Whithorn Parliamentary Debate
14 December 2009

Read the transcript of Scottish Parliament debate on motion S3M-4580, in the name of Alasdair Morgan, on Whithorn as cradle of Christianity and place of modern pilgrimage.

Full transcript of debate: courtesy of Scottish Parliament

The Presiding Officer (Alex Fergusson): I should probably declare an interest in the next item of business, given that it is centred on Whithorn, which is a royal burgh in the very heart of my constituency.
I am pleased to introduce the final item of business, which is a members' business debate on motion S3M-4580, in the name of Alasdair Morgan, on Whithorn as cradle of Christianity and place of modern pilgrimage.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament recognises that Whithorn is the earliest known centre of Christianity in Scotland and that Whithorn has already produced archaeological artefacts of immense historical significance; notes that, while in ancient times Ninian was Scotland's premier saint and remains commemorated in many sites throughout the nation, the historical significance of Whithorn and Ninian's story is largely forgotten by a modern generation; recognises that the recognition of Whithorn as Scotland's cradle of Christianity will bring economic benefit to a depressed area, and supports the efforts of the Whithorn Trust to publicise Whithorn's unique contribution to Scottish history more widely, not least for the benefit of its present-day inhabitants.
17:04
Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): I am glad, on St Ninian's day, to be speaking in the debate and to have the opportunity to put on record, in Parliament, the royal burgh of Whithorn's place as Scotland's earliest-known centre of Christianity. I thank the members of all parties who have signed my motion to that effect, and those members of the public who have made the long journey from the south-west to hear this debate in their Parliament.
Although the history of Scotland during what was to be the final century of the Roman empire in the west is neither well nor definitively documented, St Ninian—or Bishop Ninian—was in Whithorn in the decades spanning AD 400 or, some say, AD 500, and is reputed to have rebuilt the existing church there in a style of building unknown to the Britons of the time, hence its name of candida casa. The significance of that is not just that it pre-dates the settlements on Iona and Lindisfarne but that its importance to Christians remained throughout the centuries to come. Contrary to our geographical view of the centre of Scotland, Whithorn, in days gone by, was a significant centre.
Being the shrine of Ninian, Whithorn has been a significant place of pilgrimage throughout the centuries. Scottish royalty was a regular visitor, and recorded pilgrims include Robert the Bruce; David II; James I, II, III, IV and V—I do not know why the sixth did not get there; Queen Margaret of Denmark, the wife of James III; Mary Queen of Scots; and indeed our current monarch.
The legacy of Ninian is well known throughout Scotland and the wider world. That is attested to by the use of the name in many churches, schools, streets and so on. Indeed, on the great bronze doors of St Andrew's house—the seat of the Scottish Government here in Edinburgh— Walter Gilbert sculpted four Scottish saints, with his representation of Ninian taking pride of place before the other great saints, Kentigern, Magnus and Columba.
While we are right to celebrate our past for its own sake and because of how much it has contributed to what we are today as a nation, it is entirely appropriate that the present inhabitants of Whithorn and the Machars of Wigtownshire should remember their heritage and the historical significance of their locality in such a way that tangible benefits are conveyed to the community as a whole.
Revenue from pilgrimage is nothing new and was very much a feature of the middle ages: pilgrims bought and wore badges that represented their intended place of pilgrimage. One such lead badge was found during the Whithorn excavations. The badges were obtained for a fee, in this case from the Prior of Whithorn. In 1504 and the year after, James IV is recorded as having spent the then princely sums of, respectively, four shillings and nine shillings on pilgrimage badges.
Although Whithorn's geographical position may have made it a fairly obvious first foothold in Scotland for Ninian, by contrast that position does not do the town any favours in terms of how our modern economy is structured. Whithorn is a considerable distance from the larger centres of Scottish population and far from any other country, with the exception of Ireland. To get to Whithorn takes more than a slight diversion from any of the through routes that visitors to Scotland might normally take, so one cannot simply sit back and wait for the casual visitor to drop in.
