According to tradition, the origin of the Church of Rosemarkie, the
first cathedral of Ross, is ascribed to St. Boniface, otherwise known as
Albanus Kiritinus or Cuiritan. This saint is now supposed to have been
an Irish monk named Cuiritan, who, in the seventh century, adopted the
Roman ecclesiastical forms, and, coming to Scotland, endeavoured to
introduce them there. The legend of Bonifacius is evidently connected
with the revolution by which King Nectan and the Picts conformed to
Rome. After visiting various places in Pictland, and being well received
by King Nectan, St. Boniface founded churches at Restennet[149] and
Invergowrie, which were dedicated to St. Peter. Finally, he landed at
Rosemarkie, on the north side of the Moray Frith, the site of an old
Columban monastery founded by Lugadius or Moluog of Lismore, where,
also, he built a church, and named it after St. Peter and
Bonifacius.[150]
On this site, which is just opposite the long spit of land which runs
far across the Frith from the south side at Fort George, there arose in
later times a small town, while a larger ecclesiastical establishment,
called the Chanonry, was afterwards founded about one mile further
west. These two places were united under one charter by James II., in
1444, with the name of Fortrose, and the two small towns still remain in
the same relative position.
The Culdee College continued at Rosemarkie till the Romanising
influences of Queen Margaret’s sons were brought to bear upon it. In
1126 there occurs the first mention of the Bishop of Rosemarkie in a
charter of David I. It seems probable that here, as at other places,
King David converted the existing Culdee College into a chapter, and
appointed the abbot, or prior, as the bishop of the diocese. The Bishop
of Ross has this peculiarity, that he takes his title from the province,
and not from the town, where he holds his see.
When Argyle had been brought under the royal power, the whole of North
Argyle was, in 1221, added to the Earldom of Ross, and the diocese was
largely increased by the addition to it of the churches in that county.
Up to 1227 the Chapter of Rosemarkie was small, consisting of the dean,
the treasurer, the archdeacon, and four canons; but in 1235 Pope Gregory
IX. gave leave to the bishop to found and endow new canonries, and
increase the endowment of the other four.[151]
It seems probable that at the period of the enlargement of the chapter
the cathedral was moved from Rosemarkie to Chanonry, or Fortrose.
Although most of the buildings which would have fixed the date of this
change are now removed, there still remains one structure which, from
its style, seems to be of the first half of the thirteenth century. This
is the undercroft of the sacristy, an erection the enlargement of which
would be called for by the increased size of the chapter.
The cathedral then constructed was a large and important building. It
stood on level ground not far from the Moray Frith, over which it
commanded a fine prospect. The ruins still occupy the central position
in the town of Fortrose, and stand in a large open plot of grassy
ground, where they can be well seen, and where they are well cared for.
The existing portions of the cathedral are very fragmentary. The greater
part of the church and the houses of the bishop and chapter have
entirely disappeared. All that now remains consists of the south aisle
of the nave and the sacristy or undercroft of the chapter house. So
completely have the nave and choir of the church been swept away, that
Mr. Muir was led to imagine that the existing south transept was the
main body of the cathedral, and that it had only had an aisle on the
north side.[152] But the excavations undertaken, about twenty-five years
ago, by the Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Woods and Forests, laid bare
the foundations of the choir and nave, and showed that the cathedral had
been a complete structure, with a choir 85 feet in length, and a nave
100 feet in length, the width of both being 25 feet.
What the style of the edifice was we have now no means of knowing; but
it may be assumed that, like the sacristy, it was built in the first
pointed style, which prevailed in the thirteenth century, when the see
is believed to have been removed from Rosemarkie to Fortrose.
Mr. Muir may well have been deceived with regard to the existing south
aisle, for it is a structure of unusual size and splendour, and, in its
present solitary condition, presents rather the appearance of a complete
church, with distinct choir and nave, than that of a nave aisle. It is
composed of two parts (Fig. 807), an eastern portion, which measures 41
feet 6 inches in length by 21 feet broad, and a western portion, 56 feet
6 inches long by 14 feet 9 inches broad, with a bell turret projecting
at the angle where the two parts meet.
[Illustration: FIG. 807.--Fortrose Cathedral. Plan.]
Both of the divisions are elegantly vaulted in the English style, with
ridge ribs and tiercerons or intermediate ribs. On the north side is a
range of clustered pillars and arches, forming five bays, which
separated the aisle from the nave. Some of the arch openings are
enriched with canopied monuments.
The east end (Fig. 808) contained a large traceried window of five
lights, and some fragments of the tracery still cling to the arch. The
window is rather short for its width, being kept high, so as to admit of
an altar and reredos. The south wall has also been pierced with
traceried windows, now, unfortunately, mutilated. The other division
towards the west end contains a doorway, formerly sheltered by a large
porch, now demolished.
The exterior (Fig. 809) presents, at the east and west ends, the
appearance of complete gables, with a span roof, not a lean-to roof, as
is usual over aisles. The buttresses are of good form, and the enriched
cornice still survives. The parapet is gone, but at the west end a wide
stone gutter, or alure, supported on corbels and roofed in, still
remains. The windows of the western portion are less elaborate than
those of the eastern portion.
[Illustration: FIG. 808.--Fortrose Cathedral. East End of South Aisle.]
[Illustration: FIG. 809.--Fortrose Cathedral. View from South-East.]
