Elgin Cathedral

Elgin Cathedral is a ruined medieval cathedral in the town of Elgin in Moray, Scotland. It was founded in 1224 and later became one of the principal ecclesiastical centres in northern Scotland.

The site is dominated by the stone ruins of the nave, choir and chapter house, with large Gothic window openings and carved capitals still visible across the precinct. Many visitors examine the masonry, interpretive panels and photographic displays that explain the building phases and visible fabric.

Construction and major rebuilding took place between the 13th and 15th centuries. The fabric was badly damaged in 1390 when forces led by Alexander Stewart, the Wolf of Badenoch, sacked the town and cathedral; the building fell into permanent decline after the Scottish Reformation in 1560 and was never fully restored.

The cathedral stands in the centre of Elgin on the south bank of the River Lossie in northeastern Scotland. It is immediately adjacent to the town and its surviving ruins are accessible from the main streets around Elgin.

• Nickname and significance: Often called the "Lantern of the North", the cathedral was a principal ecclesiastical centre in medieval Moray and is among Scotland's best-known cathedral ruins.
• Important dates: Key dates to note are founding in 1224, major damage in 1390 when it was sacked, and decline after the Scottish Reformation in 1560.

What to See #

• Nave and Choir: Remains of the nave show high Gothic windows and piers; the choir contains fragments of carved stonework and window tracery dating to the medieval period.
• Chapter House: A vaulted Chapter House survives as part of the ruin and displays carved capitals and masonry typical of the 13th and 14th centuries.
• Cloister and precincts: Foundations and low walls mark the former cloister and precincts around the cathedral, visible in the surrounding grassy site.