Architecture & Heritage
St Andrew’s Cathedral is not just a beautiful historic building – it’s a living part of Aberdeen’s story. Its architecture reflects over two centuries of faith and creativity, from the original Gothic design of 1817 to the vibrant decorative additions of the 20th century. Walking through its doors, you’ll find yourself surrounded by art, history, and a peaceful atmosphere that has been cherished by generations of worshippers.
19th-Century Extensions and Enhancements
As the congregation grew, St Andrew’s was enlarged and enhanced by notable architects of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1880, the eminent Victorian architect George Edmund Street added a chancel (the area around the high altar) to the east end, providing a dedicated space for the choir and clergy. A few decades later, in 1911, Sir Robert Lorimer designed the charming entrance porch that now graces the west front – the very porch that welcomes visitors today. These additions blended seamlessly with Simpson’s original design, enhancing both the beauty and the functionality of the cathedral while respecting its Gothic character.
A Peaceful, Living Sanctuary
Through all these changes, St Andrew’s Cathedral remains, at its heart, a peaceful and welcoming sanctuary. The moment you step inside, you’ll feel the gentle atmosphere of prayer and hospitality that has been nurtured here for generations. Our historic pipe organ, first installed in 1818, still leads the music from its chamber by the chancel, and on a sunny day you can see colored light dancing across the stone and wood as it filters through the stained glass. We invite you to take your time and notice the details – the craftsmanship of the wood carvings, the golden glow of the altar canopy, the stories told in glass and paint. This is not just a museum of the past, but a living place of worship and community, where heritage and daily life come together. We warmly encourage you to visit St Andrew’s and discover this sacred space for yourself – to experience its beauty, history, and tranquility firsthand.
Gothic Beginnings: Archibald Simpson’s Vision (1817)
The Gothic west front of St Andrew’s Cathedral, designed by Archibald Simpson in 1817, features a sandstone façade with pointed-arch windows and slender pinnacles. Archibald Simpson – a famed local architect – gave St Andrew’s its elegant Gothic style when the church opened in 1817. Unusually for Aberdeen (the “Granite City”), Simpson chose warm golden sandstone for the cathedral’s front façade, which stands out amid the city’s grey granite and lends the building a welcoming glow. The original structure was a simple rectangular nave (with a small apse for the altar), essentially the space that forms the main body of the cathedral today. Its lofty windows, graceful pointed arches, and decorative front spires are classic Gothic Revival, inviting visitors into a sacred space that has served the community for over two centuries.
A Transatlantic Transformation: Sir Ninian Comper in the 1930s
The cathedral’s high altar area, transformed by Sir Ninian Comper in the late 1930s, includes a gilded canopy (baldachin) over the altar and vibrant stained glass flooding the chancel with color. In the 1930s, Aberdeen-born architect Sir Ninian Comper transformed the interior of St Andrew’s with a magnificent decorative scheme. This refurbishment was part of commemorating a special anniversary – 150 years since the first American Episcopal bishop (Samuel Seabury) was consecrated in Aberdeen – which explains some of the unique touches celebrating the cathedral’s transatlantic link. Look up at the vaulted ceiling and you’ll see 48 colorful heraldic shields, each representing one of the United States of America in the 1930s, intermingled with local Scottish coats of arms. This unusual ceiling artwork is a nod to the friendship between the Scottish and American Episcopal churches and often delights visitors with its vibrant display.
Comper’s design draws your eyes toward the east end, where a splendid gold-painted baldachin (canopy) soars above the high altar. Below it, an exquisitely carved oak screen frames the chancel, marking off the altar space. Comper also added stunning stained glass windows – notice the radiant “Christ in Majesty” window glowing above the altar – which fill the interior with jewel-like light. Thanks to these additions, the cathedral’s interior became a rich tapestry of color and symbolism, at once deeply reverent and visually striking. The result was so impressive that Sir John Betjeman (the renowned poet and lover of architecture) praised St Andrew’s as “one of Aberdeen’s best modern buildings”, a testament to how beautifully the old and new were woven together.
History
The history of St Andrews hospitality began when the Episcopalians found ways of welcoming people to their homes as they were persecuted for their form of prayers, an expression of their faith. It became visible when Bishop John Skinner made his Upper Room St Andrew’s Chapel, a tent pitched between the Merchants Quarters and the Slums of Aberdeen to welcome the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, the native and the stranger.
Samuel Seabury, the First American Episcopal Bishop was Consecrated here in 1784 by the Free and Independent Bishops in Scotland, inaugurating the birth of the Anglican Communion in Aberdeen.
Recently, the Cathedral welcomed the New Scots, the Refugees from Syria, hosted the first Solidarity Sunday in Scotland bring the Jewish and the Islamic communities together for prayer, offered shelter to the marginalised and those recovering from Drugs and Alcohol dependence.
The present building on King Street was opened in 1817, Bishop John Skinner laying the foundation stone. It was the first of many buildings in the city designed by Archibald Simpson who was born in Aberdeen and became famous for designing many buildings in the city. The original building consisted of the present nave minus the roof decorations. There were galleries all the way round, and at the east end a small apse with an altar on it. In 1880 the choir and chancel were added to the design of GE Street. It was shorter than the present chancel but contained some of the present choir stalls.
In the 1920s plans were drawn up for a new Cathedral on Broad Street opposite the Marischal College. Sir Ninian Comper, whose father had been an Episcopal priest in Aberdeen, was to be the architect. The opening of the new cathedral would have coincided with the 150th anniversary of the Consecration of Samuel Seabury, first Bishop of America. It was to be the American Church memorial and thanksgiving for this important event in its history. In 1929 the Bishop and Provost crossed the Atlantic to help raise funds for this ambitious project, with Comper’s grand design. The project could not be realised as the efforts of the joint team was to be greeted with news of the Wall Street Crash.
Instead of a new Cathedral, it was decided to extend and beautify the existing church. Work began on extending the east end in 1938 – the U.S. Ambassador, Joseph P. Kennedy (father of JFK), even visited Aberdeen to mark the new extension. The Seabury memorial was dedicated in 1948.