Overview
Visit the secluded spot where Mary Queen of Scots sheltered during her last hours in Scotland. Now a ruin, the 12th-century abbey was home to a community of Cistercian monks for 400 years.
The peaceful woodland location fitted very much with the Cistercian ideal, described by Abbot Ailred of Rievaulx as: “Everywhere peace, everywhere serenity, and a marvellous freedom from the tumult of the world”.
What to see and do
- See the north and south transepts, the best-preserved late 12th-century Cistercian architecture in Scotland
- Admire the graceful architecture of the chapter house – from its elaborate entrance façade to its six finely moulded piers
- Relax and reflect on the Cistercian ideal amidst the peaceful beauty of this special setting
