Elgin Cathedral is celebrating its 800th anniversary with a host of festivities aimed at bringing the historic ruin’s story to life.

Known as the “Lantern of the North”, the Moray church was established in 1224 on land granted by King Alexander II close to the River Lossie.

It is one of the country’s most beautiful medieval cathedrals and was once “richly carved and adorned with stained glass and painted decoration”, according to Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

It remained unscathed during the Wars of Scottish Independence but suffered extensive fire damage in 1390 when the Wolf of Badenoch – King Robert III’s brother Alexander Stewart – burned it down during an attack.

A two-day historical-themed event will take place at the cathedral over Saturday and Sunday, 12pm-4pm on both days.

The weekend will be packed with entertainment for the whole family, including presentations on 13th century medieval calligraphy and brewing.

There will also be living history performances, where members of the public will hear from a 14th century stonemason and blacksmith who helped repair the cathedral after the Wolf of Badenoch’s assault, and tales from the lives of 16th century monks.

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And on the evening of 28 August, literature will meet architecture with a theatre adaptation of Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Tickets for that event start at £12 and must be pre-booked.

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Alongside the festivities, special 3D scans of some of the iconic stone carvings found at the cathedral are available to view online.

The cathedral is cared for by HES.

Richard Green, monument manager for Elgin Cathedral at HES, said: “We’re very much looking forward to welcoming visitors to Elgin Cathedral this weekend to celebrate the 800th anniversary of this iconic site.

“With living history performances and presentations taking place across Saturday and Sunday, the history of the ‘Lantern of the North’ will be brought to life in a new and exciting way.

“From insights into 13th century medieval calligraphy and brewing, to stories from 14th century stonemasons and tales from 16th century monks, there’s entertainment for all the family to get stuck in.”

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