Crossraguel Abbey

Crossraguel Abbey

Crossraguel Abbey
Kirkoswald Road
Maybole
Ayshire
Scotland
KA19 5HQ

Tel: 01655 883 113
E-Mail: hs.members@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Web: Crossraguel Abbey

About Crossraguel Abbey

A daughter of Cluny

Crossraguel Abbey stands silent and ruined today. Yet because of its completeness it still conveys much of the peace and spiritual glory of the monks who served here through four centuries. It was founded early in the 13th century by Duncan of Carrick, heir of the Earl of Carrick. He invited monks of the Cluniac order from Paisley Abbey to build this new daughter house of Cluny.

The order was named after the abbey of Cluny in central France. Paisley and Crossraguel were the only Cluniac monasteries established in Scotland.

An ancient holy place

The site of the abbey may have been an ancient holy place for the name Crossraguel probably derives from ‘the cross of Raighail’. Raighail was a well-known Irish saint, usually identified with St Regulus or St Rule, who was revered at St Andrews, in Fife. There may have been a free-standing prayer cross here in the Dark Ages. It would have been similar to the Barochan Cross, which now stands in Paisley Abbey but formerly stood in the parish of Houston, Renfrewshire.

Spiritual and temporal strife

Crossraguel was intended as a place where the Opus Dei, or ‘Work of God‘, was carried out. However, the brethren were beset by troubles. In the early years, an argument raged between Paisley and her daughter about just how independent Crossraguel should be. Paisley fought hard to cling on to the churches and other endowments granted by Earl David to Crossraguel. As a result, Crossraguel probably did not function properly until later in the 13th century.

Then came the Wars of Independence with England after 1296. By this date Robert Bruce, the future King Robert I, was Earl of Carrick. (Earl Duncan’s granddaughter had married Bruce’s grandfather, and Bruce was probably born at nearby Turnberry Castle.) The monks of Crossraguel remained loyal to their new patron throughout the bitter conflict. As a result, the abbey buildings were severely damaged.

Phoenix from the flames

The abbey church and cloister now open to visitors dates mostly from the 14th and 15th centuries. Just about the only surviving fragment from the 13th century is the south wall of the nave. Nevertheless, there are some wonderful features. The choir is a masterpiece of the 15th century, with an elegant polygonal apse and fine decorative details – particularly the sedilia, the seats occupied by the priests officiating at the mass.

In the cloister, the 15th-century chapter house is intact and impressive. Beyond the cloister are substantial remains from the early 16th century. These include the tower house, built by Abbot William Kennedy, and an imposing gatehouse.