There has been a church here since circa 580 AD when, legend has it, Machar, a companion of St Columba of Iona, founded a church here.
You can discover the story of John Barbour, Archdeacon of Aberdeen in the 14th Century, Father of Literature in Scots and the composer of the epic poem "The Brus", a chronicle of The Wars of Independence and The life of King Robert the Bruce.
Building Bishops of St Machar's
These include William Elphinstone, founder of the University of Aberdeen; and Gavin Dunbar who raised the unique Heraldic Ceiling in the Cathedral in 1520.
A pioneering performance by St Machar’s Cathedral Choir with members of Con Anima.
Legend of St Machar
Machar was a companion of St Columba on his journey to Iona. A 14th century legend tells how God told Machar in a dream to establish his 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.
More recent research suggests that the name Machar might refer to more than one person. A Columban monk by the name of Machar is supposed to have paid a visit to Pope Gregory the Great at Rome and another legend tells that he became Bishop of Tours in France, the home of St Martin, patron saint of France.
Further Reading
Columba Pilgrim and Penitent,Ian Bradley, Wildgoose Publications. St Machar's Cathedral: The Celtic Antecedents. Friends of St Machar's Cathedral Occasional Paper #8. J.D. Galbraith. Available in print from the Cathedral.
