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Crossraguel Abbey

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The Abbey of Saint Mary of Crossraguel is a ruin of a former abbey near the town of Maybole, South Ayrshire, Scotland.FoundationFounded in 1244 by Donnchadh, Earl of Carrick, following an earlier donation of 1225, to the monks of Paisley Abbey for that purpose. They reputedly built nothing more than a small chapel and kept the balance for themselves. The Earl took the matter to the Bishop of Glasgow for arbitration and, winning his case, forced the monks to build a proper abbey.NameThe origin of the abbey's name refers to the ancient Cross of Riaghail that stood on the spot. Crossraguel was a Cluniac abbey and the monks - members of a branch of the Benedictines - were known as the "Black monks" after the colour of their clothes.HistoryCrossraguel Abbey was founded in 1244 by Duncan, 1st Earl of Carrick. The earl sought assistance from the abbot and monks of Paisley Abbey and provided them with land and funds. However, the Paisley superiors built only a small chapel for Crossraguel and kept the remainder for themselves. Upset at this, the earl took the case to law, seeking assistance from the Bishop of Glasgow, who ruled on the earl's behalf. He required not only that Paisley build the monastery at Crossraguel, but also that some of the monks from Paisley should be transferred there. These monks were given the authority to choose their own abbot. The abbot of Paisley, it was decreed, was not to interfere with Crossraguel's affairs, though he was allowed a yearly visit. All of Paisley's possessions in Carrick were to be handed over to Crossraguel, a ruling which the abbot of Paisley appealed to the pope in 1265, but to no avail.



"Climb the impressive gatehouse tower for a bird's eye view of one of the most complete medieval abbey complexes in Scotland. Now hauntingly beautiful, its substantial ruins guard some violent secrets. One abbot was roasted over a fire by a nobleman seeking to seize the abbey's land and revenues."
Address: Maybole, Ayrshire KA19 8HQ, UK
Phone: 01655 883113
State: South Ayrshire
City: Ayrshire
Zip Code: KA19 8HQ

opening times

Monday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Sunday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM


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Reviews
Great historical site. Ruins of the Abbey are much bigger and in better condition than other places I've visited. Lots of rooms still intact that the public has access to. Great use of information boards and plaques. The chap with the beard Paul, I think who sold us our tickets in the ticket booth was very friendly and talkative. Dogs are welcomed too!
It was recommended as in the top 10 attractions in the area. But sadly this year 2022 Historic Scotland have shut all of their sites, so there was no access. And I do mean shut, with herris fencing all around the Abbey. Tbh, I was really disappointed.
This is a wonderful site, much bigger than it looks from the road. Also don't be put off by the scaffolding, the majority of this fascinating ruin is still open to the public. The buildings are amazed, there are towers to climb and lots of rooms to explore in the Abbey. Well-placed information signs and models help bring it to life. My two boys 4 and 7 thoroughly enjoyed exploring and climbing too, and there are benches for picnics. We stayed about 2 hours in the end so very good value for money.
We found it, and it looks like a really interesting site. Unfortunately, it was closed when we arrived, 3 PM, on a Wednesday so I really can't say more.
Great place to visit, impressed.
Looks interesting but it's closed for restoration? Gates locked and scaffolding up all over.
It's a very evocative ruin. The cloister can be a peaceful place to sit and think even though it's close to the main road. But it's a shame that the abbey is still shrouded in scaffolding with no prospect of completion of repairs in sight
A bit of a hidden gem this one. We must have driven past this one many a time and never noticed it. We were in the area and the intetnet suggested a visit to here. We arrived at the smallish car park and thought this looks interesting but won't take us long to go round. We continued to the reception block, where a very pleasant custodian gave us some very useful information and directions as to how to go round the site. I recommend you by the the guide for an extra £2.50. We wandered round, climbed the towers, and followed the guide book and before we new it we had been there 1 and a half hours. Really glad we went
July 2016 currently undergoing stabilisation work so the Choiristry is under scaffolding. However there was still plenty to see and it took me around 35 mins to see it all. You get a lovely view from the top of the tower which gives a clearer picture of the Abbeys layout. It must have been an impressive sight in its day with the high walls creating a peaceful atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit.
Beautiful day, good photo and sketching opportunities. Custodian a pleasure to meet and talk to. A lovely place to visit. Don't miss the chance just because some of the building is scaffolded. Enjoy
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