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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.[1]
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 In the later 19th century, laws repressing Episcopalian and Catholic worship were repealed (for example, under the Roman Catholic relief bills).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.[1]
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 | www | 57°10′11″N 2°06′08″W |
![]() | Brechin Cathedral | Angus | 13th century | building closed 2021, awaiting disposal | 56°43′55″N 2°39′42″W |
![]() | Dornoch Cathedral | Sutherland | 13th century | www | 57°52′52″N 4°01′47″W |
![]() | Dunblane Cathedral | Stirling | 7th century | www | 56°11′22″N 3°57′55″W |
![]() | Dunkeld Cathedral | Dunkeld and Meigle | 1260 | www | 56°33′54″N 3°35′23″W |
![]() | St Giles, Edinburgh | Edinburgh | 12th century | www | 55°56′58″N 3°11′27″W |
![]() | St Mungo, Glasgow | Glasgow | 1136 | www | 55°51′47″N 4°14′05″W |
![]() | St Magnus, Kirkwall | Orkney | 1137 | www | 58°58′56″N 2°57′32″W |
![]() | St Moluag, Lismore | Argyll | 592 | isleoflismore.com | 56°32′04″N 5°28′50″W |
Image | Name & dedication | Diocese | Established/Website/Location |
---|---|---|---|
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Aberdeen Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Andrew |
Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney | 1817 |
57°08′57″N 2°05′34″W | |||
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Dundee Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Paul |
Diocese of Brechin | 1855 |
56°27′40″N 2°58′05″W | |||
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Edinburgh Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Mary |
Diocese of Edinburgh | 1879 |
55°56′55″N 3°12′59″W | |||
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Glasgow Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin |
Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway | 1871 |
55°52′24″N 4°16′30″W | |||
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Inverness Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Andrew |
Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness | 1869 |
57°28′28″N 4°13′45″W | |||
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Millport Cathedral Cathedral of The Isles and Collegiate Church of the Holy Spirit |
Diocese of Argyll and The Isles | 1882 |
Cathedral of The Isles | 55°45′20″N 4°55′27″W | ||
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Oban Cathedral Cathedral Church of St John the Divine |
Diocese of Argyll and The Isles | 1864 |
co-cathedral with Millport | |||
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Perth Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Ninian |
Diocese of Saint Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane | 1850 |
Image | Name & dedication | Diocese | Established/Website/Location |
---|---|---|---|
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Aberdeen Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Mary of the Assumption |
Diocese of Aberdeen | 1880 |
57°08′43″N 2°06′23″W | |||
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Ayr Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Margaret |
Diocese of Galloway | 1822 |
Translated from Good Shepherd, St John's Street | |||
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Dundee Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Andrew |
Diocese of Dunkeld | 1782 |
56°27′27″N 2°58′29″W | |||
Edinburgh Cathedral Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of St Mary |
Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh | 1814 | |
Mother church of the Province of St Andrew's and Edinburgh | 55°57′22″N 3°11′16″W | ||
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Oban Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Columba |
Diocese of Argyll and the Isles | 1932 |
Image | Name & dedication | Diocese | Established/Website/Location |
---|---|---|---|
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Glasgow Cathedral Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of St Andrew |
Archdiocese of Glasgow | 1797 |
55°51′20″N 4°15′10″W | |||
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Motherwell Cathedral Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Good Aid |
Diocese of Motherwell | 1947 |
Church consecrated in 1929. | 55°47′29″N 3°59′13″W | ||
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Paisley Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Mirin |
Diocese of Paisley | 1948 |
Church consecrated in 1931. | 55°50′51″N 4°25′00″W |
Image | Name & dedication | Diocese | Established/Website/Location |
---|---|---|---|
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Glasgow Orthodox Cathedral Cathedral Church of St Luke |
1954 | |
1877 Belhaven Presbyterian Church |
Image | Name and dedication | Diocese | Established/Website/Location |
---|---|---|---|
Greyfriars Church, Dumfries
Cathedral Church of Our Lady and Saint Ninian[2] |
Diocese of the British Isles | 55°04′13″N 3°36′45″W |
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