The grounds at Dunkeld Cathedral are set to reopen “in a matter of weeks” after being closed since the onset of Covid-19 restrictions.
The historic building was one of 19 castles and cathedrals across Scotland closed to visitors due to fears over unstable masonry.
These also included St Andrews Cathedral and Arbroath Abbey.
Historic Environment Scotland made this announcement in July 2021, meaning the centrepiece of Scotland’s ancient ecclesiastical centre has not been fully accessible for almost three years.
The cathedral has continued to host Sunday worship, weddings and funerals but the grounds and building remain out of bounds to the general public during the week.
However, Murdo Fraser said he had good news to report.
MSP visit
The MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife was invited by owner Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to a ‘hard hat’ visit to the site after contacting them regarding the matter.
Afterwards, he said: “I am delighted to hear that the grounds of Dunkeld Cathedral will reopen in a matter of weeks, which I’m sure will please local residents and those who want to visit the cathedral.
“It was very interesting being shown the programme of stabilisation of works that are taking place in a number of buildings at the cathedral.”
Vulnerable stone
The HES discovered safety issues during routine inspections in June 2021.
It said masonry at some buildings appeared to be unstable at a high height and ordered further investigations.
Part of the problem has been caused by the stone at the cathedral being vulnerable to wetting.
“Dunkeld Cathedral is a major tourist attraction in Perthshire,” Mr Fraser added.
“Many visitors who travelled to the area were bitterly disappointed not to be able to access it or its grounds.”
Access to grounds
Mr Fraser asked HES if the cathedral grounds might be available for public access, given that the actual building is fenced off to prevent any potential damage from falling masonry.
“It was great to hear that this should take place in a matter of weeks, with HES working with the Church of Scotland to deliver access,” he said.
“I appreciate that the repairs to the building itself could take many more years to complete, but access to the grounds would be an important first step.”
Reopening ‘soon’
The HES has completed the first phase of a prioritised programme of inspections at the closed sites across Scotland, resulting in some re-openings and increased access.
Where possible we’ve maintained visitor access
A spokesperson said: “This is not just an issue affecting sites in Scotland but we believe we are amongst the first to proactively address it.
“Where possible we’ve maintained visitor access across the estate, with 73% of the year round sites we care for fully or partially open across Scotland.
“We’re unable to give specific dates as to when we will be able to restore further access to additional sites until we have completed the survey and analysed the results.”
Regarding Dunkeld, they added: “We continue to work with the Church of Scotland on a reopening plan for the grounds, and hope to reopen the grounds soon once additional safety measures have been put in place.”
A century of history
Dunkeld Cathedral is considered Scotland’s most romantic, with one part of the building surviving almost 1,000 years.
There are paintings dating from the 1500s on the vault of the bell tower’s ground floor, which once served as an ecclesiastical court.
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