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Objects | Church

A selection of Church items from our collection.

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A 15th century stone statue of St Duthac as a bishop, standing on a calf. This statue of St Duthus stood for several hundred years in a niche high on the west wall of the Collegiate Church. Although all the other statues and artworks that graced the church were destroyed at the time of the Reformation, the statue of St Duthus was said to have been preserved by the people of Tain.

St Duthac Statue

Communion Tokens from the several churches in Easter Ross including; Tain, Nigg, Fearn and Tarbat

Communion Tokens

Badly dented and scratched plain pewter communion plate from Tain Parish Church. The plate having a machined line rinning around the rim 8mm in from the outer edge. Engraved on the centre face of the plate - Tain 1767.

Tain Communion Plate

One of two surviving fragments, this one in the shape of a fleur-de-lys, of the original Regent Moray pulpit built in St Duthus Collegiate Church after the Reformation in 1560. The church was unused from 1815 and both it and the pulpit fell into decay. When the church was restored in the 1870s a replica of the pulpit was built based on the remaining fragments and the memories of older parishioners. It is thought that the original may have incorporated parts of the pre-Reformation rood screen. The pulpit is said to have been given by James VI's regent, the Earl of Moray, in recognition of the town's adoption of reformed worship. Another story is that it was given by Queen Mary because of their adherence to the old faith.

Fragment of Regent Moray pulpit

Papal bull of 1492

This small figure of 'Christ on the Cross' was found by a metal detectorist in Tain, and it is a rare relic of a time when the town was an important place of pilgrimage. Based on known examples in the British Museum, the figure is of 15-16th century date and is most likely from a processional cross of devotional art. The cross and figure separate and are joined by rivets - only one now remains. The figure has been cast in one piece from a copper alloy and the relevant detailing of the face, musculature and loincloth added afterwards by engraving.

Part of Medieval Processional Cross, 15-16th century.