Brechin Cathedral Round Tower - Angus, Scotland.
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creg-ny-baa
N 56° 43.841 W 002° 39.712
30V E 520688 N 6287458
106 foot high round tower dating from the 11th century, attached to the south-west corner of Brechin Cathedral, the surviving part of the original church, and one of only two such structures in Scotland.
Waymark Code: WM15M5F
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/20/2022
Views: 1
The Round Tower at Brechin Cathedral is one of only two such towers of this type in Scotland, the other being at Abernethy. The Irish examples of these towers are thought to date from the period between 950 and 1180, and date between 1012-1100 seems likely at Brechin. The tower would likely have been served as a bell tower, with bells being rung by hand from the top storey.
There was a religious community in the Angus town in the reign of King Kenneth (971-5), and the church on this site had become the cathedral of a bishop during the reign of King David I in the mid 12th century. When the cathedral was being rebuilt into its current form, the tower was incorporated into the south-western corner.
The tower is 106 feet high, of large sandstone blocks, with a 15 foot diameter at ground level, tapering by three feet to the top. the internal diameter is at a constant eight feet. There are seven floors, with small windows on the 3rd and 4th floors facing to the south and east. A peel of bell was installed along with four windows in the top storey during the 17th century. The octagonal cap replaced a conical one in the late 14th century.
The tower would have provided a place of refuge for members of the community and their possessions in times of danger, hence the reason for the doorway being some six feet off the ground. The ornate carving of the doorway features a figure of the crucified Christ at the apex, and a saint on each side of the opening.
The cathedral lies on the south-western edge of the town down narrow streets.