Cambuskenneth Abbey
Cambuskenneth Abbey is a ruined Augustinian monastery located on an area of land enclosed by a meander of the River Forth near Stirling in Scotland. Although the abbey is disused, the surrounding village of Cambuskenneth continues to be inhabited.
Cambuskenneth Abbey was built by order of King David the First around the year 1140. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it was initially known as the Abbey of St Mary of Stirling and sometimes simply as Stirling Abbey. The major street leading down the castle hill from the royal residences in Stirling Castle to the abbey was called St.Mary's Wynd, a name it retains.
Cambuskenneth was one of the more important abbeys in Scotland, due in part to its proximity to the burgh of Stirling, a leading urban centre of the country and sometime capital. Royalty, including King Robert the Bruce, prayed regularly at the abbey, and Bruce held his parliament there in 1326.
In 1486 Margaret of Denmark died at nearby Stirling Castle and was buried at the abbey. In 1488 her husband King James the Third was murdered at Bannockburn, and his body was brought to Cambuskenneth Abbey for burial. His grave is still visible at one end of the church.
The abbey fell into disuse during the Scottish Reformation. By 1559 there were few monks living there, and the abbey was closed and most of the buildings destroyed.
Little remains of the Abbey. After the abbey was closed, much of its stonework was removed and reused in various public and private buildings in Stirling. Apart from the (now fully restored) campanile, all the buildings are reduced nearly to ground level. Today the foundations of some of the buildings can still be seen at the site, but the walls are only knee high. The abbey was acquired by the crown in 1908, and it is presently managed by Historic Scotland. The abbey is open to visitors during the summer months.