To be fair, transport has always been an issue in the south-west. As far back as 1441, Margaret, Countess of Douglas, applied to the Pope to be granted an indulgence in return for contributing financially to the building of a bridge over the River Bladnoch, where pilgrims to St Ninian were in the habit of assembling. Given that the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution has no responsibility for transport, he will be relieved to know that I will make no such demands tonight.
Moreover, although somewhat similar in terms of accessibility, in terms of public recognition Whithorn and Ninian suffer by comparison with Iona and Columba, despite Ninian preceding Columba by some time. However, I am not trying to stimulate bitter rivalry between the two sites, although the press coverage might be useful. Instead, I am trying simply to enhance the degree of recognition that Ninian gets, without necessarily diminishing Columba in any way. That said, it is worth noting that close to Iona, on Mull, there is the small village of Kilninian, whose name means "the church of Ninian". Perhaps that is an early example of saintly rivalry. For some time, the people of Whithorn have been working hard to develop ways of interpreting and publicising the significance of Whithorn as a cradle of Christianity in Scotland and a place of modern pilgrimage. I am talking about pilgrimage for not only its own sake but the economic benefit that it can deliver for everyone in the area. The hard work to which I referred has been done in particular by the Whithorn Trust. Some years ago, I was delighted—as was the Presiding Officer—to be asked to become a trustee.
The trust has a solid foundation on which to build. Anyone who visited Whithorn this summer— particularly if they were lucky enough to do so on a dry, sunny day—could not fail to be struck by the attractive and pleasing aspect of the broad main street, much of which was recently refurbished. Indeed, Whithorn is one of only three or four towns in Scotland that still bears witness to its original medieval layout. The town also has a visitor and exhibition centre with a fine collection of early Christian stones, including the Latinus stone, the earliest Christian monument in Scotland. Visitors can also explore the significant evidence of human activity from the earliest time that is to be found all over the southern Machars of Galloway.
It is therefore with some justification that the Whithorn Trust has unveiled ambitious plans to move forward a project. The purpose of a members' business debate is not only to air a topic publicly but to attract the undivided attention of the respective minister, albeit for a short time. Tonight, the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution—a minister with a deep interest in Scotland's culture and its ecclesiastical history—is in the chamber. Given his interest, I have a chance of extracting a small price from him—it is only a small price. All that I ask him to do is agree to meet a small delegation of trustees in the not too distant future to talk about their plans and consider how the reinvigoration of Whithorn can better fit into the Government's broader cultural and tourism strategy for Scotland.
17:12
Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): I congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing the debate.
Aged 25 and newly married, I set out to teach at Whithorn school, a secondary school that was situated across a playground from Whithorn primary school. As Michael Caine might have said, "Not a lot of people know that." I came to the school direct from urban—if not urbane— Dunfermline, where I had taught in a comprehensive with a school roll in excess of 1,000. I moved to a school—at the time it was called Whithorn junior secondary school—that had a roll of under 100. Of course, on taking up residence in the school house, I became a resident of Whithorn. I well recognise the broad main street that Alasdair Morgan described.
Whithorn was a disadvantaged town at that time, and it remains disadvantaged. It is located pretty well at the end of one of the Galloway peninsulas. Back in those days, Newton Stewart was a busy market town, but it is suffering a bit nowadays. As you and I know, Presiding Officer, the Isle of Whithorn is not an island but a town on an attractive harbour. People tend to pass through Whithorn en route to the Isle of Whithorn; they have to make a point of visiting. Indeed, once they have visited the area, their only choice is to turn round and head back up the peninsula to Newton Stewart. In many ways, the area is disconnected from central Scotland. It used to take me four hours to drive from Whithorn to Edinburgh; Concorde crossed the Atlantic faster than that.
I found that many people did not know where Galloway was. They tended to be vague, asking, "Is it in Ayrshire?" "No," I used to say, "It is not." People had not a clue about the part of Galloway in which Whithorn is located, never mind a knowledge of the town. I am therefore pleased that the debate is taking place.
