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There’s more to Scotland than amazing castles and great whisky – there are Scottish abbeys too! In our two years exploring the country, we visited quite a few abbeys in Scotland. Most of the Scottish Abbeys are now really just ruins, however, there are a few that are still fully intact. And, even some that have monks living in them!
Take a look at these abbeys in Scotland. Though be warned, you’re going to want to visit this beautiful country after getting this smallest glimpse of what Scotland offers!
Don’t forget to check out the video to get an idea of what it is like actually walking around and through these Scottish Abbeys!
Scottish Borders Abbeys
Melrose Abbey (probably the most famous of the Scottish Abbeys)
- Entrance Fee | £7 per adult £4 per child
- Parking | free on road in front, or paid for in parking lot
- Opening Times | year-round
- Website | Melrose Abbey
This is probably one of the most well-known abbeys in Scotland and is a real beaut. The majority of the side walls are intact, and you can even climb to the top of the tower. The graveyard around the abbey is just a pretty as the abbey itself. As a whole, the Melrose Abbey is a real treat to walk through!
Historic Scotland runs the Melrose Abbey and does a fantastic job at the upkeep of the grounds. If you have a Historic Scotland pass, entry to this abbey is free. There are also discounts for seniors, unemployed, and families. Their website, listed above, has more information on prices!
Due to Masonry Inspections, Melrose Abbey Church is currently closed, however, you can still visit the grounds. Be sure to check their website for opening times.
Kelso Abbey
- Entrance Fee | free
- Parking | free parking in the lot behind the abbey
- Opening Times | April 1 – September 30 daily from 9:30-5:30, October 1 – March 31 Saturday-Wednesday 10:00-4:00
- Website | Kelso Abbey
Located right in the middle of the town of Kelso, if you weren’t looking for it, you’d probably miss it. The abbey is just the bare ruins of what we’d assume used to be a gorgeous place founded by the Tironensian monks in the 12th century. The town of Kelso is really cute, and there’s a gorgeous castle, Floors Castle, nearby too.
Historic Scotland runs Kelso Abbey, and it is one of their free sites to visit. However, due to “high-level masonry inspections” the site is currently closed. Check their website for the most up-to-date information on opening times.
Jedburgh Abbey
- Entrance Fee | £7 ran by Historic Scotland
- Parking | free near visitor’s center
- Opening Times | year-round
- Website | Jedburgh Abbey
This Abbey is just massive. It sits on a hill in the town of Jedburgh and has been preserved really well. While there isn’t a massive graveyard at this Abbey, there is so much more to see with the ruins they’ve recently found underground! Be sure to walk up the tower here and get a view down the main hall of the abbey!
Historic Scotland is still excavating the Jedburgh Abbey, so each time you visit, it’s going to look a bit different and may even have new artifacts found! The new underground ruins are truly amazing to see!
Due to masonry inspections, the Jedburgh Abbey church is currently closed. Be sure to check the website for updated information on opening times.
Dryburgh Abbey
- Entrance Fee | £6 ran by Historic Scotland
- Parking | free in the parking lot at the abbey
- Opening Times | year-round
- Website | Dryburgh Abbey
While the ruins of the Dryburgh Abbey itself aren’t very impressive with large walls or pretty arches, the abbey grounds are still nice to see. You can walk all throughout the abbey and grounds finding information about what each area used to be. You can even find the resting place of Sir Walter Scott. Climb around the different levels of the abbey, sit where the monks used to pray or walk through the old garden center. Sunset at the Dryburgh Abbey is something to see!
Historic Scotland runs Dryburgh Abbey and as such, if you’re a member, you can visit this abbey for free. Due to current masonry inspections, this abbey remains partially closed to visitors. Check here for up-to-date opening times for Dryburgh Abbey.
Abbeys in Scotland Near Edinburgh
Dunfermline Abbey
- Entrance Fee | £5
- Parking | pay and display at St. Margret’s Street Parking
- Opening Times | year-round
- Website | Dunfermline Abbey
We did not make it to the Dunfermline Abbey, but that’s okay — good to save some things for a return trip! Based on our experience with other abbeys in Scotland and reviews we’ve read online, we’d say this seems like a great abbey to visit near Edinburgh! It’s located just north of Edinburgh in the Kingdom of Fife straight over the Forth Bridge.
It’s home to where some royal people in Scotland are laid to rest, has caves near by, and with becoming an abbey in the 12th century by David I, there’s loads of Scottish history here too.
This abbey is currently closed. Check the Historic Scotland website here for up-to-date opening times.
Arbroath Abbey
- Entrance Fee | £4.75 for adult £2.75 per child
- Parking | small 6 car car-park on site
- Opening Times | 1 April – 30 Sept from 9.30-5.30 & 1 Oct to 31 March 10am-4pm
- Website | Arbroath Abbey
Arbroath Abbey holds major significance in the history of Scotland. In 1320, Scotland swore it’s independence from England in a letter written and signed in the Arbroath Abbey. While this abbey is home to a major event in Scotland’s history, we didn’t find Arbroath Abbey that ammuzing, and in fact in both our times there, didn’t even take a picture of the abbey!
Arbroath Abbey is set in the middle of the town of Arbroath. With that said, there isn’t much parking at the abbey itself. If you’re up for walking, park at the waterfront in Arbroath and then walk to the abbey instead of dealing with the small car park.
Culross Abbey
- Entrance Fee | free
- Parking | free street parking on the forth
- Opening Times | year-round — closed due to COVID19
- Website | Culross Abbey
Culross Abbey is just outside of Edinburgh across the forth. This is another Abbey that we haven’t visited yet. The Culross Abbey was home to the Cistercian Monks, housing a monastery in the 1200s. While you can visit this abbey and explore the ruins, it seems you can also attend church here if you’re in the area for service times.
