Tour Arbroath Abbey

This Tironensian abbey founded by William the Lion
in 1178 is famous as the place where the Declaration
of Arbroath was made on 6 April 1320, declaring
Robert the Bruce as king and asserting Scotland’s
independence from the English. The famous
declaration by a group of Scottish barons was sent to
Pope John XXII.

The abbey was dedicated to Thomas Becket and
boasts one of the most outstanding examples of an
abbot’s house. Parts of the church and the domestic
buildings remain.

Arbroath Abbey became the second richest religious
house in Scotland, after Kelso, but it escaped the
ravages of the English which plagued the great abbeys
of the Borders. However, there were several outbreaks
of fire here, and the abbey was attacked by reformers
from Dundee.

Facilities include a visitor centre and easy access for
wheelchairs. There is also a picnic area.

The Declaration of Arbroath: History, Significance, Setting An absorbing and stimulating collection of essays on the most enduringly fascinating medieval Scottish document and its context, local, national and international, from its medieval origins to its modern iconic status in Scotland and across the world.

If you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me:

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