Dunblane Cathedral, Medieval cathedral in Stirling, Scotland
Description
Dunblane Cathedral is a medieval church in Stirling, Scotland, now serving as a parish place of worship. The tall tower shows color variations in its masonry, reflecting different building phases between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries.
History
A Celtic monastery already stood near the Allan Water around the year 600, before Bishop Clement ordered the Gothic rebuilding of the nave around 1237. The Reformation led to the abandonment of the choir in the sixteenth century, restored only in the nineteenth.
Culture
The name derives from Gaelic "Dùn Bhlàthain," referring to a hill near where the Allan Water joins another stream, a site where early Celtic monks settled. Today the congregation gathers in the choir, where fifteenth-century woodwork lines the seating rows and frames liturgical actions.
Practical
The church sits centrally in town and is easily reachable on foot or by public transport. Parking facilities lie within a short walk, and visitors can enter the interior without paying admission.
Did you know?
In the south transept lie Margaret Drummond and her two sisters, believed poisoned in 1502 to prevent her marriage to King James IV. Later examination of their graves in the twentieth century confirmed the account and made the case a well-known example of courtly intrigue.
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