Dunkeld, dans le choeur de la cathedrale ruinee, le gisant du “Loup de Badenoch (Photo Romain)”

Le long d’un imposant mur en pierre, le gisant d’Alexander Stewart, « le Loup de Badenoch », un guerrier redoutable, revetu d’une impressionnante armure, retient l’attention des visiteurs. Une tour a horloge domine la ruine de l’immense nef batie au XVeme siecle. On patauge dans l’eau qui ruisselle entre les pierres tombales disposees pour l’eternite dans un ecrin de verdure enferme dans de beaux restes d’une architecture gothique.

This book's hero, Iain MacLean, must do penance for his hot-temper by taking a sacred relic to Dunkeld Cathedral in Southern Perthshire, the very heart of mainland Scotland.

This is the tomb and effigy of my second-favorite medieval hero, Alexander Stewart, c. 1342 - 1406, son of Robert II of Scotland, and better known as 'The Wolf of Badenoch'. He was a larger-than-life man of his time, most famous for his burning of the northern towns of Forres and Elgin, including Elgin's magnificent Cathedral ...

At the east end of the choir, hidden behind the altar screen, is a headless effigy of a 14th century bishop, but the most impressive memorial by far is that of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, known to history as the fearsome Wolf of Badenoch. Buchan, who died in 1405, earned his ferocious reputation by sacking Elgin Cathedral and burning the city to the ground in 1390.

Stone effigy of Alexander Stewart (The Wolf of Badenoch) at Dunkeld Cathedral, Scotland

Alexander Stewart (1343-1405), younger son of King Robert II of Scots, earl of Buchan, was known as 'The Wolf of Badenoch' due to his notorious cruelty. He is infamous for burning the towns of Forres and Elgin and the cathedral of Elgin during a dispute with the Bishop of Moray.

Mark Downing FSA
“The Wolf of Badenoch”
The Effigy of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan and Lord of Badenoch
The effigy lies on a tomb-chest surrounded by twenty two weepers all dressed in armour, and resides at the east end, behind the choir screen of the parish church formerly Dunkeld Cathedral. The effigy is badly damaged and is broken in four pieces, with the loss of the left shoulder, left arm, right foot and left foot’s toes. The head rests on two tasselled cushions with the upper placed diagonally. The head is protected by a great basinet with visor pivots on either side of the temples: a bevor is riveted to the basinet, with the addition of gorget plates and a mail fringe. Below the face-opening of the basinet the sculptor has shown a fringe of hair, which is very rare. While it is not tied around the neck the Wolf lies on a cloak. He wears a six lame pauldron extending well down the arm; fan-shaped couter with two articulated lames above and below; the vambrace has two hinges on the outer-plates; a single breastplate; plates-skirt with two down-ward pointing plates hinged to the lowest lame of the skirt. Below the plate-skirt is the lower part of a mail skirt; cuisses are strapped around thighs, poleyns; greaves with two hinges on the outside and buckled straps on the inside, sabaton. Around the waist is a wide hip-belt decorated with square plaque and large studs. The sword on the left has straight quillons and a water-guard. On the edge of the slab is an inscription "HICJACET ALEXANDER SENESCALUS, FILIUS ROBERTI REGIS ET ELIZABETH MORE, DOMINUS DE BUCHAN ET DNS DE BADENACH QUI OBIIT VINGESIMO QUARTO DIE JULII (part of the inscription is a replacement)".
While I have recorded a number of “Lowland Effigies” I have not seen all for comparison; however two can be related to Dunkeld for example Corstorphine (Mid Lothian) and Kilmun (Argyll). Unlike England where effigies are easier datable these Scottish examples remain problematic but Dunkeld would appear to date from c.1410/40. Alexander was the third surviving son of King Robert II of Scotland and was born in 1343 and died 1404/5. It is thought he obtained the nickname “The Wolf” due to his cruelty but there is no proof of his crimes.

(Link)
Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, Alasdair Mor mac an Righ, and called the Wolf of Badenoch (1343 – 20 June 1405), was the third surviving son of King Robert II of Scotland and youngest by his first wife, Elizabeth Mure of Rowallan. He was the first Earl of Buchan since John Comyn, from 1382 until his death. Alexander married the widowed Euphemia I, Countess of Ross, but they had no children. He did have a large family by his longtime mistress, Mairead inghean Eachainn. Alexander was Justiciar of Scotia for a time, but not an effective one.