This evening, I am posting information on Dunfermline Abbey. The Abbey and surrounding ruins are all that remain of a Benedictine Abbey founded by Queen Margaret in the 11th century. The foundations of the original church are under the present nave built in the Romanesque style by David I. King Robert the Bruce is buried inside, his remains being found during building work in the 19th century.

Outside the east gable is located the Shrine of Queen Margaret, a place of pilgrimage since medieval times and nearby are the remains of the other monastic buildings, including the large refectory and the ruin of the Royal Palace.

Dunfermline means '"fortress by the crooked stream". It is conveniently located just north of Edinburgh and well placed for the Fife tourist route. However, from my experience, tour buses rarely visit so the Abbey and environs tend only to be patronised by private visitors which means that less hustle and bustle than nearby Edinburgh. With the right visibility, i.e.no rain, views are stunning and offer good photo opportunities. Nearby is the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum.

To sum up, Dunfermline is sidelined from the main tourist trail but benefits from just that. There is a wealth of history and heritage here dating back almost one thousand years and to cap it the Abbey Church holds the remains of King Robert the Bruce, the victor at Bannockburn and who established a royal lineage from which the current British royal family can trace its provenance.

Not to be overlooked on a Scotland tour. You might even encounter the local peacock which acts as a modern-day guardian!

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posted by Nigel Cole @ 12:33 PM  0 comments

This evening I am presenting some images of a recent visit to Dunfermline Abbey Church, located in the Royal Burgh of Dunfermline, Scotland.

The current church was built in 1818-21 by William Burn. It is situated on the site of the ruined former Abbey.

The Church is significant in that it houses the burial place of King Robert the Bruce (1274-1329) who founded the Stewart dynasty and whose name is commemorated atop the the church tower. Bruce's descendants include all British monarchs since 1603.

This church is well worth a visit because of (a) its elevation affords superb views on a clear day (b) it is close the ruins of the Royal Palace and (b) a Benedictine Monastery. Of course there are many other reasons for a visit to historic Dunfermline ( including Andrew Carnegie's Birthplace) not least of which is proximity to Edinburgh.

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posted by Nigel Cole @ 12:22 PM  0 comments

This afternoon I am posting an image of a memorial from Glasgow's Southern Necropolis. This is unusual because it includes reference to a couple who appear to have died in Dunfermline which is in the east of Scotland, near Edinburgh.

The inscription simply records the passing of:

James Bryden
Jane Bryden, wife of James.

No dates or ages are given.

Judging by the sequence on the memorial, the Brydens appear to have died sometime between 1874 and 1898.

Labels: dunfermline

posted by Nigel Cole @ 4:55 AM  0 comments