I made my first contact with St Ninian's cave while teaching at the school. One lovely spring day, I took the class out of the school to visit the cave. We strolled through the beautiful Physgill glen, which leads down to the cave. The children, rightly, took for granted everything about the glen—they were used to being surrounded by such countryside—but, coming from an urban part of Scotland, I was astonished at its beauty. It was burgeoning with bluebells, wild irises, crocuses and primroses—I will get poetic—as the April sun streamed through a delicate canopy of birch leaves. I am sure members can picture it. I was enthralled. When one comes to the end of the glen, it opens up to reveal a seascape and one crosses a rough pebbled shore to reach the cave. For any monk to take up a place there must have meant a real hermit's life.
The experience was extraordinary and magical, but few people knew about St Ninian's cave. Until the debate, I imagine that few people were aware of the role of St Ninian in bringing Christianity to Scotland. I am sure that many associate that with St Columba and Iona. I say to Alasdair Morgan that there should be a bit of a scrap; it would raise the profile of St Ninian.
I look to an initiative down in Galloway that succeeded and that provides a model for Whithorn. Ten or 15 years ago, Wigtown, which had been an important place and the heart of Wigtownshire, had fallen into desuetude; it looked a bit like tumbleweed town and had lost many of its industries and markets. It then became a book town. I thought that the initiative was just a slick public relations job that would never work, but it has: Wigtown has put itself on the map as a book town. The buildings that were crumbling and falling apart have been restored. The town is fresh, invigorated and busy and has an important local economy; I know that you are aware of that, Presiding Officer.
I hope that, through this motion and by hooking on to the history and some of the legacy of St Ninian, Whithorn will have the kind of regeneration and renaissance that happened in Wigtown. I congratulate both you, Presiding Officer, who have unfortunately been silenced in the debate by your role, and Alasdair Morgan.
17:16
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): I, too, congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing this debate.
As we know, Whithorn is to be recognised as the earliest-known centre of Christianity in Scotland. Whether for pilgrimage, healing or culture, Whithorn has an ancient legacy as an important historical and religious site, both nationally and internationally. The Whithorn Trust is dedicated to promoting the profile of that legacy worldwide; it is important that the Parliament, too, should recognise it.
Whithorn has produced for Scotland archaeological artefacts of immense historical significance, dating as far back as the fifth century. Most famous is the Latinus stone, the earliest British Christian monument, which was carved around AD 450 with an inscription beginning "We praise you, the Lord."
The story of Whithorn cannot be recounted without reference to its most famous protagonist, St Ninian. Celebrated as Scotland's first saint, he began his holy mission to the southern Picts of Scotland in the fourth century, long before St Columba's journey to the western isles two centuries later. St Ninian's influence was alluded to by an eighth-century historian, Bede, who described him as "a most reverend bishop and holy man of the nation of Britons." However, as others have said, the legacy of St Ninian's influence on the growth of Christianity in Scotland has often been undermined by the popular fame of Iona.
Following St Ninian's death, thousands embarked on the arduous pilgrimage to Whithorn, bringing a wave of prosperity for the small community in its wake. In the 16th century, the reformation brought disillusionment about Whithorn's significance. As anti-Catholic iconoclasm grew, so did the culture of disregard for religious artwork and church buildings; pilgrimages were also prohibited.
Different ways of practising Christian faith should not stop us recognising and celebrating today the heritage that Whithorn gives us. The Whithorn Trust hopes that reinstating the town's position as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland will renew its link to its pilgrim past and bring prosperity to its current inhabitants, through growing interest and visits to the town. The trust has undertaken an impressive effort to catalogue the evolution of the community of Whithorn, through the preservation of historical literature and artefacts, to return to it due recognition as the cradle of Scottish Christianity.
