Fortrose Cathedral - Canopied Tomb

Apart from the detached two-storey chapter house, the only parts of the once magnificent Fortrose Cathedral which remain today are the roofless shell of the south aisle and the bell tower. The aisle is said to have been the work of Euphemia, Countess of Ross, a grand-niece of Robert the Bruce and wife of Alexander Stewart, the Wolf of Badenoch. 

Within the aisle are three striking canopied tombs. The eastern part has two tombs along the north wall. One is said to be that of the above-mentioned Euphemia, Countess of Ross. The other is attributed to Bishop Robert Cairncross, although there is no evidence for this. Bishop Cairncross ruled the see of Ross from 1539 to 1545. He had been the Provost of Corstophine, Abbot of Holyrood and Chaplain to Mary Queen of Scots' father, James V.

The tomb in the western part of the south aisle is believed to be that of Bishop John Fraser, Abbot of Melrose. He was a Privy Councillor and Lord of Session and ruled the diocese of Ross from 1498 to 1507. He was also responsible for finishing the building of the cathedral, erecting the Bishop's Palace and completing Fortrose Castle.

The cathedral also contains many marble memorials commemorating members of the house of Mackenzie, the Earls of Seaforth. The south wall of the aisle is dominated by a memorial, built c.1800, to Sir Alexander Mackenzie of Coul. Sir Alexander was a Major-General in the East India Company.