Distinctive early Christian round tower at Abernethy, Scotland.
Tonight, I am reporting on Abernethy Tower which is located in the village of same name between St. Andrews and Perth in eastern Scotland. Abernethy is a large village with name derived from the Brittonic (Welsh) term for ‘meeting of the waters’ although the only water at Abernethy now is a barely discernible stream. Image of Abernethy village taken from atop the tower. Historically, Abernethy was an important Christian site with the primacy of the Church transferring to Abernethy from Dunkeld around AD 865-908 before switching again to modern day St. Andrews . A church (or monastery or nunnery) at Abernethy was founded about AD 460 and dedicated to St. Bridget, perhaps in AD 525. Although the date of the tower’s construction is not known with certainty, it is of great antiquity, dating from around 9th-11th centuries, The architecture and differing building materials may indicate that that the tower is an 11th century rebuild of earlier 9th cen...