The final night of Queen Mary

The final night of Queen Mary

The last place the Queen spent a night in Scotland

Dundrennan Abbey, in Dundrennan, Scotland, near to Kirkcudbright, was a Cistercian monastery in the Romanesque architectural style, established in 1142 by Fergus of Galloway, King David I of Scotland (1124–53), and monks from Rievaulx Abbey. Though extensively ruined (the transepts are the main surviving parts), Dundrennan is noted for the purity and restraint of its architecture, reflecting the austere Cistercian ideal. It is also built from very hard-weathering grey sandstone, so the original architectural forms and mouldings are well preserved.

In 1568, after the Battle of Langside, Mary, Queen of Scots, spent her final night in Scotland here. From neighbouring Port Mary, she crossed the Solway Firth to Workington, and shortly after was imprisoned by the English.

Today, Historic Environment Scotland maintains the site as a scheduled monument.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

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Written by Nicolo Ciampini

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