KINLOSS ABBEY, Morayshire.
This was one of the monastic establishments founded in Moray by David I. in order to extend the benefits of civilisation to the remoter regions under his sway.[191] The story told with reference to this foundation is similar to the legend regarding Holyrood. The king had lost his way in the wood while hunting, and was guided by a deer to an open place, where, as was afterwards revealed to him by the Virgin, he was to found a church in her honour. The abbey was founded in 1150, and colonised by King David’s favourite order of Cistercians from Melrose. It was endowed with lands by its founder, and subsequently received grants from his successors—Malcolm, William the Lion, and Alexander II.—as well as from private donors. Robert I. presented the abbey with fishings. Edward I. and Edward III. both visited Kinloss, the former in 1303 and the latter in 1336.
The chartulary of Kinloss Abbey is not preserved, but its traditions and an account of the abbots has been written by John Ferrerius, a native of Piedmont, who was for several years an inmate of the establishment. Robert Reid, afterwards Abbot of Kinloss and Bishop of Orkney, formed his friendship while a student in Paris, and brought him over to this country about 1528, where he acted as lecturer and instructor of youth.
Ferrerius gives a long account of the different abbots and the various works executed by them, which would have been of great interest had the buildings survived; but they are now, unfortunately, reduced to such mere fragments that it is impossible to trace the various structures referred to.
In 1528 Robert Reid was installed as abbot. Abbot Reid is associated with several of our ecclesiastical edifices, especially Beauly Priory and Kirkwall Cathedral. He occupied a somewhat prominent position in the country, and was sent on several embassies to Henry VIII. and Francis I. Under him the abbey lands were erected into a burgh of barony. In 1530 he received the gift of the Abbey of Beauly in commendam, where he erected many new buildings. He also added greatly to the abbey of Kinloss, and amongst other improvements he built a spacious fire-proof library, and enriched it with many volumes. The new abbot’s house, the remains of which are seen in the view ([Fig. 377]), was also erected by him about 1537. In 1538 he invited Andrew Bairhum, a celebrated painter, to come to Kinloss, where he was occupied for three years in painting altar pieces. He also brought William Lubias, an intelligent gardener, to Kinloss from Flanders, who introduced great improvements in the cultivation of fruit trees into the country. In 1541 Abbot Reid, while retaining his existing preferments, was appointed to the Bishopric of Orkney. There, too, he erected many new structures.
It is to the liberality of this enlightened prelate, who was a great encourager of learning, that we owe the foundation of the College of Edinburgh. When the Court of Justice had been instituted by James V., Bishop Reid was appointed president in 1549.
Bishop Reid was succeeded in the abbacy of Kinloss by his nephew, Walter Reid. He was the last abbot, and by him a great part of the lands of Kinloss and Beauly were alienated. He subscribed the first covenant in 1560, and was married, and his wife after his death became possessed of the abbey. Certain of the lands and fishings, however, were assigned to Edward Bruce, who was commendator after the Reformation, and in whose favour they were raised into a temporal lordship as Lord Bruce of Kinloss. From him are descended the Earls of Elgin.
Till about 1650 the buildings of the abbey are believed to have remained tolerably entire. They were conveyed, in 1645, to Brodie of Lethen, by whom the materials were sold, to be utilised in the construction of Cromwell’s citadel at Inverness. The chapter house had been used as a place of worship up to that time, and it was found necessary to erect a new church in lieu of the chapter house, which had been removed.
From the above cause the remains of Kinloss Abbey, as already mentioned, are mere fragments. The outline of the cloister garth, which measures about 100 feet by 90 feet, can be traced ([Fig. 378]), the walls on the south and west sides being fairly preserved. On the north side the foundations of what was, doubtless, the south wall of the nave of the church are visible, and on the east side part of the wall of the south transept still stands. Of the church there only survives a small and tottering fragment of the south transept, with part of the eastern chapels and a long vaulted chamber to the south, which is on a lower level than the transept. A small portion of old wall is observable to the north, opposite the south transept, and is probably a survival of the north transept wall. This gives an indication of the probable position of the church, as shown by clotted lines on the Plan. The church consisted of the usual divisions of nave, choir, and transepts, with a tower over the crossing. The tower was erected by Abbot Guthrie about 1470-80, and it fell in 1574.
There have been vaulted apartments on the south side of the long vaulted chamber lying south of the transept, as is apparent from the remains of pointed arches on the outside of the south wall (see [Fig. 377.]). This sketch also shows the height of the transept chapel above the vault to the south of it. Similar remains of pointed arches on the west side of
Fig. 377.—Kinloss Abbey. Abbot’s House from South-East, and portions of the Church.
the west wall of the cloister show that vaulted apartments ran along that side also.
All appearance of ornamental work or hewn work of any kind has been removed, with the exception of one archway in the south wall of the cloister and an arched recess adjoining ([Fig. 379]). These seem from their style to have been part of the original abbey. The ornament of the gateway is distinctly transitional in character, and was probably erected in the beginning of the thirteenth century. Although the arch is circular, the dog-tooth of the hood mould is first pointed, while the large undercut cross enrichment is a survival of Norman character. The round abacus of the caps, however, is decidedly first pointed in style. This seems to have been an archway leading into the cloister. The arched recess to the eastward, which was doubtless a monument, is rather later in
Fig. 378.—Kinloss Abbey. Plan.
style, but seems to belong to the thirteenth century. The corbels which carried the roof timbers of the cloister walk still survive. They are moulded in the first pointed style. The water table above the roof is also partly preserved.
Fig. 379.—Kinloss Abbey. Archway in South Wall of Cloister, and Abbot’s House from North-West.
The abbot’s house (see Figs. 377 and 379) stands to the south of the abbey. It consists of an oblong structure, which now measures about 50 feet in length by 27 feet in width within the walls, with several vaulted cells on each side, all now in ruins, and thickly clothed with ivy. The best preserved parts of the structure are the east wall, with its gable, and the round tower at the south-east angle, which contained the entrance doorway and staircase. Over the doorway is a panel ([Fig. 380]) with ogee arched head containing the shield of Abbot Reid (a stag’s head) and his initials and crozier.
The plan of the abbot’s mansion resembles that of a baron’s house of the sixteenth century. The basement appears to have contained the kitchen, with cellars, and a passage with small windows. On the first floor would be the hall, with small rooms opening off it, and bedrooms on the upper floor.
The ruins stand on level ground near the mouth of the Findhorn, a short way from Kinloss Station, between Elgin and Forres.
The ground has always been fertile, and is well watered by a stream which passes close to the ruins. The whole space in which the ruins of the abbey stand is now enclosed with a wall, and used as a burial-ground.
Fig. 380.—Kinloss Abbey. Panel in Abbot’s House.