Elgin Cathedral – ‘The Lantern of the North’ – is one of Scotland’s most beautiful medieval buildings. It may have been ravaged by fire and abandoned after the Reformation, but the ruins merely add to its mystery and beauty, dominated by two intact towers on the West Front and the Chapter House with its exceptional octagonal ceiling, where remnants of gold paint are faintly visible. The towers are well-worth the climb to the summit to appreciate, not only the sheer scale of the building, but its irrepressible position on the Laich of Moray, where it has dominated the landscape for nearly 800 years.
