibid. p. 85.
[192] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 85-102.
[193] They were thence taken to Ireland.
[194] Iona, pp. 84, 85.
[195] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 414.
[196] Register of the Great Seal (1634-1651), p. 708, No. 1903; Origines
Parochiales, vol. ii. part i. p. 294.
[197] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 49.
[198] Ibid. pp. 57-59.
[199] Ibid. p. 74.
[200] Transactions.
[201] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 421.
[202] Ibid. p. 426.
[203] Cf. Drummond's West Highland Monuments.
[204] Celtic Scotland, vol. ii. p. 92.
[205] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 266.
[206] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 266-273.

[207] Ibid. p. 273.
[208] Dr. Joseph Robertson's Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, p. 39.
[209] Dr. Joseph Robertson's Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, p. 40.
[210] MacGibbon and Ross's Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp.
259-262.
[211] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 273.
[212] Ibid. pp. 273-275.
[213] Ibid. p. 276.
[214] Ibid. p. 277.
[215] Ibid.
[216] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 278.
[217] Ibid. p. 279.
[218] Ibid. p. 280.
[219] Ibid.
[220] Ibid.
[221] Ibid. p. 282.
[222] Ibid.
[223] Ibid. p. 284.
[224] Ibid.
[225] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 288.
[226] Ibid. p. 289.
[227] Ibid. p. 290.
[228] Tennyson: A Memoir, vol. ii. p. 280.
[229] Vol. iii. pp. 181-196.
[230] Dr. Cooper's Introduction to Chartulary, pp. xxv.-xxvi.
[231] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 426.
[232] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 427, 428.
[233] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 431.
[234] Records of the University and King's College, Aberdeen, p. xv.
[235] Collections of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, p. 210.
[236] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. pp. 287-289.

[237] Ibid. p. 295.
[238] Transactions of the Aberdeen Ecclesiological Society, sixth year (1891), p.
63 et seq. to p. 76.
[239] Sermons and Addresses, p. 29.
[240] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 151, also to p. 179.
[241] St. Giles, Edinburgh, Church, College, and Cathedral, p. 1.
[242] Of the early church, which stood on the site of the present St. Cuthbert's,
Edinburgh, Dr. Skene has declared that "there is no doubt the church was
founded by S. Cuthbert himself," and so there has been Christian worship there
for over 1200 years (Rev. Dr. A. Wallace Williamson's paper in Aberdeen
Ecclesiological Transactions, ninth year, p. 114).
[243] Charters of the Collegiate Church of St. Giles, p. iv.
[244] Ibid.
[245] Dr. Lees' St. Giles, Edinburgh, p. 3.
[246] Introduction to Charters, p. v.
[247] Ibid. p. vi.
[248] St. Giles, p. 4.
[249] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 419.
[250] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 420.
[251] Ibid.
[252] Ibid. p. 422.
[253] Ibid.
[254] Ibid.
[255] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 425.
[256] Dr Lees' St. Giles, p. 23.
[257] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 426.
[258] Ibid.
[259] Introduction to Charters, p. xiv.
[260] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 430.
[261] Introduction to Charters, p. xv.
[262] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 434.
[263] Ibid. p. 436.

[264] No. 77, p. 106.
[265] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 441.
[266] Dr. Laing's Introduction to Charters, p. xxx.
[267] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 445.
[268] Ib. p. 446
[269] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, pp. 445-449.
[270] Intro. to Charters, p. xix.
[271] Dr. Lees' St. Giles, p. 273.
[272] Dr. Lees' St. Giles, p. 117.
[273] Ibid. pp. 124, 125.
[274] Calderwood's History, vol. iii. pp. 73, 257.
[275] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 454.
[276] St. Giles, p. 262.
[277] Very Rev. Dr. Cameron Lees.
[278] St. Giles, p. 270.
[279] Ibid. p. 214.
[280] Rankin, vol. ii. p. 361.
[281] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 199.
[282] Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, p. 36.
[283] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 298-309.
[284] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 313, 314.
[285] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 455.
[286] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, pp. 455-470.
[287] Fergusson's History of Architecture, vol. ii. p. 222.
[288] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 493.
[289] Hay's Sacra Scotia, p. 323.
[290] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 109.
[291] Rev. John Fergusson of Aberdalgie in Scottish Antiquary, January 1897, p.
137.
[292] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 116.
[293] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 116.

