The writing on the plaque.
Sacred to the memory of Her Grace Duchess of Gordon who was the only daughter of Charles Mordaunt Earl of Peterborough and Monmouth who Conquered Spain. She was born April 3rd 1682, Married in 1706 to Alexander, Marquis of Huntly, afterwards Duke of Gordon, whom she bore five sons and seven daughters. She died at Prestonhall on the 11th day of October 1760 aged 78 years
Elgin Cathedral was established in 1224. The church started as a chapter house and by the end of the 13th century,it reached it's full size.
This cathedral was built during the 1100s, and although many other churches were erected in Scotland at the time, Elgin was believed to have been the most beautiful. Burned and rebuilt twice (1290 and 1370), it deteriorated after the Reformation, along with many other Catholic churches, to the point that the belfry collapsed in 1711, shattering most of the roof and some of the walls. Efforts were begun to repair the damage, yet the place remains an evocative ruin.
