Historic St Serf’s will open to public
Visitors can once again explore the spot in a Perthshire village where legend says a dragon was supposedly slain by a saint of Scotland.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) reopened St Serf’s Church in Dunning on Friday.
People can explore the beautiful church and the three-meter-high freestanding Dupplin Cross, the only surviving cross of this kind in East Scotland.
St Serf’s Church is a former parish church, some elements of which are over 800 years old, which features rare survivals of medieval stone-carver’s art.
Its layout also shows how the Reformation of 1560 changed the practice of worship, as a new aisle was added to make it a fine example of a postreformation kirk.
Since 2002, the church has hosted the Dupplin Cross, an extremely rare and impressive Pictish carving from the early 800s.
The cross has a Latin inscription and intricate Pictish sculpture of contemporary royals of the time, and is a prime example of collaboration and trade between the kingdoms of the Picts, Scots and Northumbria.
While St Serf ’s Church has been open for pre-planned visits by groups since last year, the church has been restricted for general access due to water ingress damaging the site facilities as well as masonry conservation works.
These repair works have now taken
place and the site is accessible for general visits once more.
Craig Mearns, director for operations at HES, said: “St Serf’s Church and the Dupplin Cross are both fantastic heritage assets, and we are delighted that visitors will be able to come see them once more.
“It’s not often you can visit a site and learn about such a wide span of Scottish history, from the early kingdoms of the 800s to the Reformation of 1560.
“And now that the facilities at St Serf’s Church have been repaired, we look forward to sharing this history with our
audience.”
St Serf’s Church will be open Wednesday through Sunday injune, and open seven days a week from July.
Doors will be open from 9.30am to 5.30pm but closed for lunch 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Last entry is at 5pm.