Dunblane Cathedral
Whenever I’m abroad I like to visit churches and cathedrals. Travelling around Scotland, it’s no different. Generally speaking, they are not as grand and ornate as some I’ve visited across Europe, but they have their own distinct character and presence.
Visiting churches is not a religious thing on my part. I love history and religion is an integral part of history. Religion is a feature of almost every historical site you visit. It has made its way into my writing. For example, in my future cyber novel The Copernicus Coercion, a church is featured, with a secret in the chambers beneath it. Despite its influence shrinking in parts of the world, the future society I write about still has religion playing a part. I won’t say what as that would spoil it. My science fiction novella, EVA, also features a chapel, with one of the astronauts trying to make sense of what has happened to him on returning to earth. Again this is set in the future, with deep space travel a reality and artificial intelligence at an advanced stage. I’ve probably remarked before that the more you try to hide in your writing, the more exposed you become. I’m influenced by everything around me and make effort to keep experiencing new places and new things.
I was made to go to church as a child and also attend Sunday School which I didn’t enjoy. However, that hasn’t put me off from visiting churches. Hence my trip to Dunblane Cathedral. I arrived in time for it opening and it was surprising to see quite a few folk after the first ten minutes or so. It’s a popular destination for tourists taking in central Scotland. A number of the headstones in the graveyard are fenced off due to being potentially unstable. Apparently there is inspection work and repair going on so need to exercise caution here. There is a free tour of the site which wasn’t on the day I visited so that’s on my list to do next year.
The cathedral dates back to the 12th century with most of what is standing today having been constructed during the 13th century. According to what I’ve read the roof of the Nave collapsed at the end of the 16th century and remained like that for 300 years. During this time the congregation worshipped in the Choir. Major restoration began in 1889 with the roof being put back by 1893. Further restoration work continued in 1914.
For me it appeared larger inside than I had imagined. I can’t explain that. Perhaps it’s because many of the churches in Scotland are smaller and less grand in appearance and maybe I was expecting something along similar lines. Across Europe there are fantastically ornate decorations adorning the church interiors, but there is something quite understated about Dunblane. There isn’t the same onslaught of the senses when wandering around, as can be the case when visiting other cathedrals abroad. Some of the ones I’ve seen in Italy, Spain, Poland for example are quite astonishing in the level of detail and ornamentation. That’s not the case in Scotland. It’s a different experience, and one worth taking in.
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