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The west front of Dunkeld Cathedral above its wall.
Perthshire

Dunkeld Cathedral

The half-ruined cathedral of Dunkeld on the north bank of the Tay, its choir of the late 1200s still a parish church, its roofless nave begun in 1406.

Welcome

At the end of Cathedral Street in Dunkeld, on lawns that run down to the River Tay among tall trees, stands a cathedral that is half church and half ruin.

It grew over some two hundred and fifty years, and its oldest surviving part is the choir, built in the late 1200s, which is still in use today as the parish church.

The long nave to the west was begun in 1406 and lost its roof soon after the Reformation of 1560. Its arcades stand open to the sky, with the great tower at their western end. Inside the choir lies the tomb of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, the Wolf of Badenoch, his effigy in full armour: he burned Elgin and its cathedral in 1390, and was buried here in 1394.

The cathedral is free and opens every day. For now the nave and tower are closed while their masonry is conserved, but the grounds and the church in the choir are open, and the setting by the river is lovely at any hour.

Round the cornerARAN BakeryFlora Shedden's bakery on Atholl Street in Dunkeld, named from the Gaelic for bread, with sourdough loaves, pastries, cakes and lunches.1 min by roadSee itARAN Bakery
Before you go

Free, and open every day: from half past nine to half past five from April to September, and ten to four in winter.

The nave and tower are closed while conservation work goes on; the choir, the parish church, is open.

Where
Cathedral Street, Dunkeld PH8 0AW, by the Tay.
Open
April to September 9.30am to 5.30pm; October to March 10am to 4pm.
Entry
Free.
Where it is

On the north bank of the Tay in Dunkeld, at the end of Cathedral Street.

Close byDunkeld and Birnam.
  1. Shelves of gifts, baskets and jars fill a small shop interiorLÒN StoreUnder a mile 1 min by road
  2. Hairy Coo & Co, DunkeldA mother and daughter’s gift shop on Atholl Street in Dunkeld, home of their Highland cow designs.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. Beatrix Potter GardenBeatrix Potter GardenBronzes of Beatrix Potter's characters, behind Birnam Arts.Under a mile 3 min by road
  4. Birnam OakBirnam OakAn ancient oak on the Tay, said to be the last of Macbeth's Birnam Wood.Under a mile 5 min by road
  5. Woman walks towards a stone hut through autumn woodlandThe HermitageA woodland walk among tall Douglas firs to a folly over a waterfall.2 miles 3 min by road
Directions
Dried flower display above a shopfront doorway on Atholl StreetCafeARAN BakeryA step away
Picnic tables on a lawn with a canopy, church spire and townhouses behindRestaurantsThe Taybank0.2 miles
Birnam, PerthshireAttractionsBirnam0.9 miles
A red timber cabin with a steep pitched roof stands on a hillside among pines, a covered deck and chairs to one side.DunkeldJuniperSleeps 2 · 1.2 miles
Bronze stag statue on a flowerbed outside a white turreted country houseAttractionsDunkeld House Hotel1.6 miles
Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve, PerthshireAttractionsLoch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve2.6 miles
Little Pheasant, PerthshirePerthshireLittle PheasantSleeps 4 · 6.5 miles
An aerial view shows a stone and timber cottage with a round hot tub in the garden, hills rising behind a dry stone wall.KincraigiePheasant CottageSleeps 6 · 6.5 miles
A stone cottage with a gabled dormer window catches evening light among autumn trees, a bench and picnic table on the gravel outside.TulliemetCharlottefieldSleeps 4 · 9.5 miles
This morning · The Black Water, Garve
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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the cathedral, and when each is next free.

A red timber cabin with a steep pitched roof stands on a hillside among pines, a covered deck and chairs to one side.Juniper
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Dunkeld
  • Under a mile from Dunkeld Cathedral
Check datesAn aerial view shows a stone and timber cottage with a round hot tub in the garden, hills rising behind a dry stone wall.Pheasant Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Kincraigie
  • 5 miles from Dunkeld Cathedral
Check datesLittle Pheasant, PerthshireLittle Pheasant
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Perthshire
  • 5 miles from Dunkeld Cathedral
Check datesA stone cottage with a gabled dormer window catches evening light among autumn trees, a bench and picnic table on the gravel outside.Charlottefield
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Tulliemet
  • 7 miles from Dunkeld Cathedral
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in PerthshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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