Honouring this old monastic town with such a prestigious title will bring essential tourism and vital economic input to an area that has suffered relative rural deprivation, but the lasting legacy of this small south-western Scottish town is not to be underestimated, as the spread of Christianity laid the foundations for much of Scotland's, the United Kingdom's and Europe's political, artistic and cultural landscape.
As we celebrate the 150th year since David Livingstone first travelled to Malawi as a Scottish missionary, Scotland is again reminded of the Christian roots of its international influence. Olympic gold medal winner Eric Liddell, who was later to become a missionary in China, joins a legacy of Scottish Christians whose impact has had global reach. Whithorn's Ninian, Blantyre's Livingstone and Edinburgh's Liddell have shaped global institutions and movements, building on the Christian principles that they preached and lived by.
On this St Ninian's day, the Scottish Parliament is pleased to have the opportunity to support the efforts of the Whithorn Trust in bringing to the attention of Scotland and the wider global community the influential significance of this unique and ancient Scottish site.
17:20
John Scott (Ayr) (Con): I, too, congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing this debate on St Ninian's day, recognising Whithorn's place in Scottish history. It can only help to promote the royal burgh of Whithorn and its remarkable heritage.
Among Whithorn's many claims to fame, the principal one is undoubtedly the location of the first Christian church in Scotland, located at the end of the Physgill glen. Although it is overshadowed in popular imagination by Columba and his church at Iona, Whithorn's claim to be the first church in Scotland was substantiated as early as 731 AD by the venerable Bede. The story of St Ninian brought pilgrims and prosperity to Whithorn for 1,000 years but, after the banning of pilgrimages at the time of the reformation, the town and the area went into decline.
In modern times, Whithorn's ancient status as the original site of Christian influence in northern Britain has been forgotten by many; the memory of its greatness has been eclipsed by the popular fame of Iona. However, the date 397 AD is generally celebrated as the beginning of Ninian's mission, although no written references to St Ninian from the period when he was alive have been found. We can refer only to works that were written many years after his death. Nevertheless, Whithorn's history as an early Christian centre cannot be doubted. Archaeologists have uncovered clues from the earliest settlement in the fifth century. The Latinus stone, which other members have spoken about, is the earliest Christian monument in Scotland and shows that the community was Christian.
We know that, believing in his power to cure illness and perform miracles, people have been making pilgrimages to visit the shrine of St Ninian in Whithorn since the seventh century. The town became a cult centre. Kings and commoners made the journey over many centuries, and the fame of Ninian and Whithorn spread.
In present-day Whithorn, it is possible to visit many different sites of historical, archaeological and religious interest. St Ninian's cave, on the Solway shore south of Whithorn, is said to have been St Ninian's retreat. The Catholic diocese of Galloway holds a pilgrimage to St Ninian's cave on the last Sunday in August each year. There are also youth pilgrimages and a Christian Aid walk to the cave.
St Ninian's shrine was reputed as a place of powerful healing, where the sick and injured could be miraculously cured of their ailments. Stories associated with St Ninian include the miraculous growth of leeks, the marvellous umbrella that saved his book from the rain, cures for the blind, the leprous and the malformed and, after Ninian's death, the subsequent cures associated with a visit to his grave.
Is this too much for the minister?
The Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution (Michael Russell):
No—I am absorbing every word. Miraculously.
John Scott: Indeed.
Evidence of medicinal herbs and what might be a surgeon's knife were found in remains of the seventh-century monastery during excavations in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Numerous royal visitors came to Whithorn. According to the records, Robert the Bruce's son, David II, was miraculously cured at Whithorn. At the battle of Nevilles Cross in 1346, David II is said to have received an arrow wound that never fully healed but, after visiting Ninian's tomb, the injury was cured.
Whithorn's historical and archaeological treasures demonstrate its significance in Scottish history. I congratulate Alasdair Morgan again on securing the debate and giving the Parliament the opportunity to raise awareness of a fascinating place.
17:24
Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): The historical and religious significance of Whithorn is immense, and I congratulate Alasdair Morgan on bringing the debate to the chamber on St Ninian's day.
