Whithorn (Candida Casa, Ninian)

Tradition. 5th-century Christianity at Whithorn is attested by the Latinus stone and excavation. Ninian's life and date rest on Bede (8th century) and later Lives, and his identity is debated.

Bede says the British bishop Ninian built a stone church called Candida Casa ('White House') at Whithorn and converted the southern Picts. The 5th-century Latinus stone found here is the oldest Christian monument in Scotland. The later priory became a major pilgrimage center.

Source stance: insider. Bede and later hagiography; archaeology is neutral.

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