Sunday June 7th. 2009

It was here the heather priests were trained from 1714 onwards. Several times the college was burned down by the redcoats, but was rebuilt again. 

The conditions of the students must have been very austere, as the college is situated in one of the coldest and bleakest areas of the Braes of

Glenlivet so that it would be difficult to find.

Over 100 young men were trained for the priesthood here and completed their studies broad. It was due to them,and the priests who taught them,

that the Catholic  faith was preserved in Scotland during the worst of the penal days. The mass was concelebrated in the ruins of the old chapel by

Cardinal O’Brien, Bishop Moran of Aberdeen, and ten priests. Over a 100 people attended, including the Lord Lieutenant of Morayshire and

representatives of the Crown Estates. It was my first visit to Scalan, and it was a very emotional experience.

Scalan Seminary, Braes of Glenlivet

Ruins of 1714 chapel