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St Machar's Cathedral is a medieval cathedral church located in Old Aberdeen, founded in the early twelfth century on a site of earlier Christian significance associated with Saint Machar, a legendary companion of Saint Columba. The surviving structure, predominantly dating from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, is notable for its twin western towers and represents one of Scotland's few remaining granite cathedrals. The cathedral's graveyard contains burials spanning many centuries and preserves monuments of considerable historical and artistic value. The site remains a significant example of Scottish ecclesiastical architecture and continues to serve as an important record of Aberdeen's medieval and post-medieval history.
St Machar's Cathedral and graveyard is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90001. View the official record →
St Machar's Cathedral is a medieval cathedral church located in Old Aberdeen, founded in the early twelfth century on a site of earlier Christian significance associated with Saint Machar, a legendary companion of Saint Columba. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM90001.
St Machar's Cathedral and graveyard is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM90001.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mote Hill, palisaded settlement and cairn (0.3 km), Aberdeenshire Canal, remains of, Station Road, Woodside, Aberdeen (1.7 km), Lang Stane,standing stone,Hilton Drive (1.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of St Machar's Cathedral and graveyard's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
St Machar's Cathedral and graveyard stands on Argyll Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite, semipelite and pelite.