Where is St Machar's Cathedral?

St Machar's Cathedral is in the Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (postcode AB24 1RQ).

How do I get to St Machar's Cathedral?

The nearest railway station is Aberdeen, about 3.0 km away. Drivers can use postcode AB24 1RQ.

Is St Machar's Cathedral a listed building?

St Machar's Cathedral is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.

How do I get to St Machar's Cathedral?

The nearest railway station is Aberdeen, about 3.0 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode AB24 1RQ.

Cathedrals · Scottish Highlands

St Machar's Cathedral

In or near Potterton.

Norman & medievalFree admission♿ Wheelchair: limited★ 4.8 · 1,041 Google reviews

St Machar's Cathedral — church in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.

St Machar's Cathedral, cathedrals in Scottish Highlands — Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit: 1 h–2 h
Best time of year: Year-round
Nearest railway station: Aberdeen · 3.0 km

Free entry
Family-friendly
Limited wheelchair access

Getting there & planning your visit

St Machar's Cathedral is located in Aberdeen City, with the nearest railway station being Aberdeen, approximately 3 km away. The postcode for navigation is AB24 1RQ. Accessibility is limited for wheelchair users.

Directions on Google Maps →

St Machar's Cathedral is a cathedral in the United Kingdom — the principal church of a diocese. Records date its origin to 1131. Built in the Gothic art style. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Affiliated with Church of Scotland. Address: AB24 1RQ. Wikidata describes it as: "church in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 57.1698°, -2.1024°.

Photo gallery

360° view

Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

Heritage listing

St Machar's Cathedral is a Church of Scotland church in Aberdeen, Scotland, located to the north of the city centre, in the former burgh of Old Aberdeen. Technically, St Machar's is no longer a cathedral but rather a high kirk, as it has not been the seat of a bishop since 1690.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.

Official information

St Machar's Cathedral is a historic church with origins dating back to around 600 AD. Visitors can explore its impressive architecture, including a notable heraldic ceiling from 1520, and participate in various worship services throughout the week.

From the Wikipedia article

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

St Machar is said to have been a companion of St Columba on his journey to Iona. A fourteenth-century legend tells how God (or St Columba) told Machar to establish a church where a river bends into the shape of a bishop's crosier before flowing into the sea. The River Don bends in this way just below where the cathedral now stands. According to legend, St Machar founded a site of worship in Old Aberdeen in about 580. Machar's church was superseded by a Norman cathedral in 1131, shortly after David I transferred the see from Mortlach to Aberdeen. Almost nothing of that original cathedral survives; a lozenge-decorated base for a capital supporting one of the architraves can be seen in the…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates: 57.1698, -2.1024
District: Aberdeen City
Postcode: AB24 1RQ
Parliamentary constituency: Aberdeen North
Established: 1131
Nearest railway station: Aberdeen — 3 km
Opening: Monday - Saturday 9:30 am - 4:30 pm (1 April to 31 October); Monday - Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm (1 November to 31 March); Sunday 12:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Official site: www.stmachar.com

Sources

wikidata: Q2380110 (CC0)
wikipedia: St Machar's Cathedral (CC BY-SA 4.0)
commons: Aberdeen St Machar cathedral 01.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Parks · Scottish Highlands

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Natural landmarks · Scottish Highlands

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Where to eat & stay near St Machar's Cathedral

Places to stay

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Hostels · Scottish Highlands

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Hotels · Scottish Highlands

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Hotels · Scottish Highlands

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Hostels · Scottish Highlands

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Hostels · Scottish Highlands

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Hotels · Scottish Highlands

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