Elgin Cathedral, Spynie Palace and Duffus Castle

Not a very promising start to the day, We set off from Muir of Ord for Cawdor Castle but as the weather brightened we pushed on to Elgin instead, the day just got better and visited Spynie Palace and Duffus Castle as well

www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyres ults/propertyabou...
ELGIN CATHEDRAL
Spiritual heart of Moray

Elgin Cathedral is one of Scotland’s most beautiful medieval buildings, and the inspiration for many an artist.

An awe-inspiring building

The imposing yellow sandstone ruin is also one of the most important architectural legacies from that bygone age, whose intriguingly complex building history will reward the patient visitor

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The cathedral was the ecclesiastical centre, the spiritual heart, of the diocese of Moray

The Chapter House

The restoration of stonework has been handled with great skill and care

Stone bishops and knights

The bishop’s cathedral or seat, was not always at Elgin –

it had previously been at nearby Kinneddar, Birnie and Spynie – but once it was transferred to Elgin around 1224, it remained there until the Protestant Reformation of 1560 effectively left the cathedral redundant.

Spynie Palace

SPYNIE PALACE
Seat of the bishops of Moray | A long-lasting episcopal residence | David’s Tower
Seat of the bishops of Moray

Spynie Palace was for five centuries the residence of the bishops of Moray. During that time, the palace stood on the edge of Spynie Loch, a sea-loch giving safe anchorage for fishing boats and merchant vessels. A thriving settlement developed about it.

Today, nothing remains of either the sea-loch or the medieval town. However, the gaunt ruin of Spynie Palace does survive remarkably intact. Together with St Andrews Castle in Fife, Spynie remains the largest surviving medieval bishop’s house in Scotland.

David’s Tower

The colossal tower at the SW corner dominates the whole complex. It measures 19m by 13.5m externally and rises to a height of 22m, making it one of the largest tower houses ever built in Scotland, and the largest by volume. It is named after Bishop David Stewart (1462–76), who commissioned it.

However, it remained uncompleted at his death and was finished by Bishop William Tulloch (1477–82). Bishop Patrick (1538–73) added the gunholes. The coats-of-arms of all three bishops grace the south elevation, beneath the royal arms of Scotland. The great tower had a first-floor front entrance and six storeys.

A 360 degree view from the top of the Tower and as they say “ On a clear day”

Looking down from the top of the tower a family picnic and making the best of what turns into a beautiful day

Duffus Castle
One of the finest examples of a motte and bailey castle in Scotland with a later, very fine, stone hall house and curtain wall.

The original seat of the Moray family.

Visitors today approach from the north and park in the nearby car park before crossing a bridge over the surrounding ditch and approaching the castle.

What is truly amazing is just how much of it is still there. Large parts of the tower and the curtain walls remain, as does the base of the road out of the castle and the stone bridge over the ditch on that side.

It isn't clear why only the buildings of the east range seem to have been robbed of their stone and so much of the rest of the castle has survived.

Visitors to Duffus Castle will quickly become aware that this ancient military site has some very modern military neighbours. The end of the runway at RAF Lossiemouth is only three quarters of a mile to the north east, so visitors to the castle can be assured of a steady stream of military aircraft passing over as they land or take off.

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/duffus/duffuscastle/index.html

What a day, seems I scored a “Hat Trick”

A Cathedral, A Palace and A Castle

This is a wonderful part of Scotland and so much to discover

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items are from between 19 Jul 2011 & 20 Jul 2011.