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| Dunfermline Abbey was founded about 1070 by Queen Margaret, wife of Malcolm Canmore. Margaret was made a saint, and she and Malcolm were buried here. Abbot George Durie, the last abbot, removed their remains to the continent, where the Jesuits of Douai in Spain acquired her Margaret's head. Robert the Bruce's body (apart from his heart, which is at Melrose) is buried here. The Abbey was sacked in 1560, and fell into disrepair, although part of the church continued to be used. | |
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| There appears to have been a royal palace here from the 14th century, when Edward I stayed here in 1303-4. David II was born at the palace in 1323, but it may have been burned by Richard II in 1385. It was restored, and James I was born here in 1394. James IV, James V, and Mary, Queen of Scots all visited. The palace was remodelled in 1587 by Queen Anne, wife of James VI, and Charles I was born at the palace in 1600. Charles II used the palace in 1650, but it was abandoned soon afterwards, and unroofed by 1708. The church, domestic buildings of the abbey, and the remains of the Royal Palace are open to the public. | |
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| Mary, Queen of Scots stayed here on several occasions while travelling through her kingdom; from 7 to 9 and again from 17 to 18 September 1565 with her new husband, Lord Darnley. | |
Open all year but closed on Thursday pm and Fridays from October to March. Tel.: 44+ (0)1383 739026 |
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