Kilwinning Abbey

North Ayrshire | Kilwinning | Abbey | ★★

[Kilwinning Abbey]

The south transept of this once great building soars high above Kilwinning town centre. The abbey was built in the 12th century as a daughter house of Kelso Abbey, with the widest medieval church in Scotland at its centre. Much of the stonework was plundered or demolished for a new church in the 1700s, but it's still a very attractive aspect of the town and Main Street. The impressive clock tower on the northwest side is a modern (well, early 19th century!) addition, and its interior is open to the public on summer Sundays afternoons; as well as seeing the museum exhibits, you can climb the spiral stairs to see the bells, chiming mechanism and the excellent views from the roof.

[View from the tower (22/6/18)]

📌 Kilwinning Abbey & Heritage Centre ★★
Location: Main Street, Kilwinning, G.R.: NS 303433 ///dislikes.episode.fallen
Open (2019): Abbey ruins: always; Heritage centre: Easter weekend plus Friday to Sunday afternoons, mid-May to mid-September
Cost: Free

[Clock tower (22/6/18)]

[View north from the top of the tower (22/6/18)]

[Clock mechanism (22/6/18)]

[Mason marks in the tower stairwell (22/6/18)]

[Inside the tower (22/6/18)]

[Bells (22/6/18)]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stirling Castle

Image
Stirling | Castle | ★★★★

Stirling Castle is the city's crowning glory, at the top of the volcanic outcrop of Castle Hill and an short uphill walk from Stirling centre. Built in various stages from the 14th century onwards, the castle saw the crowning of a series of Scottish Kings and Queens, and several sieges during the Wars of Independence. Today, dozens of separate buildings, battlements and exhibitions justify the admittedly hefty admission charge. A tour of Argyll's Lodging is also included in the price, just downhill from the castle.


📌Stirling Castle★★★★
Castle Esplanade, 15-min uphill walk northwest of Stirling city centre, G.R.: NS 790940 ///caged.army.matter
Open daily |£16 adults / £9.60 child / free for Historic Environment Scotland members. Discounts for booking online.










Read more

Glenturret Distillery

Image
Perth & Kinross | Crieff | Distillery | ★★★

Nestling beside the tumbling Turret Burn about a mile north of Crieff, Glenturret was until recently Scotland's most visited distillery despite relatively small production quantities and a relatively little-known single malt. Why? Well, spirit originating here also used to go into the Famous Grouse blended whisky, with the visitor centre representing this globally recognised brand. This all changed in 2019 when the distillery decided to go it alone, focusing instead on building a more personal identity. Even if Glenturret no longer tops the tourist tables, it holds on to a couple more interesting records. They're a contender for Scotland's oldest distillery - with a foundation date of 1775 - and the mash tun (below) is the last hand-operated one in the country.


📌Glenturret Distillery★★★
By minor road at Hosh, a mile north of Crieff, G.R.: NN 857234 ///unsecured.vacancies.chemistry
Open daily | £10+ depending on tour type






Read more

Rosyth Castle

Image
Fife | Rosyth | Castle | ★★

Only in Scotland could a former international ferry terminal and naval base have a castle hidden in the middle of it - which you can still visit! Of course, the 15th century ruin easily pre-dates the shipping activities here at Rosyth, originally on a tidal island in the Forth estuary (a bit like nearby Cramond Island today) before more recent land reclamation took place. The L-plan building is a substantial one, with the block of the tower house intact to roof height as well as the walls of other ranges. A coat of arms can also still be made out above one of the doorways. The castle now shares the a space with a roundabout in the midst of industry, immediately before restricted access areas manned by security guards. Happily, on our previous visits they've been happy to let us explore the castle - but ask for permission before you walk around.


📌Rosyth Castle ★★
Murray Road, Rosyth Europarc, a mile south of Rosyth town centre, G.R.: NT 109821 ///shipped.…
Read more