Beta Help us improve: share your feedback on our new website.

Seton Collegiate Church

Longniddry, East Lothian
Historic Environment Scotland logo

Important notice

The church will be closed on Friday 26 June.

The Seton family

Seton’s story begins in the 1100s, when the site was chosen for a new church to serve the parish of Seton. In the 1400s, the church was increasingly used as the private place of worship and burial vault of local landowners, the Seton family.

The 1st Lord Seton set up the college of priests in 1470, and his son secured papal approval for full collegiate status in 1492. But the Protestant Reformation of 1560 effectively stopped the church being used for masses for the souls of the Setons.

Seton remained the parish kirk for a while, but fell out of use after the parishes of Seton and Tranent merged in 1580.

The kirk was ransacked and the Seton tombs broken into after the 1715 Jacobite Rising – the Setons had supported the exiled James Edward Stuart.

Later that century, the estate passed to the Earl of Wemyss, who restored what was left of the kirk to serve as his family’s burial place.

Aerial view of a stone church on a grass landscape, in an L shape. There is a large arched window, with a bench below it. There are trees around the church, and see in the background.
Part of a building, with high ceilings and stone walls. There is a large stained glass window at the end, letting light through. It resembles a church.
Close up of stone ruins in the interior of a stone building. There is some carved detail still visible, but much of the stone has deteriorated.

College of priests

After the death of Lord John Seton in 1434, Lady Catherine added a small side-chapel to the south side of the church, to house her late husband’s tomb and a private altar. The chapel no longer exists.

In 1470, her grandson, George, 1st Lord Seton, founded the college of priests – though the Pope died before granting him permission to do so.

Even so, George began building the splendid new choir that now dominates the site, and a small sacristy, where the priests prepared for the Mass.

His son finally gained the Pope’s blessing in 1492, and completed his father’s building programme.

The church was dedicated to St Mary and the Holy Cross, and the college had a provost, six priests, a clerk and two choirboys. The foundations of their domestic quarters survive, to the north-west of the church.

Statement of Significance

Read our Statement of Significance for Seton Collegiate Church to find out more about the history of this fine collegiate church.

Read more
A stone effigy, laying down with hands clasped together facing up. There are colourful specks of light falling on it.
An effigy at Seton Collegiate Church.

War damage

During the Wars of the Rough Wooing in the 1540s, the English burned Seton’s timberwork and stole its bells and organ.

Lady Janet, widow of the 3rd Lord Seton, did her best to repair the damage, demolishing Lady Catherine’s chapel and building the present transepts and bell tower.

But the Reformation of 1560 effectively brought an end to collegiate life.

Discover more on trove.scot

See archive photographs of Seton Collegiate Church, plus archaeology notes and more on trove.scot. 

Seton Collegiate Church on trove.scot