Day 5: 15 August 2019 Exploring Aberdeen

St Andrew’s Cathedral

St Andrew’s Cathedral or the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrews is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church situated in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. It is the see of the Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney who is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney.

The Cathedral is known as being the church where the first bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, Samuel Seabury was ordained in 1784. Bishop Seabury was consecrated to the episcopate in “an upper room” of the home of John Skinner, then leader of the St. Andrew’s congregation, approximately 500 meters from the present building. The site of the house used to be marked by a polished granite tablet on the wall of the former Marischal College. This has, in recent years, been moved.

The original building was designed in the perpendicular Gothic style by the architect Archibald Simpson, one of Simpson’s many commissions in the city. While three sides of the Cathedral were built out of the usual local granite, for which Aberdeen is famous, the facade of the structure, facing King Street, was built from sandstone for economical reasons despite Simpson’s opposition.

The church opened in 1817 as St Andrew’s Chapel and was raised to Cathedral status in 1914.

The Church of Scotland Cathedral Church of St Machar

I got the following information from the St Machar Website.

“A place of worship was established in this area about 580 AD and it is highly likely that it was indeed on its current location. A stone carved with a Celtic cross – a clear indication of the site’s Celtic roots  – believed to have been associated with this original church is now on display in the church.

It became a Cathedral in the 1130s when the seat of the Bishop was transferred from Mortlach, near Dufftown to Old Aberdeen under David I.  By 1165 a Norman style cathedral stood on the site.

In the 13th century the Cathedral had to undergo extensive restoration. This was started under the instruction of Bishop Cheyne (1282 to 1328). We have to thank him that the building turned out to be a fine example of a fortified Kirk.

What we do know is that shortly after the war of independence – which left its mark not just on Aberdeen (Edward III sacked it in 1336), but also on the Cathedral – construction was continued under among others Bishop Alexander Kinnimund (1355-80) and Bishop William Elphinstone (1431-1514). In his lifetime the cathedral was constructed to its biggest form. The nave and towers on the west – which form the modern church were only one part. To the east of the nave, there was a crossing which had one large central tower. There was also a choir to its east and transepts pointing north and south. In 1520 a ceiling of paneled oak bearing 48 heraldic shields was commissioned by Bishop Gavin Dunbar (1518-1532).

It must have been a glorious sight when the Church was finally complete in 1530.

It is thought that nearly 30 canons – each with their own manse – performed the religious and practical duties at the Cathedral. St Machar’s had a key role in the political but especially in the spiritual life of the North-East of Scotland.

With the reformation of 1560 change came. The Cathedral lost its status as cathedral. Its treasures were taken and its land sold. Once immediately before and during the reformation and then later when the conflict with Charles I escalated, it recovered its cathedral status.

This also sheds some light on the question why St Machar’s is referred to as Cathedral. While it is a part of the Church of Scotland, a Presbyterian church, which has neither bishops nor cathedrals, St Machar’s is a cathedral only by name: The Cathedral Church of St Machar. This seemingly trivial distinction is nevertheless a reminder of serious conflicts which more than once in the in the middle of the 17th century led to civil wars that engulfed Scotland, England and Ireland.

General Monck led Cromwell’s troops into Aberdeen in 1654. Looking for material for his fort he removed the stones from the empty and destroyed bishop’s palace to the east and from the disused and probably never finished choir. It is not clear if this led to a weakening of the base of the central tower. A storm in 1688 caused its fall into the transepts and crossing, and damaged the nave as well.

It took until 1953 to bring the east end into the state that it is today complete with three stained glass windows.”

Thank you very much for taking the time to join me on my travels through Scotland. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Till next time, safe travels and keep dreaming.

Have a fabulous day.

Coreen

Day 5: 15 August 2019 Exploring Aberdeen

Robert Burns Statue

This bronze by Henry Bain Smith (1857-1893) was cast in July 1892 and unveiled two months later.

The daisy held by the national bard recalls his popular poem “To a Mountain Daisy”, written at the plough in April 1786. Burns personally identified with the daisy’s fate and despairingly reflected on his own circumstances at the time.

“Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) (also known as Robbie Burns, Rabbie Burns, Scotland’s favorite son, the Ploughman Poet) He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a light Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these writings his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest.

He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish Diaspora around the world. Celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature.

George, Duke of Gordon Statue

Located in the center of Golden Square in Aberdeen, the B-listed statue of George Gordon, 5th and last Duke of Gordon (1770 – 1836) is notable in several respects. Originally erected on Castlegate in 1844, it was the first large public statue in Aberdeen, but also said to be the first granite statue in Britain. It was later set in Golden Square in 1952.

Designed by Thomas Campbell (1790-1858) of Edinburgh, this work was the first large public statue in Aberdeen and the first statue in Britain to be carved in granite. Monumental sculptors Macdonald and Leslie used their specialised tools and expertise to copy Campbell’s model and skilfully make the statue from one block. 

George was born in Edinburgh on 2 February 1770. He was educated at Eton. He became a professional soldier and rose to the rank of general. As Marquess of Huntly, he served with the guards in Flanders from 1793 to 1794. He commanded the 92nd Highlanders, which was originally raised by his father the Alexander Gordon as the 100 Regiment of Foot 1794 and renumbered in 1798.

