Dunfermline Abbey and Palace
Important notice
The palace is currently closed, but the rest of the abbey is open to explore. The Abbey Church is a working church and opening hours may vary due to services and events. Please check the plan your visit tab for details.
Dunfermline Abbey gallery
Marvel at a great, regal abbey with a special place in the nation’s heart. The awe-inspiring nave is the most visually stunning example of Romanesque architecture in Scotland.
Some of Scotland’s greatest medieval monarchs, including Robert I (the Bruce) and St Margaret, were laid to rest at Dunfermline Abbey. Founded as a priory, Dunfermline was made an abbey by David I and later became a royal mausoleum.
Following the Protestant Reformation of 1560, Queen Anna of Denmark created an imposing palace with the monastic guesthouse at its heart. Charles I was delivered here in 1600. He was the last monarch to be born in Scotland.
Today's visitors will often stand in awe at the Romanesque architecture in the spectacular nave. The monks’ refectory is also impressive. It was a towering structure that spoke volumes about Robert I’s confidence in his kingdom when he financed a rebuilding of the abbey.
You can search for the fossilised crustaceans in the marble plinth at St Margaret’s shrine and admire the beautiful James Ballatine window. It features stained glass portraits of Robert I and St Margaret, alongside Malcolm Canmore and William Wallace.
A reconstruction of Robert I's tomb is located within the Abbey Church, which adjoins the Nave. This working church was added to the historic abbey buildings in the 1800s.
The palace is currently closed, but the abbey is open to explore.
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