The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 1/3MacGibbon, David
History
The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 1/3
MacGibbon, David
Church architecture -- Scotland
The chapel at Dunstaffnage Castle, and the Church of St. Columba[57] at
Skipness, are somewhat exceptional, from the amount of dog-tooth
ornament exhibited by the former, and the two-light traceried windows at
the east end of the latter, which clearly indicate their thirteenth
century origin; while at other churches on the West Coast the lancet
windows and similar first pointed features lead to the conclusion that
many of them belong to the same period. These island chapels are,
doubtless, survivals of the first pointed structures which were erected
in the thirteenth century throughout the country, but which have been
subsequently removed to make way for larger churches.
As the most of the Scottish cathedrals and large monastic churches were
planned during this or the preceding century, it may be well here to
mention some particulars regarding their arrangements.
In most of the conventual edifices the choir, including the presbytery,
is short as compared with the nave. Thus, at Arbroath, the arcades of
the choir are as 3 to 9 in relation to those of the nave; at Jedburgh,
as 2 to 9; at Melrose, as 2 to 8, in the present ruined condition of the
church, but originally probably as 2 to 12; at Dryburgh, as 2 to 6.
Kelso is a remarkable exception, the choir having been much longer than
the nave, the latter being of a single bay. The cathedrals, however,
show a proportion more in accordance with the usual practice in England.
Elgin Cathedral has in the choir (including the presbytery) 6 bays, and
the same number in the nave; St. Andrews had 5 in the choir to 12 in the
nave, Glasgow has 5 to 8, Dunblane has 6 to 8, Dunkeld has 4 to 7.
Another peculiarity of the Scottish churches is that in several the
choir is without aisles, as at Brechin, Dunkeld, and Sweetheart Abbey;
and in others, as at Melrose, Iona, Elgin, St. Andrews, &c., the side
aisles do not extend so as to include the presbytery, the object
evidently being to admit of side lights in the latter, which thus
becomes a kind of rectangular apse.
Transepts are frequently, if not entirely, absent, as at Glasgow, where
the transept is very short, and at Dunblane and Dunkeld, where there are
none. When a transept exists, as at Melrose, Pluscardine, &c., there is
frequently a side aisle on the eastern side only, for the purpose of
containing chapels with altars facing in that direction. This
arrangement was common in Cistercian churches, but in Scotland it is not
confined to that Order. In some churches where there is a transept, the
shortness of the choir has made it necessary to carry the choir screen
across the intersection and some distance down the nave. This is very
apparent at Melrose, where the rood screen enclosing the choir crosses
the nave about the centre, and is evidently part of the original design,
as the rood screen has formed a portion of the structure of the nave
piers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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