He was a freemason and was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland from 1792 to 1794. He was Member of Parliament for Eye from 1806 to 1807. On 11 April 1807, at the age of 37, he was summoned to the House of Lords in one of the minor peerages of his father (Baron Gordon of Huntley, co. Gloucester). He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1830, was Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland from 1828 to 1830 (a post that his father had held until 1827), and from 1827 to 1836 was Governor of Edinburgh Castle.

In 2011 Trinity Church broke away from the Church of Scotland to join the International Presbyterian Church. But in the process it lost its meeting place of High Church Hilton, which is owned by its former denomination. It has been holding gatherings in hotel ballrooms, community centers and members’ front rooms ever since.

The congregation has been handed the keys to Queen Street Church, Aberdeen.

“We are a church family made up of people from different parts of the city and from all over the world. We are part of the International Presbyterian Church, which means we are led by elders and we work closely with other gospel-centred congregations. Folks in our fellowship come from a variety of church backgrounds, or none, and we do our best to welcome newcomers of all ages and stages of life.”

Trinity Church Aberdeen

For more information on the Trinity Church please visit their Website.

Thank you very much for taking the time to join me on my travels through Scotland. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Till next time, safe travels and keep dreaming.

Have a fabulous day.

Coreen

Day 5: 15 August 2019 – Exploring Aberdeen

Edward VII 1841-1910

The eldest son of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, Albert Edward VII was born on 9 November 1841. Known as “Bertie” within the family, he was subjected to a strict regimen to prepare him for the throne. As was customary for British Royalty, Prince Edward attended Oxford and Cambridge universities. He soon after declared his desire to pursue a career in the military. His mother vetoed that idea, hoping to keep him safe for the throne. During his short time in the army, he rose to the level of lieutenant colonel through honorary promotions.

Edward VII became king upon the death of his mother, Queen Victoria, in 1901. A popular member of social and sporting circles, Edward VII strengthened England’s ties with the rest of Europe, his relationship with Germany’s emperor — his nephew — was rocky. His reforms of the military and navy prepared them well for World War I.

By 1910, Edward VII’s years of smoking 12 cigars and more than 20 cigarettes a day brought on a severe case of bronchitis. During an official event in France, he momentarily lost consciousness, and he returned to London. Alexandra, his wife, returned from Greece on 5 May and the next day called her children and told them their father was gravely ill. On 10 May 1910, Edward suffered a series of heart attacks and died. His legacy is marked by criticism for his pursuit of self-indulgent pleasures. He also got praise for his affable personality and diplomatic skill. He was 69 years of age when he died.

In this life-size statue, he is wearing a robe in his role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Garter. He carries a gilded scepter plus an orb and cross, symbols of his authority. In the shield below his feet is the image of Saint Andrew, Scotland’s patron saint. The granite sculpture by James Philip is located at the edge of a public park called Union Terrace Gardens along Union Street.

Thank you very much for taking the time to join me on my travels through Scotland. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Till next time, safe travels and keep dreaming.

Have a fabulous day.

Coreen

Day 5: 15 August 2019 – Exploring Aberdeen

Sir William Wallace 1270- 1305

He was born in 1270, probably near Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland. He was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence.

Sir William Wallace is remembered for leading the Scottish resistance forces to free Scotland from English rule. Many of the stories about Wallace (which are not supported by documentary evidence) have been traced to a late 15th-century romance ascribed to Harry the Minstrel, or “Blind Harry.”

After his betrayal and capture, Wallace was taken to London, where he was tried. He was found guilty, hanged, disemboweled, beheaded, and quartered on 23rd August 1305.

Wallace’s death did not end Scotland’s Wars of Independence. Robert the Bruce continued the fight and achieved victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

The William Wallace Statue was erected in 1888 in Aberdeen, Scotland, and depicts Sir William Wallace. William Grant Stevenson’s sculpture is positioned opposite His Majesty’s Theatre and across from Union Terrace Gardens.

Thank you very much for taking the time to join me on my travels through Scotland. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did.

Till next time, safe travels, and keep dreaming.

Have a fabulous day.

Coreen

Day 5: 15 August 2019 Exploring Aberdeen

I know it is been a while since I posted about our Grand Tour of Scotland.

We spend the night at Skene House Rosemount. To be honest it was the most uncomfortable place we stayed on our entire tour. Every room in the hotel room was closed up by a heavy door. It was very hot and I felt claustrophobic and uncomfortable. I understand it is for fire safety, but believe me I did not feel safe. When we booked in nobody even told us to use our keycard to switch on the lights. So we stood in the dark trying to find a light switch. At all the other places we stayed they at least offered to help with our bags.

After Breakfast we loaded the car and we started exploring Aberdeen.

We had our list of places we wanted to see but like always I had to take the wrong turn and ended up in a dead end. But like always getting lost worked out just great. We came across the most beautiful doors and windows.

Thank you very much for taking the time to join me on my travels through Scotland. I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did. Will share some more photos in my next post of Aberdeen.

Till next time, safe travels and keep dreaming.

Have a fabulous day.

Coreen