Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness

57.477°N 4.231°W / 57.477; -4.231

Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness Dioecesis Moraviensis, Rossensis et Cathanensis Sgìre-easbaig Mhoireibh, Rois is Ghallaibh
Location
Country	Scotland
Territory	Caithness, Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty, Inverness-shire, Nairnshire, Moray, Banffshire
Ecclesiastical province	Scotland
Statistics
Congregations	39[1]
Information
Denomination	Scottish Episcopal Church
Cathedral	St Andrew's Cathedral, Inverness
Current leadership
Bishop	Mark Strange
Map
Map showing Moray, Ross & Caithness Diocese within Scotland
Website
moray.anglican.org

The Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness is one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. It covers Caithness and Sutherland (the old Diocese of Caithness), mainland Ross and Cromarty (the old Diocese of Ross), and mainland Inverness-shire, Nairnshire, Moray and Banffshire (the old Diocese of Moray). The diocesan centre is St Andrew's Cathedral in Inverness. The see is currently occupied by Mark Strange.

History

The three old dioceses united in the modern diocese were all founded during the 12th century. Moray was founded by Gregory in 1114, Ross by Macbeth in 1131 and Caithness by Aindréas of Caithness in 1146. Being more removed from the centre of political power during the Scottish Reformation, each of the dioceses managed to continue an unbroken line of bishops. However, its remoteness also caused problems for the appointment of new bishops under the period of the penal laws. For part of the 17th century, both Ross and Caithness were without a bishop, and, at the beginning of the 18th century, the Diocese of Orkney was united with Caithness. In 1707, Alexander Rose, Bishop of Edinburgh and the first Primus, united Moray with his diocese for reason of practical oversight. John Fullarton, Rose's successor in both roles, continued to oversee Moray until 1725, when it was felt more practical to combine it with the Diocese of Aberdeen, led by James Gadderar. However, in 1727, the new Primus, Andrew Lumsden, appointed William Dunbar as sole Bishop of Moray and Ross, combining the vacant northern see with Moray. In 1777, William Falconar, also Primus, united Orkney, Moray, Ross and Caithness under his rule. In 1819, David Low was appointed Bishop of Ross by itself, but, from 1838 he administered the entire former union and the see officially returned to the union in 1851. In 1857, Orkney was separated to unite with the Diocese of Aberdeen. Mark Strange was elected as the new bishop on 2 June 2007 and was consecrated and installed on 13 October 2007.^[2][3][4] In 2020, Synod Clerk Rev Canon Michael Last reported an increase in membership and in number of communicants.^[5]

Area and population

The diocese covers the historic counties of Caithness (population 26,500), Sutherland (population 13,000), mainland Ross and Cromarty (population 57,500), Inverness-shire except the Hebridean parts and Lochaber (population 88,500), Nairnshire (population 12,500), Morayshire (population 68,000), the Dufftown, Keith and Aberchirder areas of Banffshire (population 16,500), and the Huntly area of Aberdeenshire (population 8,000).

This total population of approximately 290,500 gives the diocese a ratio of one priest to every 18,200 inhabitants and one church to every 7,300 inhabitants.

List of churches

The diocese currently has 16 stipendiary clergy and 40 church buildings.

