Abbey tours are raising awareness

Every Sunday this summer, Kinloss Abbey Trust (KAT) provided talks in the medieval building’s ground to highlight its history and importance in the development of Moray, as well as the trust’s plans for the future.

Dr Timothy Finnegan organised the events.

He said: “The hour-long tours have been well attended and much enjoyed by those who came. We were helped by the majority of afternoons being warm and sunny!”

Kinloss Abbey was founded in 1150 by King David I and was first colonised by monks from Melrose Abbey. It received its Papal Bull from Pope Alexander III in 1174 and later came under the protection of the Bishop of Moray in 1187.

The abbey went on to become one of the largest and wealthiest religious houses in Scotland, receiving the valuable salmon fishing rights on the River Findhorn from Robert the Bruce in 1312, subsequently renewed by James I and James IV.

During its history the abbey has received many royal visitors, including Edward I in 1303, Edward III in 1336 and Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1562. The most renowned of the 24 abbots the monastery had was Robert Reid, who introduced organised education, erected a new library and other buildings at the site.

Dr Finnegan added: “Abbot Robert Reid became the penultimate Kinloss Abbot in 1528. He was also in charge of Beauly Priory – being rowed there in a 24 oared barge from Findhorn – before becoming Bishop of Orkney. Abbot Reid was also a man of learning, a diplomat and statesman as a King’s Commissioner and the senior lawyer in Scotland. His personal legacy and gift of the Kinloss Abbey library led directly to the creation of Edinburgh University.”

Robert Reid is one of the most important and influential men to have lived in Moray. KAT is aims to restore the remains of the Abbot’s House as tribute to him, so that it can be accessed safely and used by the community.

KAT chairwoman, Kirsteen Mitcalfe hopes the Sunday tours continue next year.

She said: “We want to continue to show potential funders that there is real community support for restoring the Abbot’s House to some of its former glory. We are applying for grants for its conservation and hope to start preliminary work in early 2019.”

Tour guides will be on hand on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 this month to coincide with the Highland Archaeology Festival.

Visit http://kinlossabbey.org/ for more information.