Dunblame - Cathedral

Dunblane, a town near Stirling with less than 9,000 inhabitants, nce was the seat of numerous bishops, as Dunblane Cathedral was the seat of the Diocese of Dunblane. It is now used as a parish church.

The region around Dunblane was Christianized from around 602 by followers of St Blane. Dunblane became the seat of the newly established diocese around 1150. The first bishops began to build a cathedral. As the small diocese only had a small income, the building was still unfinished in 1233 when Clement became the new bishop. He succeeded in increasing the diocese's income and began building a new cathedral. To this end, he had the previous building, which was still roofless, demolished. Clement first had the Lady Chapel built. When he died in 1258, the building was almost completed. It was only slightly altered under his successors. Around 1500, the tower was raised and the pinnacles and battlements were added.

During the Reformation, the Roman Catholic diocese of Dunblane was converted into a diocese of the Episcopal Church of Scotland in 1560. Much of the cathedral's furnishings were destroyed by order of the Earl of Argyll. However, the new congregation only used the chancel for services. The nave remained unused and fell into disrepair. By 1622, it had become a ruin after the roof collapsed, while the chancel continued to be used. In 1816, the chancel was renovated. When the chancel became too small for the growing congregation, a comprehensive restoration of the nave began in 1889.