The Diocese of Dunkeld was one of the 13 historical dioceses of Scotland preceding the abolition of Episcopacy in 1689.
History It is thought that the diocese was constituted as far back as the middle of the ninth century. There was a monastery there by 849, when the relics of St. Columba were brought here from Iona. The first occupant was styled Bishop of Fortriu, the name by which the kingdom of the northern Picts was then known. This bishop was also styled Abbot of Dunkeld, perhaps holding jurisdiction, formerly enjoyed by Iona, over the other Columban monasteries in Scotland.
The new bishopric appears to have included a great part of what afterwards became the Diocese of Argyll, and retained its jurisdiction over various churches representing old Columban foundations. There were thirty-five bishops of Dunkeld from its foundation until the suppression of the Catholic hierarchy during the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century.
The Catholic cathedral, situated in the Perthshire town of Dunkeld, was erected between 1220 and 1500; after the Reformation the cathedral fell partly into ruins, although the choir is used for Presbyterian worship.
Despite the Reformation and the hostility of the new Church of Scotland to bishops, episcopacy was not finally abolished until 1689, although there had been a temporary abolition from 1638 until the beginning of the 1660s. The diocese was restored by the Catholic Church (with a different boundary), on 4 March 1878, by Pope Leo XIII. The new Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld is one of the suffragan sees of the archiepiscopal province of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, and includes the counties of Perth, Angus, Clackmannan, Kinross, and the northern part of Fife. The diocesan cathedral, now dedicated to Saint Andrew rather than Columba, is located in Dundee. This is the residence of the great majority of the Catholics of the modern diocese. The cathedral chapter, erected in 1895, consists of a provost and eight canons.
Bishops
Parishes
Deanery/ies of Angus (or Rattray) Abernyte Auchterhouse Fern Menmuir Tealing
Deanery of Atholl and Drumalban Alyth Ardeonaig Auchtergaven Bendochy Blair (now Blair Atholl) Cargill Clunie Dull Dunkeld Cathedral Fortingall Dunkeld, Holy Trinity Inchcadin (now Kenmore) Killin Kilmaveonaig Kinclaven Lethendy Little Dunkeld Logie Allochie (now Lagganallachy) Logiebride Logierait Lude Lundeiff (now Kinloch) Meigle Melginch (now St. Martins) Moneydie Moulin Rannoch (or Killichonen) Rattray Redgorton Ruthven Strathardle (now or Kirkmichael) Struan Weem
Deanery of Fife and Fothriff Aberdour Auchtertool Crombie Dalgety Fithkil (now Leslie) Rosyth Saline Strathmiglo
Deanery of Lothian Abercorn Aberlady Bunkle Cramond Preston
Deanery of Strathearn Aberdalgie Alva Crieff Dollar Forgrund (or Forgandenny) Lecropt Madderty Muckersie Tibbermore
See also Bishop of Dunkeld, the historical bishop. Bishop of Dunkeld (Roman Catholic), the restored Roman Catholic Bishop. Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld, the restored Roman Catholic Diocese. Bishop of Saint Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, the Scottish Episcopal Bishop. Diocese of Saint Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, the Scottish Episcopal Diocese.
References
Bibliography Cowan, Ian B., The Parishes of Medieval Scotland, Scottish Record Society, Vol. 93, (Edinburgh, 1967) Watt, D.E.R., Fasti Ecclesiae Scotinanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638, 2nd Draft, (St Andrews, 1969), pp. 138–9
External links
The Diocese and Presbytery of Dunkeld, 1660-1689 by John Hunter (online copy) An Overview of the Survival of the Churches since the Reformation University of St Andrews website