Scottish Reformation

The 16th century was the age of the European Reformation: a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics which divided Western Europe for over 150 years, and continues to do so until this day in certain areas. Religion was important to Scots in the 16th century. Socially, the Church was crucial to everyday life. It was responsible for education, health, welfare and discipline. It was also very important on an individual level. The Church was the vehicle for expressing inner spirituality and changes to its forms of worship could endanger your chances of salvation. In other words, your future in either Heaven or Hell was at stake. The Reformation split the Church into Catholic and Protestant factions, creating two roads to salvation - both of which claimed to be true. So it was very important to people that the Scottish state chose to travel down the right road. By 1560 the majority of the nobility supported the rebellion; a provisional government was established, the Scottish Parliament renounced the Pope's authority, and the mass was declared illegal. Scotland had officially become a Protestant country. In 1561 the unexpected return of Mary, Queen of Scots re-ignited the whole issue. It seemed that power wouldn't change hands so easily and that Scotland would have to sail the troubled waters of the Reformation for a while yet.
The organ had already ceased to be used for worship in line with the new practices and in 1574 the civil authorities ordered that it be broken up and sold for the benefit of the poor. (Two hundred years later, pipework from this organ was found in St Mary’s Chapel!) As it was, religious, social and political pressures combined to bring the movement to a head in 1560, with the abolition of Papal jurisdiction in Scotland and the rejection of the mediaeval doctrine and practice of Mass, together with the adoption of a Reformed Confession of Faith. Many of the artefacts associated with mediaeval worship became redundant and were cleared