Photo of Melrose Abbey, a ruined abbey in Eildon and Leaderfoot, the Scottish Borders, southern Scotland.

Melrose AbbeyPhoto Spencer Haynes / Pexels

Abbeys & priories in ScotlandScotland

65 abbeys and priories across Scotland, the finest first, then every one county by county.

See them on the map

Open in full map →

OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles · data from OpenStreetMap · terrain Mapzen/AWS

The finest abbeys & prioriesnational icons and local highlights

Iconic

Melrose Abbey

Finest of the ruined Border abbeys.

Scottish Borders

Iconic

Arbroath Abbey

Ruin of the Declaration of Arbroath.

Angus

Iconic

Dryburgh Abbey

Romantic riverside ruin, Scott's grave.

Scottish Borders

Iconic

Jedburgh Abbey

Towering red-stone Border abbey ruin.

Scottish Borders

Iconic

St Andrews Cathedral

Ruins of Scotland's largest medieval cathedral.

Fife

Iconic

Sweetheart Abbey

Rose-red Cistercian ruin near the Solway.

Dumfries and Galloway

Highlight

Kelso Abbey

Fragment of a once-great Border abbey.

Scottish Borders

Highlight

Inchmahome Priory

Island priory on the Lake of Menteith.

Stirling

Highlight

Whithorn Priory

Cradle of Scottish Christianity.

Dumfries and Galloway

More abbeys and priories to explore56

Abbeys & priories in Central Scotland 19

Castle Semple Collegiate Church

A roofless late Gothic church of 1504, ending in an unusual three-sided apse.

Renfrewshire

Coupar Angus Abbey

Coupar Angus Abbey,abbey precinct

Perth and Kinross

Inchcolm Abbey

Inchcolm, Abbey, hermit's cell, First World War and Second World War defences

Fife

St Bridget's Kirk

A 1100s kirk with a two-storey laird's loft above a burial vault.

Fife

St Martin's Kirk, Haddington

A rare roofless parish church from the mid-1100s, with medieval barrel vaulting.

East Lothian

St Serf's Inch Priory

A roofless 12th-century church on an island in Loch Leven.

Perth and Kinross

Tullibardine Chapel

Tullibardine Chapel, chapel 100m W of West Mains of Tullibardine

Perth and Kinross

Blackfriars, St Andrews

Dominican Friary, 25m S of Blackfriars' Chapel, St Andrews

Fife

Cambuskenneth Abbey

Cambuskenneth Abbey, Cambuskenneth

Stirling

Culross Abbey

The remains of a medieval abbey in Fife.

Fife

Holyrood Abbey

Holyrood Abbey, precinct and associated remains

Edinburgh

Holyrood Park

The remains of a medieval chapel in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh

Innerpeffray Collegiate Church

The remains of a medieval monastery in Perth and Kinross.

Perth and Kinross

Balmerino Abbey

The remains of a medieval abbey in Fife.

Fife

Dron Chapel

The remains of a medieval cathedral in Perth and Kinross.

Perth and Kinross

Inchaffray

Inchaffray,abbey and early monastic site

Perth and Kinross

Isle of May Priory

The remains of a medieval priory in Fife.

Fife

Manuel Nunnery

The remains of a medieval nunnery in Falkirk.

Falkirk

Newbattle Abbey

Newbattle Abbey, abbey church, cloisters and associated buildings

Midlothian

Abbeys & priories in the Highlands and Islands 21

Eilean Chaluim Chille

Eilean Chalium Chille,monastery

Highland

Eynhallow Church

Eynhallow Church and settlement

Orkney Islands

Keills Chapel & Cross

Keills Cross, cross and church 200m ENE of Keillmore

Argyll and Bute

St Mary's Chapel, Rothesay

The remains of a medieval chapel in Argyll and Bute.

Argyll and Bute

St Mary's Chapel, Wyre

A roofless Norse chapel of the later 1100s, in an island burial ground.

Orkney Islands

Ardchattan Priory

Ardchattan Priory, priory, burial ground and carved stones

Argyll and Bute

Beauly Priory

The remains of a medieval priory in Highland.

Highland

Cross-Kirk, Westray

The remains of a medieval monastery in Orkney Islands.

Orkney Islands

Duffus, St Peter's Church and churchyard

The remains of a medieval monastery in Moray.

Moray

Eileach-an-Naoimh, Garvellachs

Eileach-an-Naoimh, monastery, Garvellachs

Argyll and Bute

Elgin Cathedral

The remains of a medieval cathedral in Moray.

Moray

Fortrose Cathedral

The remains of a medieval cathedral in Highland.

Highland

Inch Kenneth Chapel

Inch Kenneth Chapel, chapel, cross and tombstones, Loch na Keal

Argyll and Bute

Kildalton Church, High Cross

Kildalton Church, church, High Cross, and cross 60m NE of

Argyll and Bute

Kilmory Chapel

Kilmory Chapel, MacMillan's Cross & tombstones

Argyll and Bute

MacLean's Cross, Iona

The remains of a medieval chapel in Argyll and Bute.

Argyll and Bute

Kinloss Abbey

The remains of a medieval abbey in Moray.

Moray

Oronsay Priory

Oronsay Priory and Cross

Argyll and Bute

Saddell Abbey

The remains of a medieval abbey in Argyll and Bute.

Argyll and Bute

Tigh nan Cailleachan Dubha, Mealista

Tigh nan Cailleachan Dubha,settlement,Mealista

Na h-Eileanan Siar

Inverness, Friars' Street

Inverness, site of Dominican friary and effigy of a knight, Friars' Street

Highland

Abbeys & priories in North East Scotland 5

Brechin, Maison Dieu Chapel

The remains of a medieval chapel in Angus.

Angus

Deer Abbey

The remains of a medieval abbey in Aberdeenshire.

Aberdeenshire

Kinkell Church

Kinkell Church and burial ground

Aberdeenshire

Restenneth Priory

The remains of a medieval priory in Angus.

Angus

Tarves Tomb

Tarves, Tolquhon Tomb, S of Parish Church

Aberdeenshire

Abbeys & priories in Southern Scotland 11

Chapel Finian

Chapel Finian, chapel, enclosure and well

Dumfries and Galloway

Kirkconnel Stones

Kirkconnel old church and graveyard, 520m WNW of Springkell

Dumfries and Galloway

Kirkmadrine Stones

Kirkmadrine, site of Kirkmadrine Church

Dumfries and Galloway

St Ninian's Chapel

St Ninian's Chapel, Isle of Whithorn

Dumfries and Galloway

Crosskirk, Peebles

Crosskirk, church and friary, Peebles

Scottish Borders

Crossraguel Abbey

The remains of a medieval abbey in South Ayrshire.

South Ayrshire

Dundrennan Abbey

The remains of a medieval abbey in Dumfries and Galloway.

Dumfries and Galloway

Glenluce Abbey

The remains of a medieval abbey in Dumfries and Galloway.

Dumfries and Galloway

Kilwinning Abbey

The remains of a medieval abbey in North Ayrshire.

North Ayrshire

Blantyre Priory

The remains of a medieval priory in South Lanarkshire.

South Lanarkshire

Eccles, St Mary's Convent

Eccles, St Mary's Convent, nunnery

Scottish Borders