Balmerino Abbey Sacristy North Fife

Balmerino Abbey North Fife

Very old sweet chestnut tree in the grounds of Belmarino Abbey.


Balmerino Abbey, a Cistercian monastery situated on the south bank of the River Tay in North Fife was founded in 1229 by the widowed queen of William the Lyon, then destroyed during the Reformation. A Spanish Chestnut tree here is one of the oldest of its kind in the country.
Balmerino Abbey, was the landing-place of the Lady Ermengarde second wife and widow of William the Lyon, daughter of the Earl of Beaumont, and great-granddaughter of the Conqueror, mother of Alexander II, and ancestress of the succeeding sovereigns of Scotland -- when, out of gratitude for the health and the peace she had found at 'Balmurynach 'there is a choice of 36 ways of spelling the name she resolved to plant here a house of Cistercian monks, dedicated to the Virgin and to her relative 'the most holy King Edward,' the Confessor.

This resolve, made sometime at the beginning of the second quarter of the thirteenth century, was promptly carried into execution, and on St Lucy's Day, 1229, a company of monks from Melrose, under Alan, their first Abbot, were able to enter and take possession. The Abbey was a monument of sacrifice, as well as of gratitude, for the foundress had first to purchase with a thousand marks the lands representing nearly the whole of the present parish, to which the Abernethies of Carpow had succeeded as Lay Abbots of the Culdee seat of Abernethy. It was built of a red stone from Nydie, beyond the Eden. In its great days it must have been a beautiful habitation of peace, with a plan conforming to the Mother Church of Melrose, in having the cloister on the north side of the sanctuary and in other details.

Ermengarde and her son Alexander, another great benefactor, visited here repeatedly. They would ferry over from Dundee, or from Invergowrie, when coming from the royal palace at Forfar; for the Queen much affected the haunts, as well as the religious example, of her grandmother-in-law, the saintly Margaret. In 1234 the body of the foundress was laid to rest here. But, like other landmarks of Balmerino, the grave will be looked for in vain. Her stone coffin, containing her skeleton, was supposed to have been found, on the spot indicated by the records, by the tenant of the farm while, in the summer of 1831, he was engaged in 'carting away hewn stones from the piers and south wall of the church' to build a house in St Andrews. It was covered by a graveslab, which was 'broken in pieces,' while the bones found within were 'dispersed as curiosities through the country.'

Mary Queen of Scots was certainly a visitor here in 1565, and more than likely lived in the Abbot's House as a guest of Sir John Hay, the first Lay Commendator of the Abbey. Later the lands were erected into a barony, in favour of Sir James Elphinston of Barnton, the first Lord Balmerino, who after being sentenced to death, died quietly of a 'fever' at the Abbey. The more ill-fated Arthur, the sixth lord, who suffered for his part in the 1745 rebellion, is supposed to have hidden in the ruins, after an earlier adventure in 1715, and before he escaped to a vessel in the Firth of Tay which took him to France.

Of the Church itself there remains above ground only portions of the walls of the nave and north transept. Enough of the Chapter-House is left to show how endowed it was in ornament and proportions. What remains of Balmerino Abbey is kept now kept in good order and condition. Although Daniel Defoe, who visited it in 1727, saw 'nothing worthy of observation, the very ruins being almost eaten up by time,' it is well deserving this reverent care, if only for the ancient trees that are gathered around it. Chieftains among these are a magnificent old Spanish chestnut and a walnut of like or superior age. Another reason to visit Balmerino is the beautiful views of the Firth of Tay, the Carse of Gowrie, and the Sidlaw range of hills, with glimpses of the more remote Grampians, including Ben Voirlech on Loch Earn - a distance of about fifty miles in a straight line.

Balmerino Abbey North Fife

Balmerino Abbey North Fife was visited again by Fifelets group for the summer picnic. A splendid sunny and warm day where little trading took place but a good opportunity to catch up and just enjoy the relaxed ambience of being in these historic grounds.

Lindores Abbey BBQ Newburgh North Fife

This BBQ in Newburgh North Fife provides a good meeting point where people catch up, meet others and generally deepen the connection between. I myself re-met someone from years ago and forged new friendships with others as did many. Newburgh is small, yes but although we acknowledge each other in passing, it's only on such random gatherings is time spent really getting to know others in a relaxed convivial atmosphere.


The young and not so young work it off.
Lindores Abbey BBQ Newburgh North Fife. An Annual event where local Newburgh peoples meet and enjoy a relaxed time in the ancient ruins of Lindores Abbey. Permission for use of the venue kindly provided by Robbie McKensie Smith. Custodiand of the grounds.

Clatchards Quarry Newburgh North Fife

Clatchards Quarry Newburgh North Fife as viewed from Dunbog. It is now owned and worked by Enstone Thistle, It is an immense excavation which is slowly but surely removing a very large hill to be dispersed as tarmac, railway ballast, hard core and blinding. This process has gone on for well over a hundred years, once employing boats at Newburgh on the River Tay, a rail connection but now all goes by road. My fear, and I really wish it isn't the case that it will become a massive landfill site.

