Dunblane Cathedral

A largely thirteenth-century cathedral whose ruined nave was rescued and re-roofed after three centuries of decay, it preserves both medieval fabric and the tomb of a royal mistress at the heart of a Stewart-era scandal.

Dunblane Cathedral stands on rising ground above the Allan Water, its name recording an early dedication to Saint Blane, the sixth-century figure from whom the town takes its name — Dunblane, the hill of Blane. The building grew in distinct phases. Its oldest surviving element is the tower, whose lower four storeys date from around 1100, with the upper two added about 1500. The body of the church, however, is largely thirteenth-century work, raised under Bishop Clement, whose mural tomb still survives in the choir. On the north side of that choir a long vaulted chamber once served as chapter house and sacristy. After the Glorious Revolution of 1689 abolished Scotland’s bishops, the choir continued in use as the parish church while the nave was left to decay, its roof long gone. The ruined nave was recovered only at the close of the nineteenth century, when Robert Rowand Anderson led a restoration between 1889 and 1893, with further work completed by Sir Robert Lorimer in 1912. Within lie the graves of Margaret Drummond, a mistress of King James IV, and her two sisters, all said to have been poisoned. The cathedral is owned by the Crown.

What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.

What to look for

The tower, its lower four storeys dating from around 1100 and its upper two storeys added about 1500 — the building's oldest fabric.

The mural tomb of Bishop Clement, founder of the thirteenth-century church, in the choir.

The vaulted chamber on the north side of the choir that served as chapter house and sacristy.

The graves of Margaret Drummond and her two sisters, mistress of James IV, said to have been poisoned.

The restored nave, roofless for centuries before Rowand Anderson's 1889–1893 work and Lorimer's completion in 1912.

Plan your visit

Location: General area near Stirling, Stirling

This is a sensitive or fragile site, so we show only its general area. Please check official heritage sources for access before visiting, and take care not to disturb it.

Nearby places