Aindréas of Caithness facts for kids

Andreas (also known as Aindréas of Caithness) was a very important person in Scottish history. He was the first known bishop of Caithness and lived a long time ago, dying in 1184. He was also a key source of information for a historical book called de Situ Albanie.

Andreas was a native Scot, meaning he was from the Gaelic people of Scotland. He likely came from an important family in Gowrie, a region in Scotland. He owned a lot of land in Gowrie, Angus, and Fife. It's thought he might have been the brother of someone named Eòghan "of Monorgan," who also owned land in Gowrie.

At some point in his life, Andreas was a monk at Dunfermline Abbey. We don't know if he was a monk before or during his time as a bishop.

Becoming a Bishop

We don't know the exact year Andreas became a bishop. But we know for sure he was a bishop by 1146 AD. This date is when his name first appeared as a bishop on official documents. These notes were written in the margins of a famous book called the Book of Deer.

It's not certain if Andreas ever visited Caithness, the area he was bishop of. However, the bishop who came after him, John, definitely did. If Andreas did visit, he would have been based in Halkirk. It's probably not a coincidence that the church area (diocese) of Caithness was set up, and a Gaelic bishop was put in charge, around the same time. This happened when Harald (Aralt) became the ruler of Caithness. This area used to be controlled by the Norse (Vikings). Harald was the son of Matad, Earl of Atholl, who was an Earl or Mormaer of Atholl.

Working with Kings

Bishop Andreas often signed official documents for the Scottish Kings. He was a frequent witness to the charters (important legal papers) of Kings David I, Maol Caluim IV, and William I. This shows he was a trusted and respected figure in the royal court.

A Source for History

A historical writing from the early 1200s, called de Situ Albanie (which means On the Place of Scotland), used Andreas as a source. The writer of this book said that Andreas provided information for his second list of Pictish kingdoms. The book describes Andreas as "a trustworthy informant." It also calls him "a venerable man, bishop of Caithness, by nation a Gael (a Scot by birth) and monk of Dunfermline."

Andreas passed away at Dunfermline on December 29, 1184.