The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 1/3

by David MacGibbon; Thomas Ross

The principal difference between Scottish and English work is that the former is later and not so completely and purely pointed in style as the latter, the round arch and other Norman forms lingering with us in some cases long after the pointed style had been adopted.

During the thirteenth century the importation and settlement of Anglo-Normans in Scotland, begun in the previous century, still continued, and amicable relations between England and Scotland were fairly maintained. The Norman Conquest, which had been effected with so much violence in England, proceeded by more gentle means in Scotland, at least for a time. The ancient Culdee ecclesiastics having been absorbed or displaced and their revenues appropriated, the Church became gradually settled and established under the authority of Rome, and a stream of Englishmen continued to flow in to fill all the posts of honour and emolument in the ecclesiastical sphere; cathedrals, monasteries, and parish churches arose under the fresh and vigorous impulse of the new order of things. The style of architecture practised in England during the thirteenth century was introduced into Scotland, and the edifices erected here could scarcely be distinguished in character of design from those of the early English period in England.

The pointed Gothic style, which, as we have seen, had its origin in the North of France about the middle of the twelfth century, appeared in England about 1170, but can scarcely be said to have reached Scotland till after the close of the twelfth century. The Abbey of Arbroath, founded by William the Lion in 1178, contains a few traces of transition work, passing later into first pointed; and other structures containing a good deal of Norman design were erected in Scotland as late as 1210. The Anglicising process, begun in the twelfth century, was continued in the thirteenth century. The Orders of the Cathedrals were founded on those of England. “Thus the Chapter of Glasgow took that of Salisbury as its guide; Dunkeld copied from the same type, venerable in its associations with the name of St. Osmund, whose ‘use of Sarum’ obtained generally throughout Scotland. Elgin or Murray sent to Lincoln for its pattern, and transmitted it, with certain modifications, to Aberdeen and Caithness. So it was also with the Monasteries—Canterbury was the mother of Dunfermline, Durham of Coldingham; St. Oswald’s at Oxstall, near Pontefract, was the parent of Scone, and through that house of St. Andrews and Holyrood. Melrose and Dundrennan were daughters of Rievaux in the North Riding; Dryburgh was the offspring of Alnwick, Paisley of Wenlock.”[56]

Building in Scotland appears to have gone on in the thirteenth century as busily and with the same enthusiasm as in the previous century. But being far from the seat of the origin of the pointed style, and having received the principles of that style at second hand through England, time was required for its adoption in the North, and even when cordially welcomed there, some of the features of the earlier Romanesque still lingered and were slowly dispossessed.

The pointed arch, for example, although generally adopted, did not entirely displace, as it had done in the South, the round form of the Normans, a feature which, especially in doorways, continued to be employed not only in the thirteenth century, but throughout the whole course of Gothic art in Scotland. In other respects, the thirteenth century style in this country corresponds very closely with that of England. Its features are, however, generally speaking, plainer and the structures are smaller. But the forms of the doors, windows, buttresses, piers, &c., and the mouldings and enrichments are similar in character. The wall openings frequently have the shafts detached and carrying moulded caps, with round abacus, and the arch mouldings are arranged in orders, each set on a rectangular plan over the shafts. The piers are usually solid, with bold clustered mouldings and rounded caps. The windows are almost invariably of the lancet form, either single or arranged in couplets or triplets in the wall.

As time progressed, these detached lancets were brought together into groups, the wall space was gradually thinned off, so as to form mullions between them, and frequently all are enclosed within a single arch. This naturally led to the panel or shield in the arch being perforated with a circle, trefoil, or other aperture, and toward the close of the period there were indications of the introduction of the earlier form of tracery. We have fine examples of the first arrangement at Dunblane, and of the embryo tracery at Glasgow.

As in the twelfth century a large extension was given to monastic churches and parish churches, so it is to the thirteenth century that we are indebted for the commencement and partial erection of most of our cathedrals.

The style of this period is fully represented in our cathedrals by the splendid crypt and choir of Glasgow, the beautiful nave of Dunblane, the fine, but now dilapidated, transept of Dryburgh, and the aisleless choir of Brechin. In Elgin Cathedral we have a noble example of the later design of the period, and the choir and western portal of Kirkwall form a worthy completion to that fine old Norman edifice. Dornoch once possessed the small and elegant cathedral of the North, erected by St. Gilbert, which has now, however, been almost completely rebuilt.

The conventual establishments of the thirteenth century, although chiefly of older foundation, still contain a large proportion of the work of this period. Arbroath Abbey comprises in its ruins some good transitional and early pointed work. Holyrood Abbey, besides a good deal of the transition style, had one of the finest west doorways of the period, and still retains a very striking north-west tower. The first pointed architecture is also well represented at the abbeys of Dundrennan, Pluscardine, and Inchmahome, besides smaller specimens in other monasteries. Kilwinning Abbey, now reduced to a portion of the south transept, shows some beautiful work. The Maison Dieu at Brechin is also very pure first pointed, and at Culross, Restennet, Inchcolm, and Coldingham are many interesting fragments of this date.

The thirteenth century parish churches are, for the most part, of small dimensions and simple design. They generally consist of a single oblong chamber, without choir or aisles, and are unprovided with towers. Of these simple buildings a considerable number are to be found in the Western Highlands and Islands. They are usually of the plainest description, the windows being simple lancets, with wide internal splay, though they have occasionally a double window with a mullion, and a single plain doorway. A large number of these chapels will be described, but, from the absence of any distinctive features connected with them, it will be found difficult to assign most of them to any definite period.