List of monastic houses in Scotland

This list of monastic houses in Scotland is a catalogue of the abbeys, priories, friaries and other monastic religious houses of Scotland.

In this article alien houses are included, as are smaller establishments such as cells and notable monastic granges (particularly those with resident monks). The numerous monastic hospitals per se are not included here unless at some time the foundation had, or was purported to have, the status or function of an abbey, priory, friary or preceptory/commandery.

The geographical co-ordinates provided are sourced from details provided by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments in Scotland (RCAHMS) and Ordnance Survey publications.

Overview

Article layout The list is presented alphabetically by council area. Foundations are listed alphabetically within each area.

Communities/provenance: shows the status and communities existing at each establishment, together with such dates as having been established as well as the fate of the establishment after dissolution, and the current status of the site.

Formal name or dedication: shows the formal name of the establishment or the person in whose name the church is dedicated, where known.

Alternative names: some of the establishments have had alternative names over the course of time. In order to assist in text-searching, such alternatives in name or spelling have been provided.

Abbreviations and key

+ The sites listed are ruins unless indicated thus: * indicates the current monastic function + indicates current non-monastic ecclesiastic function (including remains incorporated into later structure) ^ indicates current non-ecclesiastic function (including remains incorporated into later structure) $ indicates remains limited to earthworks etc. # indicates no identifiable trace of the monastic foundation remains ~ indicates exact site of monastic foundation unknown

Locations with names in italics indicate probable duplication (misidentification with another location) or non-existent foundations (either erroneous reference or proposed foundation never implemented.

+ Trusteeship denoted as follows:HES Historic Environment Scotland NTS National Trust for ScotlandCSChurch of Scotland

Communities/provenance: shows the status and communities existing at each establishment, together with such dates as having been established as well as the fate of the establishment after dissolution, and the current status of the site.

Formal name or dedication: shows the formal name of the establishment or the person in whose name the church is dedicated, where known.

Alternative names: some of the establishments have had alternative names over the course of time. In order to assist in text-searching, such alternatives in name or spelling have been provided.

List of establishments by county/region

Aberdeen

FoundationImageCommunities & provenanceFormal name or dedication & alternative namesReferences & locationAberdeen BlackfriarsDominican Friarsfounded between 1230 and 1249, purportedly by Alexander II;destroyed by Reformers 4 January 1560;secularised between 1560 and 1587; granted to George, Earl Marischal 17 May 1587;site currently occupied by Robert Gordon's College, Schoolhill - see Parson Gordon's 1661 map showing "Blackfreers".St John the BaptistAberdeen GreyfriarsObservant Franciscan Friarsfounded 1469;secularised 29 December 1559; friars resigned entire possession over to the Town Council;granted to the Town Council by James VI 30 December 1567 for conversion into a hospital;extant buildings passed to George, Earl Marischal 22 September 1593;church became derelict until 1624;restored 1624 by the citizens; in parochial use until 1903 Aberdeen MonasteryBenedictine monkssupposed establishment;founded before 3 April 1231, when the Pope granted the use of the church of Culdedono to the abbot and convent 'de Aberdona';possibly no monastic foundation hereAberdeen Nunnerypurported nuns of unspecified order — no evidence of such a foundationSt CatherineAberdeen Preceptoryproperty of Knights Templars, 'convent and church' are fictitiousAberdeen Red FriarsTrinitariansfounded before 1274 (1181Aberdeen Red Friars — foundation date 1181 given by Father R. A. Hay, Scotia Sacre (MS.34.1.18 in the National Library of Scotland), p.70) (William the Lion reputedly granted his royal residence in Aberdeen to two red friars 1211);secularised 1561The Church of the Holy Trinity, AberdeenAberdeen WhitefriarsCarmelite Friarsfounded c. 1273: grant made by Reginald le Chen;dissolved 1560-83;passed through several ownerships, eventually granted to the Town Council by James VI 26 October 1583