In the angle between the two divisions of the aisle a staircase and bell
turret are erected. Rising from a square base the walls are changed by a
set-off on each angle into an octagon; a balcony is carried round the
turret, and the top is finished with a modern pointed roof.
The whole of the architecture of the aisle is of unusually good design,
and the building is altogether quite unique and full of beauty and
interest.
Not the least remarkable feature in the structure is the range of
canopied monuments which stand between the pillars on the north side. In
connection with these monuments, the history of the edifice has been
ingeniously traced by Mr. Chisholm-Batten.[153] The eastmost monument
(see Fig. 808) is traditionally stated to be that of a Countess of Ross;
and Mr. Chisholm-Batten, from various indications in the building, shows
that it was, in all probability, the Countess Eufamia, daughter and
heiress of the Earl of Ross, who erected this aisle, and is buried under
the eastern monument therein. This lady was possessed of ample means to
erect such a splendid structure. She married, first, in 1366, Walter de
Leslie, and succeeded, in 1372, to the estates of Ross. Leslie died in
1382; and in the same year the countess espoused the Earl of Buchan,
better known as the “Wolf of Badenoch.” He died in 1394; and thereafter
the countess took the veil, and became abbess of the convent of Elcho.
Mr. Chisholm-Batten has detected the arms of Leslie, her first husband
(on a bend three buckles), on one of the bosses of the vaulting of the
western division; while on another boss is carved a bull’s-head
caboshed, the arms of Bishop Bulloch, who occupied the see from 1420 to
1439.
As the style of the architecture accords with these dates, the inference
is that the western part of the aisle was erected either by the countess
or her son, Alexander Leslie, Earl of Ross, and completed during the
episcopate of Bishop Bulloch, and that the monument to the countess was
erected by her son in the noble aisle which she had built, and in which
she, no doubt, took great pride. The death of the countess took place
before 1398. The aisle would thus date about the end of the fourteenth
or the beginning of the fifteenth century, and must be regarded as a
splendid example of Scottish architecture of that period. Possibly some
portions of the western division are older; but, if so, it has been
remodelled and vaulted at the above date. The piers next the nave (Fig.
810) have the peculiar feature of a square plinth (somewhat like the
small buttresses which enclose the adjoining tombs) running up the inner
side to form a support for the springing of the vaulting (Fig. 810).
This feature has the appearance of being an addition to the piers, thus
suggesting that the aisle and its vaulting are of later date than the
nave of the cathedral. The piers are clustered, and have moulded caps
with round abaci.
The monument in the western division of the aisle (see Fig. 810) is
believed to be that of Bishop Fraser, who occupied the see from 1498 to
1507;
[Illustration: FIG. 810.--Fortrose Cathedral. West End of South Aisle.]
and the style of the work confirms this view. The arched canopy, with
its ogee head, and the third pointed carved work of its crockets and
finial are in good preservation. The figure of the bishop is also well
preserved. The fragments of a third tomb still exist under the arch,
between the two already described (see Fig. 808). This has evidently
been a late structure, with a canopy supported on a series of arches;
but it is now so mutilated that its features cannot be distinctly made
out. It is believed to be the tomb of Bishop Cairncross (1539-45).
It is thought that the western division of the nave was the chapel of
St. Boniface;[154] for when Bishop Tulloch, about 1460, presented the
bell (which still hangs in the south turret) to the church, he dedicated
it to St. Mary and St. Boniface, probably because the chapels adjoining
the bell turret were dedicated to these saints.
[Illustration: FIG. 811.--Fortrose Cathedral. Piscina.]
Besides the tracery of the windows and the beauty of the tombs, the
aisle is rich in details. In the south wall there is a fine piscina
(Fig. 811), and in the north wall an ambry, with a small stone
penthouse. All the windows have label terminals, many of them finely
carved with heads.
An octagonal font of remarkable design (Fig. 812) stands against the
east wall of the aisle.
[Illustration: FIG. 812.--Fortrose Cathedral. Font.]
We have seen that the sacristy is the only part of the original building
which now remains. This is a plain rectangular structure, two stories in
height, 45 feet long by 12 feet wide internally, which stands quite
detached in the centre of the open space surrounding the site of the
cathedral. The upper floor is, with all probability, believed to have
been the chapter house; but it has been rebuilt, and is now used as the
place of meeting of the Town Council. Externally the building has the
appearance of a plain modern stone erection; but internally the ground
floor preserves most of its original features. It is vaulted in six
bays, with groined vaulting; but being low, and provided with very few
small windows, the interior can only be dimly seen. The dog-tooth and
other details, however, seem to indicate first pointed work. There is a
range of arched seats, and an ambry at each side, towards the east end.
The doorway entered from the choir, in the centre of the south side; and
a staircase in the west wall led to the upper floor.
Mr. Chisholm-Batten thinks that this undercroft was the chapel of St.
Nicholas, where a consistorial office was held in 1451, being more
suitable for such an assembly than the open south aisle of the nave. So
far as can now be ascertained, there were no other aisles connected with
the cathedral.
The history of the cathedral subsequently to the Reformation is not well
known. Under the Regent Morton the lead was removed from the roof, and
the structure fell into disrepair. But it was partially repaired by
Bishop Lindsay in 1615; and in 1649 it was not very ruinous. It would,
therefore, appear that the tradition is probably correct which says that
the masonry of the walls was removed by Cromwell, like that of Kinloss
Abbey, for the construction of his citadel at Inverness.