61. SANCTUARY EAST WALL

Finally we turn our attention to the East wall of the sanctuary. We find a banner hanging at left, the central altar with its guardian angels, and higher up, the East window.    INDEX

62. DOVE BANNER

The full official designation of the Cathedral of The Isles is the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of the Holy Spirit. The dedication to the Holy Spirit was very unusual in the British Isles in those days and long after, with devotion to the third Person of the Trinity only finding more popular expression in the 20th century, and is a testament to the personal piety of the founder, the Hon. George Frederick Boyle (later 6th Earl of Glasgow), a great philanthropist and benefactor to the Scottish Episcopal Church. The photo shows a banner in the Cathedral depicting the Dove Descending, a symbol of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples at Pentecost.

63. ALTAR SCREEN ANGELS

The altar is surrounded on three sides by a dark green velvet curtain, supported by posts. Each post has a golden angel carrying a candlestick on top. There was a very famous old song: Angels guard thee ... .

64. ALTAR

The altar with its colourful frontal is the focus of attention in worship: it is from here that the elements of the Eucharist are administered. On the altar are six candlesticks and a gold fleur de lys cross.

65. EAST WINDOW

We finally investigate the colourful East window.  At the top are four quatrefoils depicting Christ, St Peter and St Paul. Below are three lancets. At the top of the central panel is the image of the Dove Descending. There are also six figures depicted. Two of these are bishops. The other four are the Four Evangelists, identified by their traditional symbols (angel, lion, bull and eagle). This completes our tour of this smallest Cathedral.