Scottish Abbeys in Dumfries and Galloway
Sweetheart Abbey
- Entrance Fee | £5 ran by Historic Scotland
- Parking | free parking lot right next to the abbey (great for camping!)
- Opening Times | year-round
- Website | Sweetheart Abbey
This abbey is just gorgeous! We really like how non-touristy it was when we were there, and how you can wander through the graveyard as you wish. The best views are from the graveyard, which you can access for free, though if you want to walk through the actual abbey you’ll have to pay the entry fee.
Sweetheart Abbey is one of our favorite Scotland abbeys as it wasn’t very touristy, and we found the architecture to be gorgeous! This Scottish Abbey is currently partially closed due to high-level masonry inspections. Check here for updated opening times.
Dundrennan Abbey
- Entrance Fee | £5 ran by Historic Scotland
- Parking | free in parking lot in front of abbey
- Opening Times | April 1 – Sept 30
- Website | Dundrennan Abbey
The arches in the Dundrennan Abbey are so well preserved! While this abbey isn’t as well known as the other abbeys in Scotland, it’s still a gorgeous one! There are loads of artifacts stored within the walls of the abbey, and it’s great fun walking through the archways of the remaining walls!
Scottish Abbey in the Highlands
Pluscarden Abbey
- Entrance Fee | free
- Parking | can park down the dirt road from the abbey
- Opening Times | year-round – closed due to Coronavirus
- Website | Pluscarden Abbey
The Pluscarden Abbey is one of the few abbeys in Scotland that is still a running abbey. The Benedictine Monks live at this abbey and hold mass daily at the abbey church for all to join. It’s a beautiful abbey and gives you the chance to see the way of life for the monks living there.
We suggest visiting this Scottish highlands abbey and attending mass if you’re in the area. Even if you can’t make it to mass, but are in the Scottish highlands, still visit the Pluscarden Abbey to just see an abbey that’s not in ruins!
Scottish Abbeys on the Isles
Iona Abbey
- Entrance Fee | £9
- Parking | park in Fionnphort, Mull and ferry across
- Opening Times | 1 April – 30 Sept from 9.30-5.30 & 1 Oct to 31 March 10am-4pm
- Website | Iona Abbey
The Iona Abbey is on the isle of Iona, considered to be a holy isle in Scotland. To reach this abbey, you must ferry across from Mull, and then walk the ten minutes to the abbey from the ferry terminal. This island is a sacred and holy island in Scotland, and should be treated as such from all visitors.
If you plan to visit Iona Abbey and the isle, be sure you’re respectful of the area. There’s meant to be great walking on Iona, so pack a picnic and make a day of your trip over!
More Travel Advice for Scotland
READ MORE | Scottish Castles Complete Guide
Our Castles in Scotland guide is just like this abbeys in Scotland page, except for, it’s castles instead of Abbeys. If you thought there were a lot of abbeys in Scotland, you’re in for a treat with this Scottish castles post!
GET INSPIRED | Scotland Travel Advice
After 2.5 years covering over 10,000 miles or 16,000 km driving through Scotland, we’ve got loads to share. Read about our experiences and advice from best foods to mistakes made and city guides here.
WATCH MORE | Scotland Films
Our travel videos, city and food video guides (over 100k views) and more.
SAVE MORE | 15 ways to SAVE on your Car Hire for Scotland
Our Scotland rental car tips and money saving tricks.
LEARN MORE | The Best Time to Visit Scotland
Plan your perfect trip to Scotland by using this guide to find the best time to visit Scotland with what you want to see! Are midgies worth it? How’s the weather? Is it the most expensive time?
GET INSPIRED | Scotland’s Whisky Isle — the Isle of Islay
After moving from Scotland, we did a return trip only a few months later as we missed the country so much. During this trip, we visited Islay.. learn how here.
Where to Stay in Scotland
Hotels | If staying in someone’s home doesn’t tickle your fancy, search here for current pricing and availability for hotels in Scotland. Just search in the area that each Scottish Abbey is located!
Wild Camping | Wild Camping is hands down the best way to explore Scotland. It’s perfect if you’re in a camper, or if you’re in a tent. Just respect the land, pack out what you pack in, and dig a proper hole for using the bathroom in the wild!
Learn more about wild camping here!
Finding Flights to Scotland
We always use Momondo to find and book the cheapest flights possible. Start your search today, and get planning your trip to Scotland.
Recommended Gear for Visiting Scotland
Camera | All our photos in this post were taken using this camera. While we don’t recommend a big fatty camera for everyone, if you’re into photography and want to have more ability to play with your photos, we can totally recommend this one. We typically shoot using this lens, though, for our wide-angle shots, we use this one.
Camera Strap | This strap is the bomb! There’s nothing more annoying than having a strap around your camera when you don’t need it, so we totally recommend this one for the easy snap on and off of the camera! Comfortable to wear while you need a strap, and easy to take off when you don’t!
Everyday Back Pack | Talk about comfy, stealth, organized, and even WATERPROOF. Hello, Peak Design Everyday Pack. We both have one of these backpacks and use it for our carry-on for flights, as well as just every day walking around cities or going to work at a café! It’s super comfortable too, one thing we both absolutely love!
Map App | Everywhere in this post can be found using this offline map app. It’s free to download, and doesn’t use data… and you can even pin all these Scottish Abbeys on your map! Talk about making traveling easy!
Water Bottle | Not only was this bottle created in our home state of Oregon, but it’s also the best water bottle around. It can keep drinks hot for 6+ hours and cold for 24! With so many different colors, sizes, and designs, you can customize it to exactly your liking!
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Due to masonry work, some of these sites may be closed or take only pre-booked visits. Be sure to check the web pages listed for up-to-date information.
