Venue Description

The abbey grounds, cloister and museum are open to visitors. Due to access restrictions in place as a precautionary measure while we undertake high level masonry inspections, there is currently no visitor access to the abbey church. 29 Mar Apr to 30 Sept: Daily, 9.30am to 5pm (last entry 4.30pm) 1 Oct to 28 Mar: Daily, 10am to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm) Trace the lives and beliefs of medieval monks in one of Scotland's largest and richest medieval abbeys. You will find remarkable sculptures of saints, demons and the famous bagpipe - playing pig. The treasures displayed in the museum include medieval spectacles, a scribe's inkwell and a carved Green Man. The Cistercian monks and their lay brothers created an influential spiritual centre and a wealthy business around the abbey. King Alexander II and the mummified heart of Robert the Bruce are buried here.

Accessibility

Approach to site Approach from the car park is along a level, tarmac pavement. Visitor centre The ticket office has a 78cm wide door with 7cm step at the threshold. Its exit is down a flight of eight stone steps with hand rails on both sides. There is a level/ramped access route into the site via a locked gate to the churchyard. The steward can unlock this on request. The gate is 2.8m wide, and the ground is uneven. Monument A step-free route is available, including three steep wooden ramps with antislip covering and handrails on one side. The path from the ticket office to the church is a level cobbled surface. A roof top view is accessible through a doorway of 130cm high and 86cm wide, via a stone spiral staircase of 74 steps with a rope hand rail on the inside only, and a small, low doorway giving access to viewing platform. The cloister, from which the remains of the outbuildings can be seen, has a grass path around it and a grass ramp access from the church’s nave. The Commendator’s House is separated by Cloister Road to the north and is accessed by four stone steps down from the cloister level, and then up seven stone steps with a wooden hand rail on one side. There are gates with sliding latches on both sides of Cloister Road. There is a 42m long gravel surfaced path to the house with a gradient of 1:24. The house has a heavy wooden door which is 88cm wide. The first floor is reached by a wooden staircase of 15 even steps and three stone steps 84cm wide with a handrail on the inside only.

Access Statement

Access Statement Link: http://www.historicenvironment.scot/access

Toilets

There are toilets at the east end of the site via six stone steps with no hand rails. The nearest adapted toilet is on Abbey Street, 170m away.

Staff

Information about the staff has not been added for this venue.