Inchmahome Priory, Medieval priory on Inchmahome island, Lake of Menteith, Scotland
Inchmahome Priory is a medieval monastic complex on the largest island in Scotland's Lake of Menteith, featuring stone walls of a church and chapter house. The remains show the typical layout of an Augustinian monastery, with buildings once arranged around a central courtyard where monks moved through their daily tasks.
Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith, founded the priory in 1238 as a home for Augustinian canons who maintained the religious center for three centuries. The site thrived during the Middle Ages before gradually declining and eventually falling into the ruins we see today.
The name comes from the Augustinian canons who made this place their spiritual home for centuries. The layout of the ruins still reflects how monks lived and worshipped here, with the church and chapter house marking the center of their daily routine.
You reach the priory by motor boat from Port of Menteith during the warmer months, with return trips typically in the early afternoon. The site on the island is relatively open, but sturdy shoes help on the uneven ground.
The grounds hold a rare medieval boxwood bower that storytellers have linked to Mary Queen of Scots. This garden feature stands as one of the few surviving details from when the priory sheltered nobility during troubled times.
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