Before I briefly describe the history of Arbroath Abbey, let me just remind you that what we know today as “Tartan Day” a celebration carried out by Scots all over the world on April 6, is closely linked to the life and history of Arbroath Abbey; therefore, anyone interested in Scottish History should know this place and its importance in the history and the feeling of the whole nation.

Arbroath Abbey is located close to the centre of the town of Arbroath which is on the coast 17 miles north east of Dundee. The town itself was built approximately 800 years ago.

The main landmark of Arbroath is the Abbey where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed on April 6, 1320.

In 1178 King William I of Scotland founded a monastery at Arbroath for a group of monks. He also bestowed considerable lands and a great wealth on the Abbey and on his death on December 4,1214 his son Alexander II carried his body to its burial place in front of the high altar. At that moment the Abbey was partially built.

In 1272 parts of the Abbey caught fire, leading to the destruction of the bell tower and the bells.

The highest point in the history of the Abbey was when Bernard de Linton was its Abbot and the Declaration of Arbroath was written.

Below we can see a model of Arbroath Abbey in its full Glory. Thanks to the kindness of  http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk

The Declaration of Arbroath was a letter written to Pope John XXII on behalf of Robert the Bruce, and signed by most of the great and good people of 14th Century Scotland. It asked the Pope to put pressure on Edward II of England to recognize Robert the Bruce as the legitimate King of Scotland; and it also asked him to remove the excommunication that had been placed on Robert after he had murdered the Red Comyn in a Dumfries church in 1306.

The Letter is famous for one phrase in particular:

For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom — for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.

 Much more significant was the implication elsewhere in the letter that in future the King of Scotland could only rule with the approval of the people of Scotland. It was the first time anyone, anywhere, had thought about royalty in this way. The letter persuaded the Pope to arrange peace talks, though they proved unsuccessful.

Arbroath Abbey's later history was never as glorious as it had been at the moment of the Declaration of Arbroath.

In 1350 the Abbey was attacked by English forces and it was badly damaged. And in 1380 a great fire destroyed most of it. It took over 20 years to repair the damage of that fire.

On 29 January 1446 the Abbot usually delegated most of his non-religious functions, powers and privileges to a nominated "Bailie of the Regality". This was a hugely lucrative and highly sought-after position that tended to reside with the Ogilvy family. At the beginning of 1446 the Abbot appointed James Ogilvy to the role. A rival, Alexander Lindsay, arrived in Arbroath with a large crowd of supporters to challenge the appointment. The result was the "Battle of Arbroath", fought in front of the Abbey and through the streets of the town. 600 people were killed.

The wealth and power of Arbroath Abbey had other undesirable consequences over the following years. By the early 1500s Arbroath had become a commodity to be traded between the powerful of the land, and the Abbot no longer lived there. In 1524 Cardinal Beaton, acting as Abbot, granted part of the Abbey lands to his mistress, and gave two of its churches to his favourite illegitimate sons.

In 1606 the Parliament granted the Abbey estates to James, Marquis of Hamilton who, as the last Abbot at Arbroath, had converted to Protestantism. Many of the 40 remaining monks simply continued to live in the Abbey. They gradually left or died, and over time the Abbey became used as a quarry for building material for the rest of Arbroath. Only ruins remained today of what this glorious place had been!

By Monica Loreto who visited Arbroath in July 2001.