The south of Scotland is laced with historically important and significant sites, which are all too often overlooked for other, well-marketed attractions. The debate highlights the importance of the south of Scotland and Whithorn in particular. The Isle of Whithorn and much of the Solway coast provide a real haven. There is much to see on the costa del Solway: we have the Wickerman festival, the book town of Wigtown, the artist town of Kirkcudbright, Logan botanic garden, Threave gardens, Port William—scene of most of my childhood holidays— and, of course, the many rural shows that I enjoy attending in summer. At one such show last year, we probably had the most southerly hustings for the Liberal Democrat party, when Tavish Scott, Mr Finnie and the rest of them came to Wigtown.
I hope that the debate will highlight the excellent work of the Whithorn Trust to keep alive the ancient memory of the fifth-century settlers who are believed to have been Scotland's first Christian community, and the work of St Ninian, the apostle of the southern Picts. As the motion makes clear, the site is important in theological history. The most significant of the early Scottish saints was undoubtedly Ninian, a bishop who was born in about AD 350. During the years of the Roman empire's terminal decline, he was sent to Rome for religious instruction, his parents having adopted the faith through the influence of Roman soldiers. He returned to Whithorn to build his candida casa—the original white house—in AD 397.
As John Scott said, the story of Bishop Ninian does not appear in the historical record until 300 years later, in AD 731, in the writings of the Northumbrian monk Bede, which is perhaps why St Ninian is not as well known as St Columba. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Whithorn area was important for trade for a long time, perhaps even as far back as when the ice melted on its northern track. As most scholars know, little was written in the post-Roman period before the Venerable Bede's writings—the period is therefore called the dark ages—so the fact that little was written of Ninian is irrelevant to the saint's story, which is backed up by archaeological evidence.
The sea was the ancient motorway and places such as Whithorn and Orkney were vital junctions on the network.
There is evidence of the importance of Whithorn from Ninian's time until the reformation, after which the pilgrimage to Whithorn and the area's importance went into decline. The economy and population declined and names that had been synonymous with the area moved to the new world of America, Canada and Australia. I hope that, in the year of homecoming, the motion and debate go some way to encourage people who have historical links with or an interest in Whithorn and the surrounding area— and Scotland as a whole—to make the pilgrimage back to the Isle of Whithorn.

17:28
Christopher Harvie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): I, too, congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing the debate and on his eloquent speech, which was about not just an important phase in Scotland's past but a legacy of resources that we have to hand in tackling many of the problems of today's divided and increasingly bewildered world. Bewilderment tends to go along with the history of the early saints, too. They are a pretty intangible lot. In the 1840s, no less a person than John Henry Newman, who was editing a series of volumes entitled "Lives of the English Saints" for the Anglo- Catholic clerics of the Oxford movement, approached the historian James Anthony Froude to write the life of St Neot, a contemporary of Ninian. Froude, who was en route to writing a life of another of Alasdair Morgan's constituents, Thomas Carlyle—a somewhat different character—worked diligently through the medieval hagiographies and stories about saints who lit fires with icicles, turned bandits into wolves and floated across the Irish channel on altar stones, before concluding:
"This is all, and indeed rather more than all, that is known to men of the blessed St Neot".
There are problems with the historical Ninian. He seems to be almost a clerical contemporary of Arthur. There is a certain logic in that, because Ninian is the semimythical embodiment of the activities of Romano-British clerics in congregations that were probably active continuously but subject to someone like an inspector, who would come round and ensure that their churches were in order. That seems to be what modern historians conclude of the Ninian figure. There was another person with the name of Uinnean who seems to have done rather similar work at the same time and I imagine that the ability to conflate the two was considerable.
