Walking in the Footsteps of Kings and Queens: Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling, Scotland
It is hard to believe that it has been three years to the day that our beloved Sawyer left us for Rainbow Bridge. He visited so many places right before he passed (we had no idea he was sick until the very end) - many of them we still haven’t had a chance to write about. However, we promised to keep his legacy alive, and that is what this week’s post is all about. So, join us as we honour the memory of our original Golden Retriever explorer, Sawyer, with his visit to Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling, Scotland!
Being Sunday, it only seems appropriate to honour the memory of Sawyer with a trip to a historic church. Although he didn't go inside on this visit, he had a great time exploring and posing around the grounds.
Watching this video, it doesn’t seem possible that he would pass away just a little over a month later:
With a history spanning six centuries, Church of the Holy Rude holds an important place in Scottish history. Now, before we get started, some of our readers might be confused with the word ‘rude’. However, its usage in this context is not the same as the modern English word. Rather, it is the Scots word for ‘cross’. Therefore, Church of the Holy Rude just means Church of the Holy Cross.
As expected, the building has changed quite a bit over the years with some parts much older than others. One of the oldest parts of the current church is the Nave which was started in the early 1400s. The ceiling is carved from solid oak and held together entirely by oak pegs. It is one of the few medieval timber ceilings surviving in Scotland.
The St. Andrew’s Chapel is the only survivor of four similar chapels. Just above the glazed screen door is a carving of the royal arms of Scotland with the collar and badge of the Order of the Thistle. In 1899, the Chapel was restored by famed Scottish architect, Sir Rowand Anderson (who also designed the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the McEwan Hall, and the Catholic Apostolic Church - now known as Mansfield Traquair Centre).
We always encourage people to look up and around so as not to miss any details when they are in historic buildings. Such is the case at the Church of the Holy Rude. High above the Choir is a lovely leaf-shaped window of an angel (pictured below in situ as well as a print reproduction).
One of the most significant events to happen at the Church was the coronation of King James VI (son of Mary, Queen of Scots). In fact, it is the only surviving church in Scotland where a coronation was held. However, the story of how James’ coronation came to be is a tragic one. At just 13 months old, he was taken from his mother when she was arrested. Mary was then imprisoned at Lochleven Castle, where the Protestant Lords of the Congregation forced her to abdicate to her son on the 24th of July 1567. While James had been baptised a Roman Catholic at Stirling Castle (on the 17th of December 1566), he was coronated on the 29th of July 1567 with Protestant rites (the first time that had been done). Ironically, the sermon was preached by John Knox - one of his mother’s biggest opponents.
King James VI as a child
Here are some more photos from our visit to Church of the Holy Rude:
It is always bittersweet to revisit our adventures with Sawyer. However, we try to focus on celebrating the amazing life that he had and our countless cherished memories. Therefore, we hope you have enjoyed this wee visit to Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling, Scotland. Visit their website for more information on how you can plan your visit.
Finally, if you happen to be in Edinburgh, Sawyer’s brother, Walter, has been doing a wonderful job carrying the torch for him in his role as our Golden Retriever tour guide. We hope you will join us on one of our Edinburgh walking tours that we faithfully continue in our on-going effort to keep Sawyer’s memory alive.
Until next time- Explore & Discover!
