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Restenneth Priory

1153 establishments in ScotlandAugustinian monasteries in ScotlandBuildings and structures in Angus, ScotlandChristian monasteries established in the 12th centuryFormer Christian monasteries in Scotland
History of Angus, ScotlandReligious organizations established in the 1150sScheduled Ancient Monuments in AngusScottish church stubsScottish parliamentary locations and buildings
Restenneth Priory (geograph 13755)
Restenneth Priory (geograph 13755)

Restenneth Priory was a monastic house of Augustinian canons founded by Jedburgh Abbey, with the patronage of King Malcolm IV of Scotland, in 1153. Although there is little literary evidence, archaeological evidence strongly indicates that there was a monastery at Restenneth from very early times. There is also speculation that Restenneth may even have been the Pictish church dedicated to St Peter (mentioned in Bede) built in 710 for Nechtán mac Der Ilei, King of the Picts. Augustinian Restenneth was always a small priory and very dependent on its mother-house at Jedburgh. In 1501 there were only two canons and an annual income of £120 (compare Arbroath Abbey, which had £10,924 in 1561). There was an attempt to incorporate it into the Royal Chapel in this year, but this failed to occur, and King James IV of Scotland suggested its incorporation into the archbishopric of St Andrews. This too evidently did not occur, as priors continue to be on record. The priory was, however, turned into a secular lordship for Thomas Erskine, Viscount Fentoun, in 1606. Among the owners of Restenneth following the Reformation was George Dempster of Dunnichen (1732-1818), who chose part of the choir as a burial site for his family. Also reported to have been buried in the Priory about 1327 is John Bruce, youngest son of Robert I, King of Scots and his 2nd wife Elizabeth de Burgh, who was the twin brother of David II of Scotland.The site was excavated in 1883 by William Galloway and Dr John Stuart.All except the tower is now in ruins, which are a Scheduled Ancient Monument.For the tourist, Restenneth Priory is just outside the medium-sized town of Forfar. It shares an access road with the Angus Archives. There is a short path from the closest parking area to the priory. While at the priory, the town and the roads nearby are not visible, so the fields and the medieval (or maybe earlier) architecture are the only things to be seen.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Restenneth Priory (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

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N 56.6533 ° E -2.8461 °
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Restenneth Priory

B9113
DD8 2SZ
Scotland, United Kingdom
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Restenneth Priory (geograph 13755)
Restenneth Priory (geograph 13755)
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Nearby Places

Station Park, Forfar
Station Park, Forfar

Station Park is a football ground in Forfar, Angus, Scotland. It is home to Scottish Professional Football League side Forfar Athletic and to Forfar Farmington of the Scottish Women's Premier League. Station Park is one of a number of old-fashioned football grounds left in the Scottish League. It has a capacity of 6,777 although this has previously been much higher. The record crowd is 10,780 against Rangers in 1970. The total has been reduced for safety reasons. The ground allows access to all four sides of the pitch. There is one large terrace behind the goal at the western end of the ground. Called the "mert end" because a cattle market is just over the wall this area is reserved for visiting supporters when occasion and numbers demand separation of fans. A seated grandstand, opened in 1959, is on the north side of the pitch. There is a covered terrace on the south side of the ground and further, uncovered, terracing to the east and in front of the stand and the main catering concession. Catering at the ground includes the local speciality, Forfar bridies and the more usual pie. There are plans to rebuild the main stand in a more modern style with improved facilities. The ground, as the name suggests, was once close to the town's railway station, situated on the Caledonian Railway's main line from Aberdeen to Glasgow and London, but this station was closed in 1968 as part of the Beeching cuts. Station Park is now one of the furthest Scottish League grounds from a railway station (Peterhead's Balmoor ground is further). The nearest train stations to Forfar are Dundee and Arbroath, both of which are approximately 14 miles (23 km) away. As a result, Station Park is best reached by road.