Gilbert de Moravia was elected to Bishopric of Caithness in 1222. Gilbert built Dornoch Cathedral at his own expense and whilst is undocumented how long it took to complete the Cathedral the first service was held in 1239. He was a relation of the Earls of Moray and the first Earl of Sutherland who’s seat is at nearby Dunrobin Castle.
He died in 1245 and was the last Scotsman in the Calendar of Saints, being recognised as “one of the noblest and wisest ecclesiastics the mediaeval church produced”.
340 years later in 1570 after the protestant reformation, Dornoch Cathedral was sacked and set on fire. Almost totally destroyed, except for the chancel and transept walls. Gilbert’s tomb was desecrated during a clan feud between the Murrays of Dornoch and the Mackays of Strathnaver.
The building lay in ruin until it was partially restored in 1616 by Sir Robert Gordon. Between 1835 and 1837 the restoration was completed and the Sutherland burial vault, which is now sealed off, was built under the chancel floor.
Traditionally any wine that remained after Catholic mass would have been poured into the ‘piscina’, a small basin from which a pipe leads to the cemetery outside, perhaps for the deceased to enjoy!
Architecturally the Cathedral is small but impressive. Gargoyles have been set in the eaves, said to be evil spirits driven from the Cathedral and turned to stone by the ringing of the tower bells.
The stained glass windows on the north side of the chancel were donated in memory of Andrew Carnegie who owned nearby Skibo Castle. The windows represent music, peace and literacy, three of Carnegie’s interests that he immortalised into to the Carnegie town hall movement in the USA.
