Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

St Duthus Collegiate Church, boundary wall, excluding scheduled monument SM2803, Castle Brae, TainLB41843

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
A
Date Added
25/03/1971
Last Date Amended
28/08/2018
Local Authority
Highland
Planning Authority
Highland
Burgh
Tain
NGR
NH 78015 82187
Coordinates
278015, 882187

Description

St Duthus Collegiate Church dates to the 14th century. It was re-roofed in around 1752 and later restored by Robert Matheson between 1849 and 1882 with further work carried out by Hippolyte J. Blanc in 1896.

The church is a rectangular 4 bay buttressed building with a stepped base course. The entrance is on the southwest with shafted reveals under pointed hoodmoulds with sculpted head label stops.

The church has a tall Y-tracery west window with flanking cupsed niches set high in the gable wall, the most northern panel has a figure of a bishop. There are lancets in the north walls under pointed hoodmoulds. The tall east window has renewed geometric tracery. There are three large windows in south wall, two with Y-tracery and that to the south-east with geometric tracery.

Inside the church is an elaborate oak pulpit with tester which is a late 19th century restoration, which includes fragments of the former 16th century pulpit. There is a triple sedilia in the south-east under a cusp recess. There is a cusped stoup near the centre of the south wall and a long round headed aumbry in the south corner of the east wall. The interior includes numerous memorials, including a marble classical monument to Arabella Margaret Rose, by Williams, Sculptor, of New Road, London. A tomb niche in the north wall contains an early recumbent figure. The stained glass is by James Ballatine and Sons, Edinburgh, 1880 and 1882.

There is a rubble retaining wall around the graveyard, with late 19th century spearhead railings to Castle Brae.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: scheduled monument SM2803 (see separate designation record).

Statement of Special Interest

A well-preserved late medieval collegiate church with 18th and 19th century restorations. This church was in part built to provide a suitably splendid setting for the shrine of St Duthus and its architectural splendour reflects the significance of the devotion to this saint. The church was the focus of pilgrimage during the late medieval period and receive considerable royal patronage during the 15th century.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: scheduled monument SM2803 (see separate designation record).

Statutory Address revised in 2018. Previously listed as 'CASTLE BRAE ST DUTHUS COLLEGIATE CHURCH WITH ST DUTHUS CHURCH, GRAVEYARD AND RETAINING WALL.

References

Bibliography

Fawcett, R. (2011) The Architecture of the Scottish Medieval Church 1100-1560. London.

Inverness Courier. (1860) Proposed restoration of St Duthus' Church at Tain', Inverness Courier, 1 March 1860.

MacGibbon and Ross, D and T. (1896-7) The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century', 3v. Edinburgh. Page(s): 538-42 Vol. 2

RCAHMS. (1979a) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of Easter Ross, Ross and Cromarty District, Highland Region, The archaeological sites and monuments of Scotland series no 6. Edinburgh. Page(s): 28 No. 240

OSA. (1791-9). The statistical account of Scotland, drawn up from the communications of the ministers of the different parishes, in Sinclair, J (Sir. Edinburgh. Page(s): vol. 3, p. 394.

Further information by courtesy - The Buildings of Scotland Research Unit.

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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