Tour Scotland on the Best Scottish Tours

Tour Scotland on the Best Scottish Tours. One of the American visitors demonstrates his accomplishments after attending the Clown School in Dunoon.

Bramble Flowers North Fife

There are many free foods for the taking in North Fife and this complete guide will help you to safely identify edible species that grow around us, together with detailed artworks, field identification notes and recipes. First published in 1972, this updated edition of Richard Mabey's cult bestseller has been revised to reflect the ever-increasing eco-awareness and popular interest in finding different, and more natural, sources of food. Each of the 240 types of fruit, nut, flower, seaweed, fungi and shellfish featured has its own identification field notes and artwork. Understand and learn about the fascinating edible species that you may come across and, with the help of the numerous recipes also included, find out the best way to pick and enjoy them. Beautifully illustrated and written, 'Food for Free' will inspire you to take more notice of the natural harvest that surrounds us, learn how to make use of it and conserve it for future generations.

Walking today I was drawn to this particular Blackberry Blossom which is super-abundant in Stamens. (male) I'm not sure if the plant will produce small or large fruit as a result. Perhaps a reader could comment if known. It's true that here in North East Fife Brambles produce large amounts of fruit but of varying quality and size.

Sharons Hairdressers High Street Newburgh North Fife

Lindores Abbey Newburgh North Fife

The Bear and Ragged Staff dug into Parkhill Newburgh.
Norman arch entrance to Lindores Abbey ruins. Strangely it has a wooden keystone, inserted when? Who knows but slippage can be clearly seen as the wood shrinks with age.

Newburgh, in North Fife, on the banks of the River Tay, has had a settlement or a village on the present site from a period much earlier than the end of the twelfth century, but it was at this time that the village grew in importance, due to the founding of Lindores Abbey.

Perhaps the most important and historic event ever witnessed at Lindores Abbey was the meeting here in 1306 of three puissant knights, Sir Gilbert Hay of Errol, Sir Neil Campbell of Lochaw, and Sir Alexander Seton, and the sealing before the high altar of the vow they made to " defend the King Robert Bruce and his crown to the last of their blood and fortunes. "

William Wallace was also here when he stole hither out of Black Earnside Wood for water for his wounded men. And in Newburgh tradition, the Clatchard Craig, which faces the Abbey with a sheer cliff of two hundred feet, is pointed to as the stone whereon he whetted his great two-handed sword !

Lindores Abbey, which was once a wealthy Abbey, older and more famed than Balmerino, is now deserted and in ruins. Yet, Kings Warriors and Statesman who had a considerable part to play in Scottish history have frequented this ancient site. Brave men have walked here. Brave words have been spoken here, and for centuries men worshipped and praised God in this now inconspicuous site.

David, Duke of Rothesay, the ill-fated heir to the throne was quickly buried here in 1401 after having been put to death in Falkland Palace. For many years James the ninth and last of the line of the " Black Douglases, " found retirement here.

David, Earl of Huntingdon, was the founder of this Benedictine House of the Tyronesian Order, which was colonised by monks from Kelso at the end of the 12th century and dedicated to St Mary and St Andrew in gratitude for the taking of Ptolemais in Palestine. Other visitors were William the Lyon; the second and third Alexanders, one of whom brought interdict on Lindores and Scotland through his quarrel with the Pope, while the other had his son and heir buried here.

Edward I, the " Hammer of the Scots, " was here in 1296. Lindores also saw David II, many Stuart sovereigns, including of course, Mary. Before her visit, and angry Dundee mob had, in 1543, assailed the abbey, ejecting the monks and destroying much of the furnishings.

The most famous Abbot was the great theologian and inquisitor Lawrence, one of the founders of St Andrews University.

The village of Newburgh was erected into a burgh-of-barony by Alexander III, in 1266 in favour of the Abbot and Convent of Lindores. In 1457 it was converted into a royal burgh. In 1631 Charles I, confirmed the ancient royal charter, but the burghers never exercised their right of sending a member to the Scottish Parliament. In the wall of a building in Newburgh High Street, and facing north, is an interesting relic of Lindores Abbey. It shows a badge with a shield above surmounted by a crosier or pastoral staff. The badge is the same as was borne by the ancient Earls of Warwick - namely the bear and ragged staff. The stone must have at one time been part of the Abbey's decorations or the Abbot's residence.

The bear in the stone harks back to the time of Arthur and the Round Table. One of his knights was Arthgal, whose name in the British language was Arsh or Narsh, signifying a bear. The ragged staff is attributed to Morvidus, an earl of the same family remarkable for his courage and skill, who slew a formidable giant by means of a young tree, which by his great strength he had torn up for the task.

Lindores Abbey Newburgh North Fife

Here one can see Gothic arch construction, the entrance gate is earlier with a Norman arch. Lindores Abbey Newburgh North Fife.




Newburgh funday arriving at Lindores Abbey.

Bumblebees North Fife

Bumble bees are far more evident than honey bees at present but do the work of pollinators very efficiently.Here they can be seen working the Hebe and Honeysuckle flowers. I am pleased with way that my Samsung NV7 digital camera has captured the little buzzers.