Whithorn

         Scotland once had its own White House, the remains of which can still be seen in the little town of Whithorn, in the south west of the country.

     The first White House, so called because the walls were whitewashed, was the first Christian settlement in Scotland, a monastery built by St Ninian, a 4th century missionary.  He is thought to have been born in the district but was educated in Rome where he became a friend of St Martin of Tours.  When he came to build his church, locally known as Candida Casa, (the White House) around 394 A.D., he dedicated it to Martin.

     Scotland in those days was pagan, but very prosperous and relatively sophisticated because it had good sea trading links with Ireland and mainland Europe.  Even in the 4th century Whithorn was an established community and Ninian's efforts to spread the Christian Gospel from there were very successful.  His religious settlement grew in power and influence, though it suffered several severe setbacks during times of Norse invasions.

     The Vikings frequently sacked St Ninian's church, but continued burying their dead in its churchyard.  Time and again Whithorn priory, as it became, was rebuilt, growing more powerful and richer with each rededication till it became the most revered and holy site in Scotland till the Reformation swept away Roman Catholicism.

    For over a thousand years, Ninian's original chapel was a major pilgrim centre, attracting visitors from all over Europe.  It was particularly popular with the aristocracy and King James 1V of Scotland was a frequent visitor, going to pray for an heir because his queen Margaret Tudor failed to carry a child that lived.  His prayers were eventually answered and she bore a son who became James V.

     Before he invaded England in 1513, James 1V made a vow that if he defeated the English he would return as a pilgrim to pay tribute at Whithorn, but he never fulfilled his promise because he died on the battlefield of Flodden with thousands of his subjects.

     However his son James V, and his granddaughter Mary Queen of Scots, continued the royal tradition of going on pilgrimage to the holy site.

     The Reformation meant that Whithorn fell into decline.  A church remained but its spire fell down and the rest of the huge complex of buildings gradually crumbled away till just over 50 years ago when a major excavation was launched by the Whithorn Trust.  Archaeologists have discovered a treasure trove, extending for a vast area from only a few yards behind the houses and shops that line Whithorn's High Street.

     It seems that it is hardly possible to dig up a spadeful of earth in Whithorn without turning up something of interest, ranging from leaden pilgrims' tokens to personal jewellery and rings, church vessels, fragments of stained glass and a magnificently gilded and enamelled bishop?s crozier dating from 1175.    

     Modern technology keeps producing more information from the finds and this year it was discovered that some of the skeletons buried in the priory grounds were of bishops and priors who lived between 1200 and 1360.  They have been identified and named as Walter, Henry, Michael, Thomas and Gilbert, and analysis shows that they were all locally born, originating in southern Scotland or Cumbria.  There was nothing miserly about their way of life because their diet mainly consisted of good quality meat and cod fish.

      There is a very interesting Visitor Centre in the main street of Whithorn which is open from Easter till the end of October.  The ruins and the continuing dig can also be viewed by visitors.