[294] Ibid. p. 121, and Lord High Treasurer's Accounts.
[295] Ibid. p. 122.
[296] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 125.
[297] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 132.
[298] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 330.
[299] Ibid. p. 138.
[300] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 450.
[301] Ibid. p. 450
[302] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 451.
[303] Ibid.
[304] Ibid.
[305] Professor Mitchell's Scottish Reformation, p. 96.
[306] The Works of John Knox, vol. i. p. 228.
[307] Sketches of Early Scotch History, p. 10.
[308] Ibid. p. 11.
[309] Ibid. p. 18.
[310] Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, p. 27.
[311] Modern Painters, vol. i. p. 23.
[312] Ibid. vol. iii. p. 44.
[313] Ibid. vol. v. p. 206.
[314] Oxford Lectures, p. 27.
[315] Montalembert's Monks of the West, vol. ii. pp. 40, 41.
[316] The Augustinian order had also monasteries at Scone, Inchcolm,
Lochleven, Isle of May, and Pittenweem, Blantyre, Cambuskenneth, Restennet,
Canonby, and Inchaffray, as well as smaller houses at Loch Tay, Portmoak,
Monymusk, St. Mary's Isle Priory at Trail, Rowadil, Oronsay, Colonsay,
Inchmahome, Rosneath, Strathfillan, Scarinche, Abernethy (Perthshire); the
Premonstratensian order had also abbeys at Saulseat, Holywood, Whithorn,
Tongland, Fearn; the Benedictine order had also abbeys at Coldingham and
Urquhart; the Cluniacensian order had also abbeys at Crossraguel, Fail, and
Dalmulin; the Tyronensian order had also abbeys at Lesmahagow, Kilwinning,
Lindores, Iona, and smaller houses at Dull, Fyvie, Inchkenneth, Rothesay (St.
Mary's); the Cistercian order had also abbeys at Newbattle, Dundrennan,
Kinloss, Deir, Cupar, Glenluce, Culross, Balmerino, Sweetheart, and smaller
houses at Saddel, Friars Carse (near Dumfries), Hassendean, Mauchline, Cadvan
(in Dunbog), and Holm Cultram; the order of Vallis Caulium had priories at

Pluscardine, Beauly, and Ardchattan; the Carthusians had houses at Perth and
Makerstone (Roxburghshire). There were 14 religious houses belonging to the
Trinity Friars, 12 to the Carmelites, 18 to the Dominicans, 7 to the Franciscans,
13 to the Observantines, 6 to the Knights of Malta, 16 to the Knights Templars.
[317] Scottish Ordnance Gazetteer, vol. vi. p. 300.
[318] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 54 et seq. to p. 72.
[319] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 68.
[320] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 71.
[321] Ibid. pp. 71, 72.
[322] Gordon's Monasticon, p. 156.
[323] Gordon's Monasticon, p. 158.
[324] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 401 et seq. to p. 414.
[325] Ibid. p. 403.
[326] Gordon's Monasticon, p. 254.
[327] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 448.
[328] Monasticon, p. 324.
[329] Ibid. p. 340.
[330] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 451 et seq. to p. 464.
[331] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 462.
[332] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 464.
[333] Introduction to Registrum de Dunfermlyn, p. 25.
[334] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 231.
[335] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 231.
[336] Introduction to Registrum, p. 25.
[337] Monasticon, p. 404.
[338] Registrum, p. 25.
[339] Monasticon, pp. 411, 412.
[340] The Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 234.
[341] Ibid. pp. 234, 238.
[342] Ibid. p. 238.
[343] Ibid.
[344] Ibid.

[345] Scottish Abbeys and Cathedrals, pp. 33, 34.
[346] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 238.
[347] Ibid. p. 241.
[348] Ibid.
[349] Ibid.
[350] Ibid. p. 242.
[351] Lindsay's Chronicle of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 555.
[352] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 245.
[353] Ibid.
[354] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 246-249.
[355] Ibid. pp. 251, 252.
[356] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 252-254.
[357] History, vol. i., year 1303-1304.
[358] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. p. 254.
[359] See p. 144.
[360] Ecc. Arch. of Scot. vol. i. pp. 254-256.
[361] The Abbey of Paisley, pp. 1, 2.
[362] Scotland in the Middle Ages, p. 114.
[363] Historical Sketches, p. 109.
[364] The Abbey of Paisley, pp. 26, 27.
[365] Kingsley's Roman and Teuton, pp. 204-206.
[366] The Abbey of Paisley, pp. 58, 59.
[367] Ibid. p. 63.
[368] Ibid. p. 65.
[369] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 8.
[370] The Abbey of Paisley, p. 91.
[371] Ibid. p. 91.
[372] The Abbey of Paisley, p. 96.
[373] Ibid. p. 109.
[374] The Abbey of Paisley, p. 117.

