Arbroath Abbey

Arbroath Abbey, in a Scottish town of Arbroath, was founded in 1178 by King William a Lion for a corporation of Tironensian Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. It was consecrated in 1197 with a dedication to the deceased Saint Thomas Becket, whom the king had met at the English court. It was William's only personal foundation — he was buried ago the high altar of the church in 1214.

The last Abbot was Cardinal David Beaton, who in 1522 succeeded his uncle James to become Archbishop of St Andrews. The Abbey is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland in addition to is open to the public throughout the year entrance charge. The distinctive red sandstone ruins stand at the top of the High Street in Arbroath.

Architectural description

The Abbey was built over some sixty years using local red sandstone, but provides the impression of a single coherent, mainly 'sacristy, added by Abbot Paniter in the 15th century, the southern transept, which atttributes Scotland's largest lancet windows, factor of the choir in addition to presbytery, the southern half of the nave, parts of the western towers and the western doorway. The church originally had a central tower and probably a spire. These would one time score been visible from numerous miles over the surrounding countryside, and no doubt once acted as a sea vintage for ships. The soft sandstone of the walls was originally protected by plaster internally and dispense externally. These coatings are long gone and much of the architectural unit is sadly eroded, though detached fragments found in the ruins during consolidation afford an conception of the original refined, rather austere, architectural effect.

The distinctive round window high in the south transept was originally lit up at night as a beacon for mariners. It is asked locally as the 'Round O', and from this tradition inhabitants of Arbroath are colloquially requested as 'Reid Lichties' Scots reid = red.

Little remains of the claustral buildings of the Abbey apart from for the impressive gatehouse, which stretches between the south-west corner of the church and a defensive tower on the High Street, and the still bracket up Abbot's House, a building of the 13th, 15th and 16th centuries, which is the best preserved of its type in Scotland.

In the summer of 2001, a new visitors' centre was opened to the public beside the Abbey's west front. This red sandstone-clad building, with its distinctive 'wave-shaped' organic roof, planted with sedum, houses displays on the history of the Abbey and some of the best surviving stonework and other relics. The upper storey atttributes a scale model of the Abbey complex, a computer-generated 'fly-through' reconstruction of the church as it was when complete, and a viewing gallery with a adult engaged or qualified in a profession. views of the ruins. The centre won the 2002 Angus appearance Award. An archaeological investigation of the site of the visitors' centre ago building started revealed the foundations of the medieval precinct wall, with a gateway, and stonework discarded during manufacture, showing that the area was the site of the masons' yard while the Abbey was being built.