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