We can gather from inscriptions, place names and cemeteries that, by the sixth or seventh century, there was a dispersed Christian presence that probably went as far north as the Aberdeen area—the Mounth. Christianity in the aftermath of Roman withdrawal consisted of isolated congregations that were in touch with one another through the travelling priests that I mentioned and strung together—as Jim Hume reminded us—by the sea. Archaeology from a grave in Northern Ireland has provided us with a golden model of a 14-oared skin galley, which gives us some idea of how sophisticated the connections between the various countries were at the time. Such a galley would have been the craft of Ninian, St Patrick—who was roughly a contemporary—and Columba, the young chieftain of the Uí Néill who became the great political figure in the Scotland of his time.
From those times come ideas and practices that are still relevant today—the ideas of peaceful travel and pilgrimage—and of which we desperately need to make use. Those vessels crept round the English coasts and eventually tackled the Channel and the Rhine delta. The boats went as far up the great rivers as they could—to Reichenau on Lake Constance, St Gallen and Würzburg. In the middle ages, Ninian enjoyed even greater popularity than Columba. There were altars dedicated to him by emigrant Scots at Bruges and Bergen-op-Zoom in the low countries, as well as at Hamlet's Elsinore and Copenhagen in Denmark.
We can work on those historical connections to encourage not only tourism connections but a new form of pilgrimage, deriving other, more subtle benefits from those ancient traditions. Members should recall that, in the seventh century, Columba's biographer, Adamnan, stressed in his book "The Holy Places" in connection with pilgrimage that attention should be paid to the rights of civilians in time of warfare. That is one of the first examples of international law.
The Whithorn tradition shows us aspects of cultural preservation: the rescue of Latin, illuminated manuscript probably at its greatest and traditions of asceticism, meditation and closeness to the natural world. Those are more necessary in a modern world that is dominated by materialism and globally divided. Therefore, I wish the Whithorn Trust and all those who are associated with it success in reviving the community's history and, with it, the life chances of us all.

17:33
The Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution (Michael Russell): I congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing the debate, which has been fascinating and full of extraordinary information. Before I sum up, I welcome back to Parliament Karen Gillon, who is restored to what one would have to call her rude good health. It is good to see her back. Her many friends—I count myself in that number—have been worried about her.
It has been a debate of great interest. Alasdair Morgan struck me immediately with the most novel way I have yet heard of funding the new Forth crossing: by selling indulgences. I shall draw this to the attention of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth. It may well prove a winner in terms of what we are trying to achieve.
I was similarly struck by the miraculous interventions that John Scott listed, particularly on David II's arrow wound. Professor Harvie's introduction of hagiographies such as Adamnan's was an interesting element. Hagiographies are meant to talk about the miracles and achievements of saints. The achievement with David II was remarkable, but I was not aware that a modern hagiography of Ninian included the selection of Tavish Scott as Liberal Democrat leader. That certainly may have been miraculous and, in time, people will probably worship at the throne of Ninian because of that achievement.
Those of us who were brought up in the Scottish Episcopal Church were often brought up in churches that were dedicated to St Ninian. I am one of those—St Ninian's in Troon was the place in which I originally worshipped.
There was a living link with candida casa and Whithorn because there was a knowledge throughout those churches of the special place that Ninian held as, essentially, the founder of Christianity in that part of Scotland. There was also a belief that the foundations that are devoted to Ninian throughout Scotland were in some sense historically connected with the tours of Ninian. Professor Harvie alluded to that and commented on the role that Ninian and other similar figures might have had as sort of religious inspectors.
There is some dubiety about the connections that those foundations have; in the case of 19th century foundations such as St Ninian's in Troon, I think there is no connection whatever, but we should certainly remember the role of early Christian figures in perambulating around Scotland and spreading Christianity, or reinforcing Christianity at a time when it was not strong within Scotland. Whithorn stands in a very special place within that.
Whithorn is unique because it is the only place in Scotland where actual evidence can be found of every phase of the development of Christianity from the earliest times—from the fifth century AD—to the reformation and beyond. Whithorn is a sort of visual aid to our understanding of Christianity in Scotland and has a special place in every faith and denomination in Scotland. It certainly has a special place in Scottish church history, which I had the honour to study at university.