Parish	Churches	Founded	Link	Stipendiary clergy
Aberchirder[6]	St Marnan, Aberchirder	1824		Michael Last
Keith[7]	Holy Trinity, Keith	1688
Huntly[8]	Christ Church, Huntly	1719
Fochabers Gordon Chapel[9]	Gordon Chapel of St Elizabeth, Fochabers	1834
Dufftown[10]	St Michael, Dufftown
Aberlour[11]	St Margaret of Scotland, Aberlour	1875		Vacant since 2012
Elgin with Lossiemouth[12]	Holy Trinity, Elgin	c. 1700		Tembu Rongong
	St Margaret, Lossiemouth	1853
	Burghead Mission
Rothiemurchus[13]	St John the Baptist, Rothiemurchus	1904		Vacant since 2001
Grantown-On-Spey[14]	St Columba, Grantown-on-Spey	1870		Vacant since 2010
Forres[15]	St John the Evangelist, Forres	1841		Hamilton Inbadas
Nairn[16]	St Columba, Nairn	1853		Alison Simpson Kathryn Sanderson
Inverness Cathedral[17][18]	St Andrew's Cathedral, Inverness	1853		Sarah Murray Norma Higgott Katrina O'Neill
Inverness (St John the Evangelist)[19]	St John the Evangelist, Inverness	1691		John Cuthbert
Inverness (St Michael & All Angels)[20]	St Michael & All Angels, Inverness	1881
Culloden[21]	St Mary-in-the-Fields, Culloden	1973		Vacant since 2012
Strathnairn[22]	St Paul, Strathnairn	1688		Kathryne Collins
Glenurquhart[23]	St Ninian, Glenurquhart	1853		Vacant since 2017
Gordonstoun	St Christopher's Chapel & Michael Kirk
Fortrose[24]	St Andrew, Fortrose	1688		Melvin Langille
Arpafeelie[25]	St John the Evangelist, Arpafeelie	1688
Cromarty[26]	St Regulus, Cromarty	1877
Poolewe[27]	St Maelrubha, Poolewe	1950		Vacant since 2013
Kishorn Chapel[28]	Courthill Chapel, Kishorn	1901
Lochalsh[29]	St Donnan, Lochalsh	1943
Strathpeffer[30]	St Anne, Strathpeffer			Julia Boothby
Dingwall[31]	St James the Great, Dingwall	1704
Invergordon[32]	St Ninian, Invergordon	1915
Lochinver[33]	St Gilbert's Mission, Kinlochbervie			Clare Caley
	St Gilbert of Caithness, Lochinver
Ullapool[34]	St Mary the Virgin, Ullapool	1975
	St Boniface of Ross, Achiltibuie
Tongue	St Mary-by-the-Cross, Tongue	2003		James Currall Simon Scott
Dornoch[35]	St Finnbarr, Dornoch	1903
Tain[36]	St Andrew, Tain	1877
Lairg	St Maelrubha's Mission, Lairg
Brora[37]	St Columba of Iona, Brora	1909
Thurso[38]	St Peter & Holy Rood, Thurso	1884		Eleanor Charman
Wick[39]	St John the Evangelist, Wick	1870

See also

• Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness

References

1. "Churches Directory | the Diocese of Moray | A Diocese of the Scottish Episcopal Church". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
2. "New Bishop". Diocesan website, news section. 2 June 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2007.
3. "New Bishop Elected for Moray, Ross & Caithness". Website of the Scottish Episcopal Church, news section. 2 June 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2007.
4. "Ordination of New Bishop". Diocesan website, news section. 12 October 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2007.^{[permanent dead link]}
5. "United Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness". www.facebook.com.
6. "The Benefice of Aberchirder (St Marnan)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
7. "The Benefice of Keith (Holy Trinity)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
8. "The Benefice of Huntly (Christ Church)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
9. "The Benefice of Fochabers Gordon Chapel". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
10. "The Benefice of Dufftown (St Michael and All Angels)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
11. "The Benefice of Aberlour (St Margaret of Scotland)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
12. "The Benefice of Elgin (Holy Trinity) with Lossiemouth (St Margaret)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
13. "The Benefice of Rothiemurchus (St John the Baptist)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
14. "The Benefice of Grantown-On-Spey (St Columba)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
15. "The Benefice of Forres (St John the Evangelist)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
16. "The Benefice of Nairn (St Columba)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
17. "The Benefice of Inverness (Cathedral of St Andrew)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
18. "Moray, Ross and Caithness Cathedral". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
19. "The Benefice of Inverness (St John the Evangelist)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
20. "The Benefice of Inverness (St Michael and All Angels)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
21. "The Benefice of Culloden (St Mary-In-The-Fields)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
22. "The Benefice of Strathnairn (St Paul)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
23. "The Benefice of Glenurquhart (St Ninian)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
24. "The Benefice of Fortrose (St Andrew)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
25. "The Benefice of Arpafeelie (St John the Evangelist)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
26. "The Benefice of Cromarty (St Regulus)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
27. "The Benefice of Poolewe (St Maelrubha)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
28. "The Benefice of Kishorn Chapel". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
29. "The Benefice of Lochalsh (St Donnan)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
30. "The Benefice of Strathpeffer (St Anne)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
31. "The Benefice of Dingwall (St James the Great)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
32. "The Benefice of Invergordon (St Ninian)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
33. "The Benefice of Lochinver (St Gilbert)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
34. "The Benefice of Ullapool (St Mary the Virgin)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
35. "The Benefice of Dornoch (St Finnbarr)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
36. "The Benefice of Tain (St Andrew)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
37. "The Benefice of Brora (St Columba)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
38. "The Benefice of Thurso (St Peter and Holy Rood)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
39. "The Benefice of Wick (St John the Evangelist)". www.crockford.org.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2018.

External links

• The Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness Archived 28 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine