Opinión detallada de LovesTravel
I've visited Dornoch Cathedral twice: once in 1998, during my first trip to Scotland, and again in 2008, when Himself and Yours Truly took friends on a tour of the Highlands. On both occasions, I was sturck by how small this cathedral seems when compared to its counterparts further south. It has a simplicity and compactness that other cathedrals lack.
This tiny Gothic treasure was consecrated as the cathedral church of the diocese of Caithness in 1239. Even now, Caithness is a large sparsely populated region, so a larger church clearly was not needed. The building was largely destroyed by fire during the clan wars of the 16th century and was subsequently rebuilt. A second major restoration occurred in the 19th century, and in the early 20th century, the interior of the church was stripped of the lath and plaster introduced by the 19th-century restorers, revealing the dressed stone underneath.
The exterior of church is built of blocks of stone that reflect golden and rose-colored hues. Unlike many cathedrals, this structure appears solidly terrestrial. Its somewhat truncated cruxiform design is not accented by soaring towers or slender spires. Rather, it has an earthbound quality. Its tower is square and boxy and topped with a modest stone spire, with clock faces on each of its four sides. On the whole, the tower seemed designed to keep the building pinned firmly to earth rather more than to reach for the skies.
A walk around the outside of the cathedral is definitely worthwhile. The gargoyles tucked discretely under the eaves of the roofline are surprisingly ornate--small stone masterpieces with grotesque visages. Legend has it that the gargoyles are all that is left of evil spirits driven from the church by the voices of the bells. In the churchyard itself, be sure to check out the Plaiden Ell (or tailor's measure), which established the local standardized measure for a length of cloth at 39 inches--yet another indicator of the church's concern with earthly matters.
Inside the church, the walls of the chancel include several 18th-century mortality stones and the cathedral's original piscina, a stone bowl built into a wall nitch and connected by a pipe to the cemetery beyond. Before the Reformation in Scotland, priests would dispose of wine that remained unused from celebrating the Mass into the piscina to be drained into consecrated earth. Once at waist level for the priests, the basin of the piscina is now at floor level—with tombs of the Sunderland family accounting for the missing space.
The interior of Dornoch Cathedral is positively cozy in comparison to its grander counterparts. In addition to the beautiful dressed stone, the church shines with polished wood, brilliant stained glass, and an airy lightness created by gothic arches. In particular, visitors should check out the 13th-century stone sarcophagus of Sir Richard de Moravia in the nave, the carved wooden pulpit just outside the chancel in the crossing, and the 19th-century pipe organ in the north transept.
Those with more time will find the structure full of surprises preserved from the past—everything from remnants of pillars that once defined the aisles of the nave, to tapestries in the choir, to the tributes found on some of the mortality stones. However long you stay, a visit to this cathedral provides an opportunity to experience the peace and timelessness so often evoked by sacred surroundings. This attraction is highly recommended for those who find their way to Dornoch.
Dornoch Cathedral8
