Cambuskenneth Abbey

Establishment Cambuskenneth Abbey was founded by order of King David I of Scotland around the year 1140. It was a daughter house of the French Arrouaise Order, the only one to exist in Scotland. The Arrouaise canons also ran abbeys and churches in land owned by King David in England. The Arrouaise were a distinctive religious congregation among canons regular at the time of the abbey's founding due to their Cistercian-inspired more severe way of life; they gradually relaxed their more monastic practices and eventually became indistinguible from other groups of canons regular. Cambuskenneth was one of the more important abbeys in Scotland, due in part to its proximity to the Royal Burgh of Stirling, a leading urban centre of the country and sometime capital. The establishment of abbeys in Scotland, including Cambuskenneth, under David I provided a new influence in Scottish public life by providing sources of literate individuals for the royal court and administrative duties. In 1326 another parliament was held where nobles and clergy swore an oath to the king and confirm the succession of his son David II. So frequently was the abbey used for Parliaments during the 14th century that one of the connected buildings on the site became known as "Parliament Hall". Following the dismantling of the bulk of the abbey the tomb was damaged and it was restored in 1865, funded by Queen Victoria. It stands within a railed enclosure at the east end of the abbey ruins. Later history and closure Patrick Paniter became the Abbot of Cambuskenneth in 1513, he is the most notable individual to hold the title as he also held the position of secretary to James V He was succeeded by Alexander Myln in 1517. Myln went on to be the inaugural president of the College of Justice. The abbey fell into disuse during the Scottish Reformation. In 1560 the abbey was placed under the jurisdiction of the military governor of Stirling Castle, John Erskine, who had much of the stonework removed and used in construction projects in the castle. His nephew Adam Erskine was made Commendator of the Abbey. == Abbey today ==

, King of ScotsThe abbey was acquired by the crown in 1908, and it is managed by Historic Scotland. The abbey is open to visitors during the summer months. The foundations of the abbey church and other ancillary buildings are visible on the site, much of which date from around the 13th century. Only the 13th-century campanile is intact, following an extensive renovation in 1859. Also on the site is an historic graveyard, which includes the grave of James III of Scotland and his wife Margaret of Denmark, as well as many of the Abbots of Cambuskenneth. ==See also==