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Encounter an unexpected treasure in an urban setting: the remains of a hospital chapel of the 1200s.

The Maison Dieu hospital was founded in the 1260s to serve Brechin’s poor. It seems to have still been in use in the 1700s. But by the 1800s the chapel had been partially demolished and was in use as a stable.

Fragments of the church survive. The south wall of the chapel preserves three narrow pointed windows and a fine doorway, while the east gable of the church is shared with a neighbouring house.

Small ecclesiastical establishments such as this rarely survive. Its presence reinforces Brechin’s importance as a religious centre in medieval Scotland.

Detailed view of the main doorway of Maison Dieu Chapel showing the pointed arch with multiple recessed mouldings and a wooden door reinforced with iron straps. The surrounding stone blocks are worn and uneven.
Oblique view of Maison Dieu Chapel ruins adjoining a modern building. The chapel walls feature multiple arched windows and a central doorway, enclosed by a black metal fence. The surrounding area includes a cobblestone pavement and asphalt road.

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