Kinloss Abbey Trust granted £38,000 from The Wolfson Foundation towards conserving historic Abbot's House

A local historical project of national importance has been granted nearly £40,000 for its latest stage.

The Kinloss Abbey Trust (KAT) is investing £38,000 from The Wolfson Foundation - a UK charity that supports excellence in science and medicine, health, education and the arts and humanities - in conserving the Abbot’s House on the site.

KAT trustee Kirsteen Mitcalfe is grateful for the interest in the work already achieved and the support to preserve the building extended and refurbished by one of Scotland’s foremost religious and political leaders, Abbot Robert Reid, in the mid-16th century.

“The trust has been fortunate in acquiring grants towards the next phase of the conservation,” said Ms Mitcalfe. “This will enable consolidation of the vaults which were temporarily supported by wooden beams some five years ago. The new works will make them permanently safe and waterproofing will be a further protection.”

Kinloss Abbey was founded in 1150 by King David I and colonised by monks from Melrose Abbey. It received a Papal Bull from Pope Alexander III in 1174 and came under the protection of the Bishop of Moray in 1187.The abbey went on to become one of the largest and wealthiest religious houses in Scotland, receiving the salmon fishing rights to the River Findhorn from Robert the Bruce in 1312. It received royal visitors including Edward I in 1303, Edward III in 1336 and Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1562. The most renowned of the monastery’s 24 abbots was Robert Reid, who introduced organised education, erected a new library and other buildings.

Kinloss Abbey Trust was founded in 2003 to raise preserve the remains.

Ms Mitcalfe said: “Our aim has always been to enable the Abbot’s House - currently fenced off from the rest of the Abbey - to be open to everyone. There is still work to do.

"Rebuilding the missing sections of the vaults and providing an adequate load above them will provide essential stability to the north stack and it will allow the temporary shoring installed in 2019 to be removed.

"The vaults will be made good using stone salvaged from the site and waterproofed using Sika liquid waterproofing before being topped with earth and turf. The waterproofing will prevent the washing out of lime mortar and therefore protect the integrity of the vault stonework by shedding water to the edges."

KAT have also received funding from the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund, The Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation and Historic Environment Scotland.

Ms Mitcalfe added: “It’s good to see they have faith in what we are trying to achieve. The trust is putting in some of its own funds from fundraising and local donations. A legacy from Sir James Dunbar-Nasmith, a valued trustee who died earlier this year, will also help.”

The current phase of renovation work is being carried out by Masonry and Lime of Elgin and is expected to be complete by September. Cullen’s Nick Brown of Nbplanning is the supervisory conservation architect.

Ms Mitcalfe said: “Mia Scott Associates are acting as funding co-ordinators. Site owners Moray Council are also supportive.”

She added: "The repair work being undertaken this summer is important because it will stabilise the prominent north stack. The Trust will then be seeking further funding to carry out the repair work which remains to the lower sections of masonry, parts of which are crumbling.

"Looking further ahead, once the remaining ruins are made fully safe the ultimate aim of the Trust is to re-integrate the Abbot’s House once more with the Abbey so that the whole complex and its remaining structures can be accessed, enjoyed and understood by visitors."