Melrose Abbey and the heart o' Bruce

[cessna152towser]

Looking up at the tower

The ruins still rise to an impressive height.

We can still climb the spiral staircase to the Bell Tower, seen here with the Eildon Hills as a backdrop.....

.......and look back down into the transepts.

[cessna152towser]

A view from the bell tower.

Looking down from the bell tower to the Presbytery.

A view down the outer wall into the graveyard.

There is a fairly extensive graveyard attached to Melrose Abbey.

An interpretation notice explains the ancient Scottish tradition of burying the heart in a lead casket.

Robert the Bruce's Heart is buried within this chamber.

At Bruce's grave.
His heart is encased here, though the remainder of his body is in a separate grave at Dunfermline Abbey.

[cessna152towser]

Basement Latrine Pit, flushed by the Great Drain.

Concluding this photo tour with these 15th century cloisters.

[Rusty]

Thanks for the great photo's. It's a great pity our ancestors had to destroy buildings such as these