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Abbey's in Scotland served as the main religious centre's
for about 1000 years, the first monastery being established
in 563 after Columba traveled to the Isle of Iona from
Ireland. The monastery Columba founded on Iona grew
quickly, soon becoming one of the largest religious
centre's in western Europe. Many of the early Kings
of Scotland were burried at Iona Abbey.
Christianity was extremely important
for the building of a nation and uniting
its people. The first king of this
region, Kenneth I
(died 13 February 858) was king of the
Picts
and, according to national myth, first
king of Scots. Even though it is disputed
he is the father of Scotland, he was the
founder of the dynasty which ruled the
country for much of the medieval
period.
Many of the Abbey's seen today were built around the
12th - 14th centuries. Most of these Abbeys had to be
rebuilt after being damaged in the wars with England
in the 1300s.
By the start of the 1500s, the Roman
Church was looking increasingly
dissolute, corrupt and ill-suited to its
purpose, and calls for its reform by
"Protestants" were starting to emerge in
various parts of Europe. In 1525 the
Scottish Parliament responded by banning
the import of books written by the
founder of Protestantism, Martin
Luther.
Henry VIII (King of England) broke
with the Roman Church and was
excommunicated in the early 1530s.
On 17 August 1560, the Scottish
Parliament agreed to a Reformed
Confession of Faith, a fundamental step
away from the Roman Church, and on 24
August it passed a series of Acts that
entirely destroyed the Roman Church in
Scotland. The celebration of mass was
made punishable by a series of penalties
up to and including death, and all Papal
jurisdiction in Scotland was
repudiated.
Monks and Abbots were mainly allowed
to live out their lives in the Abbeys
with a Commendator appointed by the Crown
to oversee the land and property owned by
the Abbey.
Most Abbeys in Scotland were abandoned
or slowly fell into disrepair after this
time with much of the stonework being
carried off for building material of
other properties.
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Arbroath Abbey / Arbroath 17 miles
north of Dundee
Founded in 1178 for monks of the
Tironensian order by King William the
Lion, Arbroath Abbey is famous in
Scottish history for its association with
the Declaration of Arbroath, in which
Scotland’s nobles swore their
independence from England. Burial place
of William I (William the Lion).
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/arbroath/arbroathabbey.
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Cambuskenneth Abbey / 1 mile east
of Stirling
Cambuskenneth Abbey was founded around
1140 by canons of the Arrouaisian order,
but subsequently passed to the
Augustinians. The founder was David I.
Cambuskenneth served Stirling Castle, one
of David’s favoured residences,
which lay a short distance to the west.
The abbey was the scene of Robert
Bruce’s parliament in 1326, and the
burial place of James III and his queen,
Margaret of Denmark, in the 1480s.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/stirling/cambuskenneth.
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Crossraguel Abbey / 10 miles south
of Ayr / Ayrshire
Crossraguel was founded early in the 13th
century by the Earl of Carrick with its
remains including the church, cloister,
chapter house and domestic premises. The
abbey’s completeness –
everything is still there: the
monks’ church, their cloister, even
their dovecot (pigeon tower).
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/maybole/crossraguel.
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Dundrennan Abbey / Kirkudbright /
Dumfries & Galloway
Mary Queen of Scots spent her last night
on Scottish soil in this Cistercian abbey
founded by David I. The Abbey, built in
the second half of the 12th century,
stands in a small and secluded valley.
The remoteness is in keeping with the
strict rules and observance of the
Cistercian order.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/dundrennan/dundrennanabbey.
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Dunfermline Abbey & Palace
/Dunfermline by Edinburgh
Dunfermline Abbey has a history
stretching back to the 11th century
– the time of King Malcolm III and
Queen Margaret. In the 12th century,
their son, David I, raised the little
priory to the lofty status of abbey. He
endowed it richly, and brought
stonemasons from Durham Cathedral to help
build it. The great nave still stands
largely complete, the most visually
stunning example of Romanesque
architecture in Scotland. The abbey
church is also famous as the mausoleum of
some of Scotland’s great kings and
queens. They include Queen Margaret
(later canonised as St Margaret), David I
and King Robert Bruce.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/dunfermline/abbeypalace.
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Glenluce Abbey / Glenluce 10 miles
east of Stranraer
Glenluce Abbey was founded in about 1192
by Roland, Lord of Galloway. He asked
Cistercian monks from Dundrennan Abbey
near Kirkcudbright to set up a
daughter-house here. The end of
Glenluce's active life as a monastery
came with the Reformation in 1560. The
monks who accepted the new doctrines were
allowed to live out their days in the
abbey, the last one dying in 1602.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/glenluce/glenluceabbey.
