Kelso Abbey

About Kelso Abbey

Due to access restrictions in place as a precautionary measure while we undertake high level masonry inspections, there is currently no visitor access to this site.


Wander among the remains of a spectacular example of Scottish monastic architecture. Kelso Abbey was founded in the 1100s and was one of Scotland’s largest and wealthiest religious houses.

The abbey was founded by monks invited by King David I. Originally settling at Selkirk, the monks relocated to Kelso in 1128, moving close to David’s new castle at Roxburgh. Next to nothing remains of the once-sprawling monastery precinct. But what survives of the church is one of the most spectacular architectural achievements in medieval Scotland.