Echoes of Time: Journey Through Crossraguel Abbey's Storied Ruins

With a new pope- Leo XIV- being announced recently, we thought it only fitting that we visit one of the finest medieval monasteries in Scotland. So, join us- including our Golden Retriever explorers, Walter and Arthur, as we head to the beautiful Ayrshire countryside for a visit to Crossraguel Abbey!

Before we begin our exploration, we want to give you all a heads up that, unfortunately, our access to Crossraguel Abbey was a bit limited due to precautionary measures while Historic Scotland undertakes high level masonry inspections. Therefore, we were not able to go inside the Abbey, but we were able to visit the cloister, nave, and gatehouse. Nevertheless, we were still able to get some nice pictures and video of the site which will help us on our ‘explore and discover’ mission.

Close your eyes and imagine you have transported back in time. We begin our journey in the mid-1200s when Crossraguel Abbey was built as a daughter house to Paisley Abbey- the only two Cluniac orders founded in Scotland. However, a great deal of change occurred to Crossraguel Abbey over the centuries, so our exploration will take us through time into the 1500s.

The church is the heart of the Abbey, and the monks spend most of their time here in lengthy services. Their day is centred around seven services or ‘Offices’ that take place between daybreak and dusk- Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, Nones, Vespers, and Compline. There is a night stair that connects the monks’ dormitory to the church to provide a direct route for an eighth service, Night Office or Vigils, that takes place around 1:30am.

We enter the nave through the west door. There is where the lay-folk worship.

The Cluniac order places great emphasis on offering to God the very best that can be afforded. This can be seen in various rich embellishments throughout the abbey church, but especially in the choir in the southeast corner of the chancel in the details of the piscina and sedilia.

Unfortunately, we can’t go in the sacristy or chapter house, but you can see the beautiful windows from them in the photo below. After the church, the chapter house is one of the most important rooms in the abbey. Each morning, the monks go there for their daily meeting. A chapter of the Rule of St. Benedict is read, and the business of the community is discussed.

We must be very quiet now as we are entering the cloister and speaking is forbidden. This is the centre of domestic life for the monks, and it is where they can study, pray, or just have some quiet contemplation.

However, if you are looking for a safe place to speak, Walter and Arthur will show you the inner parlour. The monks sit here on the stone benches and have general conversation.

Let’s make our way to the south court- an extensive area to the south and west of the cloister. Here, you can find various domesticated buildings including a dovecot.

Above, you can see the imposing gatehouse behind Walter and Arthur. This is the entrance into the monastery, and is also where overnight visitors (e.g. pilgrims, patrons, travellers, and visiting monks) can stay.  Let’s go inside for a wee look.

The views at the top show the entire abbey and surrounding picturesque countryside.

The last place we will visit is over at the tower house, where the abbot lives. He tells us that it was built relatively recently in 1530.

While Crossraguel Abbey currently has a quiet and calm atmosphere, it wasn’t always that way. You see, despite being a monastery, they faced attacks from the English a few centuries prior during the Wars of Independence. At that time, the Abbey was drawn into the conflict as they remained loyal to the Scottish King, Robert the Bruce.

Now it seems that the monks’ days of peace are numbered once again as there has been talk of some sort of reformation of the faith. In fact, there is talk about the ‘Protestant Confession of Faith’ that was just passed by Parliament a couple of years ago in 1560. Mass is now forbidden (although the monks must be a bit rebellious here as I know I heard them celebrating Mass earlier) and papal authority over the church has been abolished.  

On that ominous note, and for everyone’s safety, we will end our time travel and return to the 21st century. Unfortunately, the Protestant reformers destroyed many of the buildings at Crossraguel Abbey. Nevertheless, their destruction wasn’t as bad as what they did to other abbeys, and the monks managed to continue their residence until 1692.

If you would like to visit Crossraguel Abbey in person, be sure to visit the Historic Environment Scotland website to best plan your visit. We have also written about other abbeys in Scotland. So feel free to explore our other articles on Dryburgh Abbey, Melrose Abbey, Jedburgh Abbey, Kelso Abbey, Sweetheart Abbey, Paisley Abbey, and Arbroath Abbey.

Until next time- Explore & Discover!

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