Dunkeld Cathedral

📌 Dunkeld, Perth & Kinross
★★★

🛠️ Ruinous part of cathedral closed for masonry work – rest of site open (checked August 2026)

The village of Dunkeld may seem too small to have a cathedral, but this strategic location on the River Tay has been a religious site for hundreds of years. St Columba’s relics were brought to a church here from Iona in 849 AD, well before construction of the present cathedral’s choir began in the 13th century. The nave followed in 1406, with the tower added later in the same century. At the time of writing in 2026, the ruinous old nave is obscured by lots of temporary scaffolding, but behind this there are graceful arches which survived the Reformation, and which are reminiscent of the great Borders abbeys. The former choir section is still used as a place of worship thanks to extensive repairs in the intervening centuries, and the adjoining chapter house contains a small museum with information panels about the town and cathedral. A room under the tower also possibly houses carved stonework, though we didn’t get a chance to explore this on our 2026 visit.

If you have time for a wander around the grounds, it might be worth knowing that the southeast corner (on the left when gazing at the river) provides the best views of Dunkeld Bridge.