The remains of the crosses at Whithorn, the ruined priory and the other things that have accumulated there—both the physical relics and those places that are named, one or two of which John Scott mentioned—contribute to that distinctive nature. Every year, the small but significant community welcomes a small but significant number of visitors who are in search of contact with that history—with the age of saints and the history of Scottish Christianity.
The Government, through Historic Scotland, has been working closely with the Whithorn Trust to achieve sustainable growth in what we might call the market for religious visitation in Scotland, because it is part of the general economic development of the community. However, it is much more. It would be quite wrong to reduce this to a matter of mere economics, because it is about something within the soul and history of Scotland, which we want many people to celebrate, and not just Scots.
Of course, we have been doing that for a considerable time. The first ancient monuments act was passed in 1882 and the ruined remains of the priory were taken into care shortly thereafter. The medieval stone crosses came in first—they were taken in as part of the first group of monuments. The priory came into care in 1908, so it has been in care for more than 100 years. Even at that time, the schoolhouse was leased and converted to display crosses and other carved stones, so Whithorn was in the heritage market early and has continued to be so.
In the 1950s, the excavations at Whithorn built upon that experience, particularly with the discovery of the famous Whithorn crosier, which was buried with a 13th century bishop. That is one of the treasures at the Museum of Scotland, although I am pleased that it is displayed in Whithorn each year.
How do we take this forward? A lot of work has been undertaken in modern times. Historic Scotland's education unit supports education visits. There is a downloadable PDF site guide for teachers on investigating Whithorn priory and museum, so there is access to information. Historic Scotland pioneered the use of microsites to provide access to Scottish information and the Whithorn microsite was one of the first. I have to say that it is also one of the best used. The Government also recognises the importance of developing cultural roots. Again, Professor Harvie mentioned that. We are looking at the possibility of pilgrim ways in Scotland; my colleague Roseanna Cunningham has been prominent in promoting those. We will, in 2010, advertise the route that links Whithorn and Paisley abbey, which will give people at both ends of that route and those who want to travel it an opportunity to learn something of the south-west of Scotland and ensure that they understand its history.
Ninian's monastery was a place of pilgrimage and is therefore a place to which we should encourage modern individuals to go in pilgrimage. It was a light that shone brightly in the dark ages and it is a light that can shine brightly now. I am glad that Historic Scotland and the Whithorn Trust have worked together to establish a partnership that will enable that. Historic Scotland is also considering the opportunities for marketing and promoting other early Christian sites that are in state care.
There is interest not only in pilgrimage, but in early Christian art. Along with Whithorn, that has to include St Andrews cathedral, Dunkeld cathedral, Iona abbey, Meigle in Perthshire, St Vigeans in Angus, the Dupplin cross at St Serf's church in Dunning, Jedburgh abbey, which Karen Gillon will know well, and a variety of other places. Some physical remains still exist, such as the impressive collections of carved stones at Kilmodan in Argyll. Sometimes where there is physical evidence of buildings, and certainly where there is documentation and excavation that illustrates a site's importance, we will wish to promote those and to ensure that they are meaningful.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that Whithorn is the jewel in that crown. Whithorn gives us a more complete understanding of Christianity in Scotland than any other site.
Alasdair Morgan: Will the minister just clarify whether he will accede to the request for a meeting with the trustees?
The Presiding Officer: I was hoping that someone would ask that.
Michael Russell: I ask Alasdair Morgan not to ruin my peroration. These things do not happen by accident. They are carefully planned.
Whithorn is the jewel in the crown in our understanding of Christianity in Scotland. In that place, we have seen a good partnership between Historic Scotland and the Whithorn Trust, but much more can be done and there is potential. Therefore, Presiding Officer, I am more than happy to agree to a meeting with the trust. I suggest that we might meet at Whithorn, and I know that Historic Scotland is happy to facilitate such a meeting. I hope that Alasdair Morgan is happy with that—and with the way in which I have included it at the very end of my remarks.

Meeting closed at 17:41.