 Since the abolition of bishops within the Scottish Church in 1689 , ownership of the abandoned cathedral fell to the crown , but no attempt to halt the decline of the building took place . Acknowledging the necessity to stabilise the structure , the Elgin Town Council initiated the reconstruction of the perimeter wall in 1809 and cleared debris from the surrounding area in about 1815 . The Lord Provost of Elgin petitioned the King 's Remembrancer for assistance to build a new roof for the chapterhouse and in 1824 , £ 121 was provided to the architect Robert Reid for its construction . Reid was significant in the development of a conservation policy for historical buildings in Scotland and was to become the first Head of the Scottish Office of Works ( SOW ) in 1827 . It was probably during his tenure at the SOW that the supporting buttresses to the choir and transept walls were built . 
 Since the abolition of bishops within the Scottish Church in 1689 , ownership of the abandoned cathedral fell to the crown , but no attempt to halt the decline of the building took place . Acknowledging the necessity to stabilise the structure , the Elgin Town Council initiated the reconstruction of the perimeter wall in 1809 and cleared debris from the surrounding area in about 1815 . The Lord Provost of Elgin petitioned the King <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>Remembrancer for assistance to build a new roof for the chapterhouse and in 1824 , £ 121 was provided to the architect Robert Reid for its construction . Reid was significant in the development of a conservation policy for historical buildings in Scotland and was to become the first Head of the Scottish Office of Works ( SOW ) in 1827 . It was probably during his tenure at the SOW that the supporting buttresses to the choir and transept walls <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> built . 
Since da abolition of bishops within the Scottish Church in 1689 , ownership of the abandoned cathedral fell to tdacrown , but no attempt to halt the decline of the building took place . Acknowledging thdaecessity to stabilise the structure , thedagin Town Council initiated the reconstruction of the daimeter wall in 1809 and cleared debris from the surrounding area in abt 1815 . The Lord Provost of Elgin petitioned the Kda  Remembrancer fir assistance to build a new roof fir the chdaerhouse and in 1824 , £ 121 was provided to the architect Robert Reid fa its construction . Reid was significant in the devdapment of a conservation policy ffirhistorical buildings in Scotland and was to become the firsdaead of the Scottish Office of Works ( SOW ) in 1827 . It was def during his tenure at the SOW tda the suppordag buttresses to the choir adatransept walls was built .