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Lindores Abbey
NO 243 184
Tironensian abbey
Newburgh, Fife
These ruins are scattered amongst a farm. Here the monks enjoyed 400 years of rich living - the monks pioneered fruit growing in the area.
They were founded by David Earl of Huntingdon around 1190 for Tironensian monks and was one of the most important of Scotland's religious settlements.
The first abbot at Lindores was Guido, who was brought here from Kelso Abbey and he probably started its main building campaign. The remains of the Abbey are very fragmentary although it is still possible to work out the layout. The cloister was on the south side of the chucrh . Edward 1 demanded the alliegance of the lairds of Fife here. The Abbey was sacked by reformers in 1543.
Traces of other outlying buildings can be seen around the Abbey - in particular the remains of a large monastic barn in the field opposite . There is also a mill and mill-pond to the east which stand on the same spot as the original abbey mill. Lindores is a very neglected site although the gardens are well maintained and is in private ownership.
As I far as I can make out no excavations have taken place here although the land was cleared of rubbish back in the 1870's or so by the Antiquarian Society to its present condition. The locals have used the site as a quarry in the past and many buildings in the town of Newburgh show Gothic stones robbed from here.
Lindores Abbey now has its own website hosted by the owners. Following an attempt to get Time Team a few years ago to investigate the link between Aqua Vitae mentioned in the Abbeys Exchequer Rolls the owners now market Lindores Malt whisky
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