religious sites in Scotland

Scottish Religious Sites

Scotland’s religious landscape spans over nine centuries of history, showcased through these eight significant sites. The collection includes 12th-century Tironensian and Cistercian ruins at Kelso and Glenluce, alongside Edinburgh's Gothic St Giles' Cathedral and the 18th-century Old Calton Burial Ground. Architectural highlights range from the Renaissance Palace of Holyroodhouse, built on an ancient monastery site, to Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s only completed church in Glasgow. These locations preserve medieval masonry, Enlightenment memorials, and the final resting places of historical figures like Rob Roy MacGregor.

Ludi Ling / CC BY-SA 3.0

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Historic royal palace featuring Renaissance architecture, state apartments, gardens, and abbey ruins. It serves as the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland.

Rich Barrett-Small / CC BY 2.0

St Giles' Cathedral

Historic Gothic church with medieval origins and notable architectural features including the Thistle Chapel. It has played a central role in Scottish religious and civic history.

Jonathan Oldenbuck / CC BY 3.0

Old Calton Burial Ground

Historic cemetery established in 1718 featuring notable monuments and memorials related to Scottish history and Enlightenment figures.

dave souza / GFDL

Queen's Cross Church

Queen's Cross Church is a former Church of Scotland parish church in Glasgow, Scotland.

Chrys / CC BY-SA 2.0

Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St Luke

St. Luke's Greek Orthodox Cathedral is a cathedral of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Dowanhill district of Glasgow, Scotland.

Kim Traynor / CC BY-SA 3.0

Kelso Abbey

Kelso Abbey is a ruined Scottish abbey in Kelso, Scotland. It was founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first…

Orikrin1998 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Glenluce Abbey

Glenluce Abbey, near to Glenluce, Scotland, was a Cistercian monastery called also Abbey of Luce or Vallis Lucis and founded around 1190…

John Salmon / CC BY-SA 2.0

Balquhidder Church

19th-century parish church standing on an ancient site of worship. It is most notable as the final resting place of the Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy MacGregor, whose grave is located in the adjacent churchyard alongside remains of a 17th-century predecessor.