Overview

Have visited Elgin Cathedral many times before but this would be my first time visiting as a mobility scooter user. I was worried, would Elgin Cathedral be accessible? How could such an old ruin be accessible? If you plan to visit but have mobility issues then please don't worry because for a ruin the access is remarkably good. Elgin Cathedral has a dramatic history, surviving both a devastating fire in 1270. After the damaging fire , a rebuilding programme greatly enlarged the building. The Cathedral also suffered attacks by the Earl of Buchan in 1390 and Alexander, Lord of the Isles in 1402. Elgin Cathedral is a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray. The cathedral is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and was established in 1224 granted by King Alexander II. It is located close to the River Lossie. It replaced the Cathedral at Spynie, that was served by a small chapter of eight clerics. It was not affected by the Wars of Scottish Independence but again suffered extensive damage in 1390 following an attack by Robert III's brother Alexander and the Earl of Buchan, also known as the Wolf of Badenoch. In 1402 the cathedral again suffered a fire attack by the followers of the Lord of the Isles. The number of craftsmen needed to maintain the buildings and their surroundings continued to grow. The number of Christian priests had increased to 25 by the time of the Scottish Reformation in 1560 when the cathedral was abandoned and its services transferred to Elgin's parish church of St Giles. The Cathedral soon fell into decay and Its deterioration was arrested in the 19th century, by which time the building was in a substantially ruinous condition. I enjoyed my trip so much that I will definitely be back and I learned a few interesting facts! Did you know that people who were prematurely buried pulled on the bell ropes that were attached to their coffins in order to attract attention? Such people were said to be saved by the bell, this is also where the phrase "dead ringer" comes from. I met with a member of staff named James, he was so helpful and answered any questions which I had. The cathedral will be 800 years old in 2024 but you wouldn't think so by judging by the accessibility. Parking was easy with plenty of on-street space. Being in the heart of Elgin there is plenty of public transport. There is a railway station and bus station nearby. Visitors can be dropped off at the entrance. Entering the site you may struggle as the door is really tight but a member of staff is always on hand to help. Then I entered the reception and the staff gave some advice on the quickest and most accessible way to get around the cathedral. You then leave the reception, go through a door and into the Cathedral grounds where there is a combination of mainly cut grass and some pathways to give wheelchair users access to the site. I learned an interesting fact when going around the cathedral that when some people died that the family paid for carved stones to be shaped like a bench so that when the family visited then they could take a coffee, sit on the carved stone and talk to their ancestors. There are some vantage point and areas that require you to climb steps but even missing these out there's a lot to see and experience as a wheelchair user. There is a computer which shows you the views of the cathedral from the viewing tower and gives you some information on the different memorials in Elgin Cathedral. Entry to the chapter house is down stone steps (no handrail). Access to each tower viewing point is via a narrow spiral staircase (with a handrail for all but the last 10 to 15 steps). There's an accessible toilet in the main visitor centre building but the shop is tight however the staff are always willing to move things in the shop. I would recommend that you go during the summer as they do guided tours of the cathedral at 11 am and 2 pm. Also to get the best out of your visit, I would suggest that you spend around 2 hours at the cathedral. I would strongly encourage anyone who feels that Elgin Cathedral is not accessible to go along and do not worry about the accessibility because you will have a great day and learn many interesting things and maybe even a story or two along the way.

Transport & Parking

I got a taxi to Elgin Cathedral so I can't comment too much on the parking. However, I do know that on-street parking is available several metres from the cathedral. Visitors can be dropped off at the entrance.

Access

Toilets

An adapted toilet is inside the shop. However, the toilet is tight but manageable.

Staff

Great and very helpful.

Photos