St Kentigern's Church, Medieval church ruins in Lanark, Scotland
St Kentigern's Church is a medieval stone church in Lanark with a south wall featuring decorative lancet windows and an ornate three-part doorway. The building displays an arcade with six wide pointed arches supported by cylindrical piers.
King David I granted this religious site to Dryburgh monastery in 1150, and Pope Gregory VIII extended papal protection to it in 1228. This early recognition shows how important the church was to medieval Scottish society.
The church holds medieval graveslabs on its west side, moved during restoration work in 1872, preserving examples of Scottish funerary art from that era. These carved stones show the craftsmanship and burial customs of the period.
The building sits along Hyndford Road in Lanark at about 220 meters elevation and is easily approachable from the street. Its walls stand to full height, giving a clear sense of how the church looked originally.
A narrow rectangular door on the east end was added in the late 17th century and leads to a family vault of the Lockharts of Cleghorn. This later addition shows how the church continued to serve local noble families across the centuries.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
