Beauly Priory, Medieval monastery ruins in Beauly, Scotland.
Beauly Priory is a monastic ruin sitting beside the River Beauly in the Scottish Highlands. Stone walls and tall lancet windows still rise from the ground, with old trees dotting the graveyard that surrounds the roofless church.
Founded in 1230, the priory began under the Valliscaulian order before papal decree transformed it into a Cistercian house in 1510. This shift reflected broader religious changes affecting how the community was organized and operated.
The monks who settled here came from France and gave the priory and surrounding area its name, drawn from their word for beauty. Walking through the grounds, you can still sense how this place reflected what those early residents valued.
The ruins and graveyard are open to explore freely, allowing you to wander among the stone foundations and examine the architectural details at your own pace. The riverside location offers a pleasant setting where you can spend time observing the remains without feeling rushed.
An ancient Wych Elm tree had stood at the entrance for centuries, a living witness to the site's long past before it fell in 2023 due to disease. Today, visitors passing through the grounds can still sense the mark this tree left on the place.
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