Dunkeld

Dunkeld

Dunkeld, historic cathedral city in Perth and Kinross council area, historic county of Perthshire, Scotland. It is situated on the left bank of the River Tay and is surrounded by wooded mountains. The community was an early centre of Celtic Christianity, and in 850 the relics of St. Columba were transferred there. The church was made a cathedral in 1127 and enlarged during the 14th and 15th centuries. After the Reformation it fell into disrepair until it was restored in 1815 and 1908. The town was made a royal burgh in 1704, but, in spite of the building of Telford Bridge over the Tay in 1809, Dunkeld has failed to develop and remains a small settlement. The Birnam Oak, a survivor of Birnam Wood from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, is a popular destination for tourists. Pop. (2001) with Birnam, 1,200; (2011) with Birnam, 1,290.