question: Columba de Dunbar was Bishop of Moray from 1422 until his death at the fortified seat of the Bishops of Moray, that is situated where?
answer: Grid Ref NJ 230658
context: Title: Spynie Palace
  Passage: Spynie Palace, also known as Spynie Castle, was the fortified seat of the Bishops of Moray for about 500 years.  The founding of the palace dates back to the late 12th Century.  It is situated at Grid Ref NJ 230658, about 500m from the location of the first officially settled Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Moray, in present-day Spynie Churchyard.  For most of its occupied history, the castle was not described as a "palace" — this term first appeared in the Registry of Moray in a writ of 1524.
  Title: Thomas Dunbar, 5th Earl of Moray
  Passage: Thomas Dunbar, 5th Earl of Moray inherited the title before 15 February 1392.  In 1388 he displaced Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan as the provider of protection to Alexander Bur, Bishop of Moray and his church lands—following Buchan's burning of Elgin Cathedral in 1390 this agreement was dissolved.  He replaced Buchan as sheriff of Inverness in 1390.  In 1394, Moray was pressured into paying protection money to Alexander, lord of Lochaber and into granting him lands.  Moray was an adherent of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany and was appointed to the special council that was set up to supervise Robert III's son, David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, when he was appointed lieutenant of Scotland in 1399.  On 14 September 1402, a Scots army has defeated at the battle of Homildon Hill where Moray was taken prisoner—he did not receive his freedom until July 1405.  He died before August 1422 and was succeeded by his son Thomas before 9 August 1422.
  Title: Henry de Lichton
  Passage: Henry de Lichton [de Lychtone, Leighton] (died 1440) was a medieval Scottish prelate and diplomat, who, serving as Bishop of Moray (1414–1422) and Bishop of Aberdeen (1422–1440), became a significant patron of the church, a cathedral builder, and a writer.  He also served King James I of Scotland as a diplomat in England, France, and Italy.
  Title: Birnie Kirk
  Passage: Birnie Kirk is a Church of Scotland church situated 4 km south of Elgin, in Moray.  The church was built c. 1140 and became the first cathedral of the Bishop of Moray.  It remained the cathedral church until 1184 when Bishop Simon de Tosny died.  His successor Richard de Lincoln moved the seat to the church of Kinnedar.  The church is one of the oldest in Scotland to have been in continuous use.
  Title: Columba de Dunbar
  Passage: Columba de Dunbar ( 1386 – 1435) was Bishop of Moray from 1422 until his death at Spynie Palace near Elgin sometime before 7 November 1435.
  Title: William de Bondington
  Passage: William de Bondington († 1258) was a 13th-century bishop of Glasgow.  Before becoming bishop, William was rector of Eddleston, a prebendary of Glasgow, and archdeacon of Lothian.  From the year 1231, William was Chancellor of Scotland.  He was elected Bishop of Glasgow sometime between 19 May 1232 and June 1233.  On 11 September 1233, he was consecrated at Glasgow Cathedral by Andreas de Moravia, Bishop of Moray.  William de Bondington was a frequent witness to royal charters, and one of the most important royal officials in the reign of King Alexander II.  He probably remained chancellor until the latter king's death in 1249, and remained on the royal council until 1255.  In 1240, William and David de Bernham, Bishop of St Andrews, were summoned to Rome by Pope Gregory IX, in order to attend a general council.  The latter, however, did not go ahead, and the bishops returned home.  On 18 July 1244, William sanctioned the foundation of Crossraguel Abbey in Carrick, after Donnchadh, Earl of Carrick had given donations to Paisley Abbey for this purpose, but Paisley Abbey had merely founded a chapel and kept the balance.  Bishop William's episcopate saw continued work on the cathedral and significant expansion in the resources of the diocese.  William was a liberal benefactor to his clergy.  William died on 10 November 1258 and was buried in Melrose Abbey three days later.
  Title: Bishop of Moray
  Passage: The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics.  If the foundation charter of the monastery at Scone is reliable, then the Bishopric of Moray was in existence as early as the reign of King Alexander I of Scotland (1107–1124), but was certainly in existence by 1127, when one Gregoir ("Gregorius") is mentioned as "Bishop of Moray" in a charter of king David I of Scotland.  The bishopric had its seat (Latin: "Cathedra" ) at Elgin and Elgin Cathedral, but was severally at Birnie, Kinneddar and as late as Bishop Andreas de Moravia at Spynie, where the bishops continued to maintain a palace.  The Bishopric's links with Rome ceased to exist after the Scottish Reformation, but continued, saving temporary abolition between 1638 and 1661, under the episcopal Church of Scotland until the Revolution of 1688.  Episcopacy in the established church in Scotland was permanently abolished in 1689.  The Bishops fortified seat for over 500 years was at Spynie Palace.
  Title: Douglas Stuart, 20th Earl of Moray
  Passage: Douglas John Moray Stuart, 20th Earl of Moray (13 February 1928 – 23 September 2011) was a British peer, styled Lord Doune until 1974.  The son of Archibald Stuart, 19th Earl of Moray, he succeeded to the earldom of Moray on his father's death in 1974.  He lost his seat in the House of Lords after the reforms of the House of Lords Act 1999.
  Title: Richard de Pilmuir
  Passage: Richard de Pilmuir [Pilmor, Pylmore] (died 1347) was a 14th-century bishop of Dunkeld.  He was a brother of John de Pilmor, bishop of Moray.  He was precentor of the bishopric of Moray when, following the death of bishop William Sinclair, the canons of Dunkeld held an election.  This happened in the year 1337.  The result was disputed.  Richard's election was challenged by Maol Choluim de Innerpeffray.  The dispute was taken to the papal court.  Pope Benedict XII passed the question on to Cardinal Bertrand du Pouget, bishop of Ostia, for judgment.  In July 1344 the cardinal declared the election of both null and void, but appointed Richard to the bishopric.  Richard, as bishop of Dunkeld, maintained connections with Moray.  On 20 October 1345 he is found along with his brother at Elgin Cathedral.  Along with other Scottish bishops, he signed a letter addressed to the pope asking requesting legitimation of Robert Stewart's marriage to Elizabeth Mure.  He died sometime in November 1347.
  Title: Simon de Tosny
  Passage: Simon de Tosny (Toni, Tonei, Toeni, Toeny, Toney) was a 12th-century Cistercian monk and prelate.  Simon was a monk of Melrose Abbey, and served there until he moved to become Abbot of Coggeshall Abbey in Essex.  He resigned this abbey in 1168, and returned to Melrose.  In 1171, he was elected as Bishop of Moray, and was consecrated at St Andrews on 23 January 1172.  His cathedral was at Birnie, Moray.  He witnessed several charters and was present at the Council of Northampton in 1176.  He is the first bishop named on the bishop-list in the "Moray Registrum".  He died on 17 September 1184 and was buried in Birnie Kirk.  Aside from the brief episcopate of Andrew (consecrated 1184, died 1185) he was succeeded as bishop by Richard de Lincoln.
citations: Columba de Dunbar Spynie Palace