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Iona Abbey / Isle of Iona off the
Isle of Mull
Iona Abbey is one of Scotland’s
most historic and sacred sites. The abbey
was founded by St Columba and his Irish
followers in AD 563. As a celebrated
focus for Christian pilgrimage, Iona
retains its spiritual atmosphere and
remains an enduring symbol of worship.
Over a century ago, the abbey and
monastic buildings were restored. In
1938, the Iona Community was founded to
continue the tradition of worship in the
abbey through daily services and
teaching. In the Abbey graveyard, many
early Scottish kings and chiefs, as well
as kings from Ireland, Norway and France
are buried
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/iona/abbey.
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Jedburgh Abbey / south side of
Jedburgh / Borders
Jedburgh Abbey was founded, initially as
a priory, by King David I in 1138. His
intention was partly to demonstrate to
the English that the Scots could build on
a grand scale so close to the often
disputed border between the two
countries. The Abbey was taken over by
King Edward I of England in 1296, on one
of his many trips north. In 1305, another
English army stripped the lead from the
Abbey roofs to help in the construction
of siege engines.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/jedburgh/jedburghabbey.
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Kelso Abbey / Kelso/ Borders
Built in 1128 and the years following,
Kelso Abbey was one of the finest
examples of Romanesque architecture.
Finally finished, it was dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin and St John in 1243. It
was soon one of the largest and richest
in Scotland. Two kings, James III and
James IV, were crowned in the Abbey, and
Prince Henry, son of David I, was buried
there in 1152.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/kelso/kelsoabbey.
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Melrose Abbey /Melrose /
Borders
In 1136, King David I asked Cistercian
monks from Rievaulx Abbey in North
Yorkshire to found an abbey at Melrose.
In 1322 Melrose Abbey and the town were
attacked by the English army of Edward
II. Much of the abbey was destroyed and
many monks were killed. The subsequent
rebuilding was helped greatly by the
generosity of Robert the Bruce. This link
was later formally recognised when
Robert's embalmed heart, encased in lead,
was buried at Melrose Abbey.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/melrose/melroseabbey.
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Paisley Abbey /Paisley centre / by
Glasgow
Paisley Abbey's origins date back to 1163
and the signing of a charter by Walter
Fitzalan, the High Steward of Scotland.
Amongst those educated at Paisley Abbey
in the late 1200s was William Wallace. In
the nave, the association with William
Wallace is celebrated by the Wallace
Memorial Window, placed here in 1873.
Also on view is the marble tomb of Robert
III, which commemorates all the Stewarts
buried in the abbey, including Princess
Marjorie.
www.paisleyabbey.org.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/paisley/abbey.
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Pluscarden Abbey / Elgin / 38
miles east of Inverness
Pluscarden Priory was founded by King
Alexander II in 1230. From 1345,
Pluscarden came under the control of the
Bishop of Moray from his seat in Elgin
Cathedral. The Bishop caused Alexander
Stewart (son of Robert II) to to be
excommunicated for marital infidelity.
Stewart, better known as the Wolf of
Badenoch, responded by descending on
Moray with an armed band of Highlanders
and burning down Elgin Cathedral, much of
the towns of Elgin and Forres, and
Pluscarden Priory. Restored in the 20th
century and granted the status of an
Abbey
www.pluscardenabbey.org
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/elgin/pluscardenabbey.
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Sweetheart Abbey / New Abbey /
five miles south of Dumfries
Lady Devorgilla signed a charter
establishing a new Cistercian abbey here
in memory of her husband, John Balliol,
10 April 1273 (father of the Scottish
King of the same name). Lady Devorgilla's
love for her departed husband extended to
carrying his embalmed heart around with
her in an ivory box with enamelled silver
trimmings. After her death in 1290, she
was buried in the sanctuary of the abbey
church she had founded, and on her
instructions, the casket containing her
husband's heart was buried beside
her.
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/newabbey/sweetheartabbey.
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Whithorn Priory /Whithorn / 31 miles southeast
of Stranraer
The first church here (or anywhere in
Scotland) was dedicated to St Martin of
Tours by St Ninian around the 390s. On
his death, St Ninian was buried in his
church, and over the following centuries,
Whithorn became the focus for pilgrimage
from across the British Isles and beyond.
In the 700s, Whithorn was a Northumbrian
possession, while by the 900s it had been
settled by the Norse, who continued to
use the area around the church as a
burial ground. The Norse had been ousted
by 1100 with the Bishopric of Whithorn
re-established in 1128.
www.whithorn.com
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/whithorn/whithornpriory.
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