Dunfirmline Abbey

Explore Dunfermline: Another Great Day Trip from Edinburgh

Dunfirmline is only 18 miles from Edinburgh and makes a great day-trip destination combined with Blackness Castle. Dunfirmline is a very important city in Scottish history (it was essentially the capital of the Kingdom of Scotland from the 11th century to the 15th century) and today the town has almost become a suburb of Edinburgh, growing quite rapidly over the past 10-15 years. In addition to being the final resting place for several royal figures, Dunfirmline is the birthplace of Andrew Carnegie, the titan of the U.S. steel industry who emigrated with his family to Pittsburgh, PA when he was 12 years old.

Views of Dunfirmline’s main street. The 19th-century building with the beautiful tower is the seat of the local city government.

We visited Dunfirmline on our way to St. Andrews and so while we did not have a lot of time in the town, we were able to see the Abbey and walk through the main town before driving to St. Andrews.

Dunfirmline Abbey and Palace

View of Dunfirmline Abbey’s graveyard.

Dunfermline’s Abbey houses the remains of seven Scottish Kings and other royals, including the famous Robert the Bruce who died in 1329 and was the last king to be buried here. Robert the Bruce is known for his major victory over the English at Bannockburn, Scotland in 1314 (Bannockburn battlefield can be visited near Stirling, Scotland and is well worth a stop). Robert’s heart was taken to Melrose Abbey, which I will write about in a separate post (he wanted his heart taken to the Holy Land, but it never made it). The grounds of the Abbey include a few remaining walls of a 12th-century royal palace, ruins of the huge refectory and nave of the original Benedictine Abbey and a newer 19th-century rebuilt section after part of the original Abbey collapsed and fell into disrepair in the 1600’s and 1700’s.

At the top of the Abbey’s tower, you can see the inscription “King Robert The Bruce” on the four sides.

Connected to the Abbey are the ruins of the Benedictine Refectory and Palace.

This nave is the oldest part of the Abbey, dating back to the 12th century. The pillars reminded me of Durham Cathedral in England and after some research I know why – some the stonemasons that worked on Dunfirmline had previously worked on Durham Cathedral. There are some other connections between the two towns and structures as well.

Left – a likeness of Robert the Bruce based on scientific imaging. Right – Robert’s tomb, now housed in the 19th-century reconstructed part of the Abbey.

Above – the western facade of the old Abbey.

Views of the ruins of the Benedictine Abbey’s three-story refectory.

Left – Some interesting information on the monk’s refectory. Right – Another view of the refectory’s 3 story wall.

Walls remaining of Dunfirmline’s once magnificent Palace and the old Benedictine Abbey.

If you’re in Edinburgh and would like a short side trip to explore the countryside, Dunfirmline is a great stop. We found a car park close to the Abbey and there were just a few visitors at the Abbey in late August, even though Edinburgh was packed during that same time.