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Bishop's Palace


The Prospect of the town of Dunkeld
Theatrum Scotiae, John Slezer, 1693

The Bishop’s Palace at Dunkeld included an early 15th century tower house, but nothing of the complex now remains.

Dunkeld occupies a strategically important site close to the geographical centre of Scotland and was an early population centre going back to at least the 9th century and probably earlier. In 848 Kenneth MacAlpin built an abbey here, dedicated to St Columba, and by the early 12th century Dunkeld was one of the largest and most important of Scotland’s medieval bishoprics.

In 1408 the Bishop of Dunkeld, Robert de Cardeny, built a tower house to protect the abbey and the associated Bishop’s Palace. According to the Statistical Account this tower house was built close to the palace with “a great hall, with vaulted granaries and a larder”. The site was still called “the Castle Close” at the time that the Statistical Account was written in 1842.

The tower house was burnt by the Jacobites in 1689, along with the rest of Dunkeld, leaving it ruined. An image of it survives in the form of a drawing of Dunkeld by John Slezer, published in 1693. It shows the ruined tower house of the Bishop’s Palace to the left of the cathedral, at the bottom of Bishop’s Hill.

The Prospect of the town of Dunkeld
Theatrum Scotiae, John Slezer, 1693

Slezer drew his view from Birnam Hill, looking roughly north-west to Dunkeld. This would suggest that the tower house was located approximately west-south-west of the cathedral. The RCAHMS give the co-ordinates of the Bishop’s Palace as NO 022 426 to the north of Bishop’s Hill, although that is referring to the palace itself rather than the tower house specifically. However a survey in 2008 revealed the remains of an artificial platform at the base of Bishop’s Hill on the east side.

This location appears to coincide with the position of the ruined tower house shown on Slezer’s drawing, so this is where I have placed the site of it for now.

Interestingly the site of the Bishop’s Palace is marked as to the south of the cathedral on 19th century Ordnance Survey maps.

Six-inch 1st edition, Perth and Clackmannan, Sheet LXII.5 (Caputh & Dowally)
Ordnance Survey, 1867

The Bishop’s Palace and the tower house don’t appear to have been rebuilt following their burning. The village was rebuilt to the east of the cathedral but the properties to the west and north-west weren’t and the land became part of parkland belonging to the Duke of Atholl, whose mansion Dunkeld House had been built in the 16th century.

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Alternative names for Bishop's Palace

Dunkeld Castle

Where is Bishop's Palace?

Bishop's Palace is in the parish of Dunkeld and Dowally and the county of Perthshire.

Grid reference:NO 0226 4255

Lat / long:56.564744,-3.591982

Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Bishop's Palace

OS map 379
Dunkeld, Aberfeldy & Glen Almond
OS Explorer map 379


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Directions to Bishop's Palace

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Weather at Bishop's Palace

9°C
max 10°C / min 9°C
6km/h ESE
1028mb
91%
86%
08:08 16:47

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Bankfoot at 22:46

References (books)

New Statistical Account of Scotland
Various
Edinburgh, 1845
Statistical Account of Scotland
Various
Edinburgh, 1799
The Castles of The Heartland of Scotland
Mike Slater
Malvern, 1994

References (websites)

Canmore

Castles near Bishop's Palace

Dunkeld Castle (possible) (site of)

0.1km away

Dunkeld House (site of)

0.2km away

Haughend (site of)

1.5km away

Rohallion Castle

3.0km away

Rotmell Castle (possible) (site of)

4.8km away

Trochrie Castle

5.0km away

Murthly Castle

5.6km away

Laighwood (site of)

6.3km away

Airleywight (site of)

8.0km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Bishop's Palace

Dundonnachie standing stones

2.1km away

Newtyle standing stones

2.7km away

East Cult standing stones

5.0km away

East Cult stone circle

5.0km away

East Cult cairn

5.0km away

Staredam standing stones

5.1km away

Witch's Stone standing stone

5.4km away

Muirheadstone stone circle

5.5km away

Druid's Stone, Kindallachan standing stone

7.9km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Bishop's Palace

Murthly Class III stone

7.8km away

Logierait Class II cross-slab

10.9km away

Dunfallandy Stone Class II cross slab

15.9km away

Priest's Stone Class III cross-slab

19.8km away

Fowlis Wester Church Class III cross-slab

20.7km away

Fowlis Wester Class II cross-slab

20.8km away

Dupplin Cross Class III cross

23.8km away

High Keillor Class I symbol stone

25.2km away

Abernethy No. 5 Class III cross shaft

30.8km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Bishop's Palace

Norrie's Law hoard

52.1km away

Haddington silver chain

84.4km away

Traprain Law silver chain

87.5km away

Dunnicaer fort

95.9km away

Borland silver chain

96.4km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

96.9km away

Whitlaw silver chain

105.6km away

Torvean silver chain

107.4km away

Nigg silver chain

110.3km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Bishop's Palace

Atholl Arms Hotel, Dunkeld
hotel, bar, restaurantDunkeld
0.4km away
Birnam Hotel
hotelDunkeld
1.0km away
Wester Caputh Lodge
hostelCaputh
6.6km away
The Bankfoot Inn
hotelBankfoot
8.5km away
Ballathie House Hotel
hotelStanley
9.1km away
Cuil-an-Daraich Guest House
hotelLogierait
11.0km away
Meikleour Hotel
hotelMeikleour
14.2km away
Bridge of Cally Hotel
hotelBridge of Cally
14.6km away
The Reid House
bed and breakfastBallintuim
14.7km away
Dalshian Guest House
hotelPitlochry
15.5km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Bishop's Palace

Atholl Arms Hotel, Dunkeld
hotel, bar, restaurantDunkeld
0.4km away
Altamount Country House Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantBlairgowrie
15.8km away
Atholl Palace Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barPitlochry
17.1km away
Victoria's Restaurant
restaurant, caféPitlochry
17.5km away
Huntingtower Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barAlmondbank
17.6km away
Scotland's Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barPitlochry
17.6km away
Kingfisher Bar
barPitlochry
17.7km away
The Old Mill Inn
hotel, bar, restaurantPitlochry
17.7km away
Habitat Café
caféAberfeldy
17.8km away
McKays
bar, restaurantPitlochry
17.8km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Published on the 3rd of July 2011 at 4:52 pm. Updated on the 13th of May 2020 at 11:08 am.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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