I have been passionate about mediaeval churches since childhood, particularly those in Scotland. I have been lucky enough in my professional life to be able to visit countries across Europe – and European colleagues have helped me see many amazing sites, some of which are not on the usual tourist routes. This has helped me view Scottish churches differently, and to better understand how they fit in a European context. 

A Voyage of Discovery 

Scotland has many medieval churches either intact or partially so, but not all are well known and in fact, there are only a few which appear in church listings. Indeed, it is often assumed that there are very few mediaeval churches remaining in Scotland. This misconception is held by many architectural historians and may arise because of the differences (especially in their course of their religious histories) between Scotland and England. These buildings deserve better understanding and appreciation for they’re a reflection of the course of Scottish history.  

Scottish history has its own detail, separate from other British and European countries, and these buildings and their contents are evidence of that. It’s not just mediaeval churches; post reformation religious buildings reflect the changing theology in Scotland which produced different but equally valid expressions.

European Influences 

It is also usually assumed that mediaeval Scotland took its architectural lead from England, but this is not completely true, it has its own identity and more importantly, Scotland had its own links across Europe. Influences flowed across Europe with connections and ideas that travelled freely in all directions. These developed with time and responded to politics and trade, with Scotland forming a distinctive part of European culture. 

As I learned more, I found that I needed to understand the contexts in which mediaeval and post-Reformation churches in Scotland and Europe were built and operated. You need to consider the history, music, heraldry contained in the buildings and beyond – all the pieces that make up the jigsaw of a country’s culture. I found it fascinating to see how these all fitted together and were represented in Scotland’s churches and the depth of the picture it produced of Scotland from around 1000AD to 1600, and beyond 

North Western European links 

The ‘Celtic’ Scottish church (600-1000AD) was part of the early church and was organised a little like the Orthodox Christian church is now. It had close links with Ireland of course and also Europe through mission activity, which produced the ‘Schottenkloster’ (the German monasteries founded by Irish and Scottish monks). They are illustrative of how missionaries and others moved across the Continent – it was far less static than was once thought. 

There is increasing evidence of these links developing so that Scotland took part in the 11th century European Reformation and Renaissance under the ‘Margaretsons’ (the sons of Margaret and Malcolm III). However, there were several older connections – round towers reflect one ‘Celtic link’ though one that possibly reflects political power.  Why else are the only Irish style towers in the east at Brechin and Abernethy, below, in what is called Pictland? 

Abernethy and Brechin (Credit: Adam Cumming)

By 1100 Scotland was heavily influenced by churches on Ile de France, (St Denis, Chartres, Notre Dame, Amiens, etc). This was true for most of Northern Europe. Links with the Rhineland existed too. See Kelso in the Scottish Borders and Mainz in western Germany below with western transepts. Dunblane Cathedral in central Scotland is an example of high quality within a budget! The type of screen front at Holyrood in Edinburgh also reflects similar examples at Trondheim in Norway and Wells in England, a style which may derive from Rouen. 

Kelso Abbey (left) and Mainz Cathedral (right) (Credit: Adam Cumming)

“Some of these architectural styles made their way to Scotland via England so that the church proportions tended to be English.  However, there were more direct links with the Continent; it’s well known that many Scots travelled to Europe in this period, mostly to complete training for taking holy orders. Bishop Kennedy for example, a 15th-century Bishop of Dunkeld and Bishop of St. Andrews, was at one time a student at the Sorbonne in Paris. Other Scottish students also worked in Paris and the School of Notre Dame musical books were used in St Andrews (one survives – the St Andrews Choir book). King David I (c. 1084 – 24 May 1153 r 1124-1153) also brought some monastic orders to Scotland direct from France (Tiron for example) and others from England to vary his approach and establish a separate Scottish religious/ecclesiastical identity. 

Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh, Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, and Wells Cathedral, England (Credit: Adam Cumming)

Thirteenth and Fourteenth Century and Beyond

The Wars of Independence (1296 – 1329) also strengthened Scotland’s existing direct European links. 

The Guardians of Scotland (the six men appointed to help rule the kingdom in the absence of a king) made an Alliance with France from 1296 and wrote to the Hanseatic League (a medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe) seeking to reopen trade.  There was trade with the Low Countries, Scandinavia and also into the Baltic at this time. 

There was limited good contact with England, however, and Scotland tended to do better when England was self-absorbed. This absence of English contact helped developed the continental influences on Scotland’s culture including churches, which can particularly be seen in music and education. 

The Influence Flows Both Ways 

Theology is one example with John Duns Scotus from Duns in the Borders working and being buried in Koln, Germany.

Tomb of Duns Scotus in the Minorite Church in Koln (Credit: Adam Cumming)

The Carver Choir book is a second example – where this volume has music from England as well as the Continent – Scotland seems much more aware of developments in continental music than England was at that time in the fifteenth century. Incidentally, a performance of his music in a church of the same age sounds better to me – the music and architecture are matched, and one supports the other! 

Similarly glass, woodwork and painting were brought from the Low Countries and Northern European Curvilinear Tracery is used with almost no Perpendicular influence. Perpendicular is an almost completely English local style. 

Windows at Seton College Church and St Michael’s Linlithgow, both in Scotland (Credit: Adam Cumming)

Vaulting was used but mostly barrel vaults with or without applied ribs though Tierceron vaults were used where affordable, which maybe only have been over the choir and there were very few more complex vaults. See the vaults over the eastern extension of St Giles in Edinburgh; the contemporary ones over Trinity College Church in Edinburgh and compare with the ribbed barrel vault over Ladykirk in Berwickshire. 

St Giles High Kirk, Trinity College Church, both in Edinburgh, Ladykirk Church, Scottish Borders (Credit: Adam Cumming)

Finally, the shape of churches was much more like those in northern and central Europe with three sided apses, though the proportions remain British.  These plans can be seen in the Netherlands, Germany, and across northern Europe as far as Transylvania!  The exteriors were harled as well.

(Left) Holy Rude, Stirling and (right) St Michael’s, Linlithgow (Credit: Adam Cumming)

(Left to right) Seton Collegiate Church, East Lothian; King’s College Chapel, Aberdeen; Mid Calder church, West Lothian (Credit: Adam Cumming)

(Left to right) a church in Sibiu, Romania; a church in Bad Herrenalb, Germany; a church in Ettlingen, Germany; and a church in Kosice, Slovakia (Credit: Adam Cumming)

Scotland is rich in historic churches. These are part of European culture – having given to and received from many places – but it is a shared heritage, in which Scotland makes its own contribution. And while much has been lost much remains and should be celebrated.

It is very difficult to choose my favourite church. I have several, some ruined such as Elgin Cathedral or Melrose Abbey and some intact like Glasgow Cathedral or St Mary’s Haddington, as well as smaller churches such as Midcalder or Whitekirk.  They all have their beauties and their own fascination and their own stories. I would encourage you to visit them all!

My passion for churches led me to become a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1988. Fellowship is a way of getting and staying touch with others with similar interests so is highly recommended.  My Fellowship also led to me being invited by the Society to share my knowledge and enthusiasm through an Online Fellows’ Meeting, exclusive to other Fellows.

It also led me to become chair of Scotland’s Churches Trust (SCT), which tries firstly to make people aware of what exists, but also now and very importantly to help preserve them for the future. This includes recording the contents as these represent the history of the local communities and are fragile.  We are trying to find ways to for these places to continue to serve their communities.  New Friends of SCT are welcome!

By Adam Cumming FSAScot

Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog represents the views and opinions of the individual authors and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 

Header Image: Glasgow Cathedral by Adam Cumming FSAScot