Inchcolm Abbey

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Inchcolm Abbey is a medieval abbey located on the island of Inchcolm in the Firth of Forth in Scotland.

The Abbey, which is located at the centre of the island, was founded by King Alexander I of Scotland (1107-24). He was washed ashore there after a shipwreck in 1123, and took shelter in a hermit's hovel.

The Abbey was first used as a priory by Augustinian monks, becoming a full abbey in 1235. The island was attacked by the English from 1296 onwards, and the Abbey was abandoned after the Scottish Reformation in 1560. It has since been used for defensive purposes, as it is situated in a strategically important position in the middle of the Firth of Forth.

A medieval inscription carved above the Abbey's entrance reads: Stet domus haec donec fluctus formica marinos ebibat, et totum testudo permabulet orbem 'May this house stand until an ant drains the flowing sea, and a tortoise walks around the whole world'.

Inchcolm Abbey has the most complete surviving remains of any Scottish monastic house. The ruins are cared for by Historic Scotland (entrance charge; ferry from South Queensferry).

[edit] See also

• Abbot of Inchcolm, for a list of priors and abbots of the community
• Walter Bower, the most famous abbot
• Abbeys and priories in Scotland, for a general list of Scottish monasteries

[edit] External links

• Historic Scotland's page on the abbey
• Cyberscotia's page on the island - including maps, drawings, and photographs