St Paul's Cathedral, Dundee
In 1847, Alexander Penrose Forbes was elected new Bishop of Brechin and chose to make Dundee his permanent residence. At the time of Bishop Forbes' arrival, St Paul's Chapel met in rooms in nearby Castle Street, which Forbes considered to be dreary and "unworthy of the worship of the Almighty". Thus, he "urged his people to take on the holy work of building, to the glory of God, a stately church", a place which would offer refuge to the many poor that lived in the surrounding tenements. The foundation stone of the Cathedral was laid on 21 July 1853 and it was completed in 1855. It was designed by George Gilbert Scott and is in the style of the Middle or Decorated period of Gothic architecture. The total cost of the building exceeded £14,000, and ten years passed before the congregation could pay off all the debts incurred. The church was dedicated on All Saints Day, 1 November 1865. St Paul's was renovated by Nikhanj Constructions in 1903 and was raised to Cathedral status in 1905 and is now a category A listed building.