[375] Ibid. p. 120.
[376] Page 19.
[377] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 8.
[378] The Abbey of Paisley, p. 142.
[379] A Scots Mediæval Architect, by P. MacGregor Chalmers, pp. 14, 15 (Scots
Lore).
[380] The Abbey of Paisley, pp. 144, 145.
[381] The Abbey of Paisley, pp. 159, 160.
[382] Ibid. p. 165.
[383] The Abbey of Paisley, p. 205.
[384] See Laing's Knox.
[385] The Abbey of Paisley, pp. 228, 229.
[386] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. pp. 10-26.
[387] Ibid. p. 13.
[388] Ibid.
[389] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 16.
[390] Ibid.
[391] Ibid.
[392] Ibid.
[393] Ibid. p. 21.
[394] Ibid.
[395] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. p. 21.
[396] The Abbey of Paisley, p. 166.
[397] Ibid. p. 209.
[398] Ibid.
[399] The Abbey of Paisley, pp. 211, 212.
[400] Ibid. p. 212.
[401] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. iii. pp. 25, 26.
[402] Ibid. p. 168.
[403] The Abbey of Paisley, p. 214.
[404] The Abbey of Paisley, p. 215.

[405] Ibid. p. 206.
[406] Ibid. p. 337.
[407] Ibid. p. 338.
[408] Ibid.
[409] The Abbey of Paisley, p. 339.
[410] Ibid. p. 340.
[411] Introduction to Reg. Cart. de Kelso, i. p. viii.
[412] Ibid.
[413] Ibid. p. xli.
[414] Ibid. pp. viii-xvi.
[415] Ibid. p. xliv.
[416] Introduction to Reg. Cart. de Kelso, pp. xliii, xliv.
[417] Roxburgh, Selkirk, and Peebles, by Sir George Douglas, Bart., pp. 284,
285.
[418] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 350-352.
[419] Ibid. p. 352.
[420] Introduction to Chartulary, p. xlix.
[421] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 353-361.
[422] Ibid.
[423] Ibid.
[424] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 356, 357.
[425] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 357, 358.
[426] Ibid. p. 359.
[427] Ibid. p. 360.
[428] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 360, 361.
[429] Ibid. p. 361.
[430] Ibid.
[431] Hay's History of Arbroath, p. 27.
[432] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 31.
[433] Sketches of Early Scotch History, p. 161.
[434] Ibid.

[435] Ibid. p. 171.
[436] Sketches of Early Scotch History, p. 159.
[437] National Manuscripts, part ii.
[438] See Principal Story's Apostolic Ministry in the Scottish Church, p. 197.
[439] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 31-35.
[440] Ibid. pp. 35-37.
[441] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 39.
[442] Ibid. pp. 39-41.
[443] Ibid. p. 41.
[444] Ibid.
[445] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 43-45.
[446] Ibid. p. 45.
[447] Ibid. pp. 46, 48.
[448] Ibid. p. 48.
[449] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 50.
[450] Millar's Arbroath and its Abbey, p. 103.
[451] Pp. xxxi, xxxii.
[452] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 347.
[453] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 377.
[454] Ibid. p. 349.
[455] Ibid. p. 351.
[456] Ibid.
[457] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 353, 356.
[458] Ibid. p. 356.
[459] Ibid. pp. 356, 357.
[460] Messrs. MacGibbon and Ross consider it probable that a fragment of the
original north wall may have been preserved as the core of the present wall, and
faced up on both sides with newer work (Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland,
vol. ii. pp. 360, 361).
[461] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 361.
[462] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 362, 363.
[463] Ibid. p. 366.

[464] Ibid.
[465] Ibid.
[466] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 372.
[467] Ibid. p. 373.
[468] Ibid.
[469] Ibid.
[470] Ibid. p. 374.
[471] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. pp. 373, 374.
[472] Ibid. p. 375.
[473] Ibid.
[474] Ibid. p. 377.
[475] As given in Monteith's Theater of Mortality (1713)—earliest and most
accurate reference.
[476] Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 378.
[477] See Scots Lore, Nos. 1-7.
[478] In this summary I am specially indebted to the Ecclesiastical Architecture
of Scotland, vol. i. pp. 175-477, vol. ii. pp. 5-559, vol. iii. pp. 7-533. The
statements are much compressed on account of the limitations of the space at my
disposal.
[479] Life and Letters of Benjamin Jowett, vol. ii. pp. 72, 73.
[480] Burnet's History of my Own Time (Clarendon edition), vol. i. p. 246.
[481] Life and Letters, vol. ii. p. 71.
[482] Cf. Parker's Introduction to Gothic Architecture, 321-331; also Glossary of
Architecture, vol. i.

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