Whithorn Priory

The medieval cathedral-priory does not have the visitor-attraction status of the great Border abbeys although it was their equal in size and magnificence and their superior in spiritual importance: it was founded in the 12th century on the site of Scotland’s first Christian church. Its lower profile may be due to the relative insignificance of the remains and the modest “priory” designation, demanded by ecclesiastical protocol since Whithorn was the cathedral of the bishop of Galloway. The shell of the nave, seen here before the late 19th century consolidation of its walls, is the most substantial surviving fragment.