Overview
See for yourself why Elgin Cathedral earned the name the ‘Lantern of the North’. Even as a ruin, the cathedral shines out as one of Scotland’s most ambitious and beautiful medieval buildings.
Begun in 1224, Elgin was the principal church of the bishops of Moray. It lost its roof shortly after the Protestant Reformation of 1560, and later its central tower fell. But the cathedral’s fortunes began to change when it became a visitor attraction in the early 1800s.
What to see and do
- Gaze up at the wonderful 13th-century west front, one of the finest architectural achievements in Scotland
- Stand by the stone bishop in the nave, a larger-than-life statue that looks like a giant chess piece
- Step inside the octagonal chapter house, where the cathedral clergy met, to see its stone carvings of beasts and faces
- Seek out Scotland’s tallest gravestone – placed against the south choir aisle, for the Anderson family, it stands 5m high
- View a rare image of Pictish falconry on the Pictish cross slab, found on the site of St Giles Parish Church
- Study the cathedral’s carved stones in a new exhibition in the cathedral towers
- Explore the castle with our fun fact-finding quiz (also in Doric). You can also try our sculptures and symbols spotter and graveyard count quizzes
