This is a list of cathedrals in Scotland.
A cathedral church is a Christian place of worship that is the chief, or 'mother' church of a diocese. The distinction of cathedral refers to that church being the location of the cathedra, the seat of the bishop. In the strictest sense, only Christian denominations with an episcopal hierarchy — those that are led by bishops — possess cathedrals. However, in common parlance, the title cathedral is often still used to refer to former Scottish cathedrals, which are now within the (presbyterian) Church of Scotland.
Because of Scotland's religious history, cathedrals of several different Christian denominations are found around the country. Before the Scottish Reformation, the Christian church in Scotland was Catholic. Its thirteen dioceses were each governed by a bishop whose Episcopal see was centred on a cathedral. In 1560, the Scottish church broke communion with Rome and became Protestant. After years of dispute, the post-Reformation Church of Scotland finally abolished the Episcopacy in 1689 and adopted the Presbyterian system of governance. Scotland's former cathedrals remained in use as parish churches, now organised under a system of synods and presbyteries.
The Scottish Episcopal Church formed as a breakaway from the Established Church of Scotland, retaining the system of bishops, was Anglican, but it was excluded from mainstream religious life. In the later 19th century, laws repressing Episcopalian and Catholic worship were repealed (for example, under the Roman Catholic relief bills). With their newfound freedom, these denominations flourished and began to build their own cathedrals. For this reason, Scotland's Episcopalian and Catholic cathedrals are mostly Victorian in origin.
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland is no longer governed by bishops, and so officially has no cathedrals. However, buildings that were cathedrals prior to the Reformation, or in periods of the church's history when it did have an episcopacy, are still commonly called "cathedrals". They are often denoted by the title "High Kirk".
Image Name & dedication Presbytery Established Website Location St Machar, Aberdeen Aberdeen 1131 Brechin Cathedral Angus 13th century building closed 2021, awaiting disposal Dornoch Cathedral Sutherland 13th century Dunblane Cathedral Stirling 7th century Dunkeld Cathedral Dunkeld and Meigle 1260 St Giles, Edinburgh Edinburgh 12th century St Mungo, Glasgow Glasgow 1136 St Magnus, Kirkwall Orkney 1137 St Moluag, Lismore Argyll 592
Catholic Church
Province of St Andrews and Edinburgh
Image Name & dedication Diocese Established/Website/Location Aberdeen CathedralCathedral Church of St Mary of the Assumption Diocese of Aberdeen 1880 Ayr CathedralCathedral Church of St Margaret Diocese of Galloway 1822 Translated from Good Shepherd, St John's Street Dundee CathedralCathedral Church of St Andrew Diocese of Dunkeld 1782 Edinburgh CathedralCathedral and Metropolitan Church of St Mary Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh 1814 Mother church of the province of St Andrew's and Edinburgh Oban CathedralCathedral Church of St Columba Diocese of Argyll and the Isles 1932
Province of Glasgow
Image Name & dedication Diocese Established/Website/Location Glasgow CathedralCathedral and Metropolitan Church of St Andrew Archdiocese of Glasgow 1797 Motherwell CathedralCathedral Church of Our Lady of Good Aid Diocese of Motherwell 1947 Church consecrated in 1929. Paisley CathedralCathedral Church of St Mirin Diocese of Paisley 1948 Church consecrated in 1931.
Scottish Episcopal Church
Image Name & dedication Diocese Established/Website/Location Aberdeen CathedralCathedral Church of St Andrew Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney 1817 Dundee CathedralCathedral Church of St Paul Diocese of Brechin 1855 Edinburgh CathedralCathedral Church of St Mary Diocese of Edinburgh 1879 Glasgow CathedralCathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway 1871 Inverness CathedralCathedral Church of St Andrew Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness 1869 Millport CathedralCathedral of The Isles and Collegiate Church of the Holy Spirit Diocese of Argyll and The Isles 1882 Cathedral of The Isles Oban CathedralCathedral Church of St John the Divine Diocese of Argyll and The Isles 1864 co-cathedral with Millport Perth CathedralCathedral Church of St Ninian Diocese of Saint Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane 1850
Greek Orthodox Church, also serving other Orthodox communities
Image Name & dedication Diocese Established/Website/LocationGlasgow Orthodox CathedralCathedral Church of St Luke 1954 1877 Belhaven Presbyterian Church
International Synaxis of True Orthodox Churches
+ImageName and dedicationDioceseEstablished/Website/LocationGreyfriars Church, Dumfries Cathedral Church of Our Lady and Saint NinianDiocese of the British Isles
See also Church architecture in Scotland List of former cathedrals in Great Britain List of cathedrals Religion in Scotland
References
External links