Aberdeenshire

FoundationImageCommunities and provenanceFormal name or dedication and alternative namesReferences and locationAberdour MonasteryCeltic monkstraditionally founded by Colum Cille and Drostan mac Coscrach, his disciple — provenance doubtfulAberdour PrioryFranciscan nunsfounded 1548 by James, Earl of Morton;secularised 1560, leased to Earl of Morton 18 August 1560Aberdene Priory (erroneous)Aboyne PreceptoryKnights Templarchurch granted by Walter Byset, confirmed by Ralph, Bishop of Aberdeen — supposed houseBanff Greyfriarssupposed Franciscan Friars Minor, Conventualconvent; confusion with Carmelite houseBanff Greyfriars — Collections for a History of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff (Spalding Club, 1843), p.205St JohnBanff WhitefriarsCarmelite Friarsfounded 1321-4, chapel of Our Lady granted by Robert I 21 April 1321, confirmed by him 1 August 1323;burned 20 July 1559;dissolved or secularised 1574, granted to King's College, Aberdeen by James VI 10 September 1574Priory of Bethlem of ye ordour of Carmelits beside BanffBuchan Priorygrant to the canons of St James's, Buchan by the Pope 18 October 1221 - no known house or churches held by regular canons in Buchan, Aberdeenshire - possibly erroneous reference to a location outside ScotlandClova MonasteryCeltic monksdependent on Mortlach;founded before 1157 by St Moluag, reference in bull of Adrian IV who confirmed it to the Bishop of AberdeenClovett Monastery;St Luke's ChapelDeer Abbey Celtic monkstraditionally founded 6th C by Colum Cille — provenance unreliableCistercian monksdaughter house of Kinlossfounded 1214/19 by William Comyn, Earl of Buchan;dissolved 1560; erected to a temporal lordship for Robert Keith, becoming Lord Altrie (charter 1587) (HS)The Abbey Church of Saint Mary, DeerDrumtochty Whitefriarslands granted to the Carmelite Friars of Aberdeen 1403; supposed foundation – no house existedDunet Red Friarspurported Trinitariansallegedly founded 1297 — supposed house – probably fictitiousDumeni;Dunetum;DumenumEcclesgreig MonasteryCeltic monkschurch of Ecclesgyrg granted to St Andrews by Richard, Bishop of St Andrews, confirmed to St Andrews by William the Lion between 1189 and 1195Forvie PreceptoryKnights Templar — King's College described as a former Templars' houseForvie Preceptory: Collections for a History of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff (Spalding Club, 1843), p.217Fyvie PrioryTironensian monksdependent on Arbroath;founded in or before 1285, granted to Arbroath by Reginald le Chen (Cheyne) (asserted foundation 1179 by Fergus, Earl of Buchan likely to be confusion with parish church foundation);united with Arbroath by the Pope 21 August 1459 on petition of the abbot and convent of Arbroath;dissolution unknown, possibly survived to the ReformationThe Priory Church of The Blessed Virgin Mary and All Saints, FyvieKennethmont Cellmonks of unspecified order — purported cell burned down at the Reformation; purported collegiate foundation;parish church, no evidence of monastic foundationMonymusk PrioryCuldeesfounded 1138;Augustinian Canons Regularrefounded c. 1245;dissolved 1617The Priory Church of Saint Mary and Saint John, Monymusk____________________erroneously Monymaill in FyfeMonymusk.com - History Index : The Priory Mortlach Monasterytraditional early site of the bishopric of AberdeenTullich PreceptoryKnights Templargiven as a residence of Templars,Tullich Preceptory — J. Spottiswoode, An account of all the Religious Houses that were in Scotland at the time of the Reformation (included in R. Keith, An Historical Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops (Edinburgh, 1824)), p.435 actually a parochial church held by the Templars and later the HospitallersTullich Preceptory — Templaria: Papers relative to the history, privileges and possessions of the Scottish Knights Templars, and their successors the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (1828), pp.5,7; Abstracts of charters and other papers recorded in the chartulary of Torphichen from 1581 to 1596 (Edinburgh, 1830), p.9Turriff MonasteryCeltic monksfounded before 1131;dissolved after c. 1150St Congan's Church

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