The Morning Room, Eden Court

The Morning Room, Eden Court

ID: PC_STAND_CATH_048 DESCRIPTION: Eden Court was built in the late 1870s as a palace for the Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness for the Scottish Episcopal Church, Bishop Robert Eden. Eden had driven the redevelopment of the Diocese, after his appointment as Bishop of Moray and Ross (as it then was) in 1851. He was originally based in Elgin, living in Duffus House, but after a couple of years he moved to Inverness, where he lived in Hedgefield House in Culduthel Road. In 1866 he had been able to get the foundation stone of his new Cathedral laid on a site beside the River Ness. The building was designed by local architect Alexander Ross. Work advanced rapidly and by 1869 services were able to be held in the building, although consecration (which could not take place until the debt was paid off) did not happen until 1874. The Episcopal Church felt that they owed Bishop Eden a great debt for what he had achieved, and it was decided that building a palace was the best answer. Bishop Eden purchased the land himself, close to the Cathedral, from Sir Alexander Matheson, and the building was erected in 1877/1878. Public Rooms consisted of a dining room, drawing room, library and morning room (photo attached). The morning room is now part of the Maclean Room facing the River Ness. PLACENAME: Inverness OLD COUNTY/PARISH: INVERNESS: Inverness and Bona CREATOR (AV): unknown SOURCE: Scottish Episcopal Church, Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness COLLECTION: Scottish Episcopal Church, Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness Asset ID: 30044 KEYWORDS: