St Catherine's Priory & Church, Cupar

Grid reference

NO 376 146 (accurate position)

Six-figure easting & northing

337600 714600

Latitude

56.319767288200225

Longitude

-3.008979709546224

County

Fife

Nearby places

St Catherine Street, Cupar (0.06 miles)

Lady Burn, Monimail/Cupar (0.09 miles)

Lady Wynd, Cupar (0.12 miles)

St Catherine's Cottage, Cupar (0.14 miles)

St Michael's Church, Tarvit, Cupar (0.2 miles)

Object Classification

Ecclesiastical

Is linear feature?

No

Notes

This Dominican friary was dedicated to St Catherine, founded in 1348 at the instigation of Duncan (IV) earl of Fife. It is on the north side of the street still known as St Catherine Street. For discussion of the site and of its history, see Taylor with Márkus iv, 265-6. That discussion errs in one important respect. As Catherine of Siena was a Dominican, the authors assumed that the Dominican priory was dedicated to her. Catherine of Siena died, however, in 1380, long after this friary was founded. She was not canonised until 1461. It seems almost certain, then, that the friary was under the patronage of Catherine of Siena. The only possible question-mark raised over this conclusion is the possibility that the convent acquired its dedication to Catherine more than a century after its foundation. This is highly unlikely, and a dedication to Catherine of Alexandria is virtually certain.

Relationships with other parishes

Within Cupar, parish

Relationships with other places

Detached from St Catherine Street, Cupar