Scotland's royal mausoleum, where Robert the Bruce's body was buried in 1329.
A royal burial place
Dunfermline developed from a priory into a major abbey and royal mausoleum. Scottish monarchs buried here include St Margaret and Robert I. Bruce funded work at the abbey, including the great refectory, and chose it for the burial of his body after his death in 1329.
Bruce's divided burial
Bruce's body was interred at Dunfermline while his heart was removed for the crusading journey associated with Sir James Douglas and was ultimately buried at Melrose Abbey. The original Dunfermline tomb was lost after the Reformation; remains identified as Bruce's were rediscovered in 1818, and a reconstructed tomb now stands in the Abbey Church.
What survives
The Romanesque nave and abbey grounds remain open, adjoining the working nineteenth-century Abbey Church. The palace ruins are currently closed for conservation, and services or events can affect access to Bruce's tomb inside the church.
What to look for while you're here
- The massive round arches of the Romanesque nave.
- The reconstructed tomb of Robert the Bruce inside the working Abbey Church.
- The James Ballantine window showing Bruce, St Margaret, Malcolm Canmore and Wallace.
Before you go
- The palace ruins are currently closed for conservation.
- The Abbey Church is active; services and events may restrict access to Bruce's tomb.