St Cuthbert's

Continuing the theme of Celtic saints, yesterday St Brendan, today St Cuthbert. This is a detail of the ENORMOUS mural at St Cuthbert's church in the centre of Edinburgh. It is painted on what was formerly the back wall of the sanctuary, now the wall of a hall since the sanctuary was reduced in size.

The scale of the mural is incredible, designed to be viewed as part of a much larger space, it completely dominates the room, covering the entire western wall, and I find it hard not to be drawn to it.

It shows St Cuthbert at Lindisfarne, where he was bishop for two years. I think it may show him on the little tidal island known as St Cuthbert's island, off the coast by the church of St Mary's. I'm not convinced the angle is right, but it might be a little artistic licence. Cuthbert enjoyed solitude and retreated further and further from the business of Lindisfarne, dying on Inner Farne, a nearby island where he lived as a hermit.

While I regard this place as my "home church", I was actually here to collect Heather from her school concert, and help her down all the stairs with her cello. The concert was excellent - very proud of her and the other performers!