Holy Trinity Church - 1559

Holy Trinity 1559 Holy Trinity Church in St Andrews has played a major role in Scotland’s religious life since the Middle Ages. It was central to the events of the Scottish Reformation. Indeed, it was at Holy Trinity that the 16th century Protestant leader John Knox first preached in public. Yet even before this, Holy Trinity was a significant Catholic church. In the 1520s Archbishop James Beaton described it as the most important parish church in the country. Over the generations the buildings of Holy Trinity have undergone major changes. Indeed the church was almost completely rebuilt (barring the tower) at the start of the 20th century. This reconstruction of Holy Trinity as it may have appeared in 1559 was created by the Smart History team in St Andrews (led by Dr Alan Miller). It is based on research into historical images and written records (including property documents) undertaken by Dr Bess Rhodes, Peryn Westerhof Nyman, and Chelsea Reutcke. The digital reconstruction was created by Sarah Kennedy. A virtual reality version of the reconstruction can be experienced as part of the Divine and Human exhibition at Holy Trinity Church, South Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9NL (which runs until 31 October 2019). The reconstruction was funded by St Andrews Community Trust.

Sarah Kennedy, Iain Oliver, Catherine Anne Cassidy, Bess Rhodes, Perin Westerhof Nyman, Chelsea Reutcke, Alan Miller

Bess Rhodes (University of St Andrews), Peryn Westerhof Nyman (University of St Andrews), Chelsea Reutcke (University of St Andrews)

A digital landscape was created using survey data and height map. Models were created in 3D modelling programs and imported into UNREAL (a cross-platform game engine for creating virtual worlds). The models were then scaled, orientated and assembled. The landscapes were populated with flora and fauna. Where applicable, models of characters and animals were imported and animated.