The abbey and royal palace at Dunfermline hold a key INVESTIGATING place in Scotland’s history. DUNFERMLINE ABBEY Information for Teachers investigating historic sites DUNFERMLINE ABBEY 2 The abbey and royal palace at but monastic life was already in decline Dunfermline hold a key place in by the time of the Reformation in 1560. Scotland’s history. Royal burial Timeline In the early days of the Reformation, ground, 12th-century church, much of the abbey was sacked. By 1570, 1070 Malcolm III marries towering palace, holy shrine; this Margaret at Dunfermline however, work had begun to remodel varied and interesting site is an the abbey church as a new parish 1070s Margaret invites excellent source of evidence for a church; it was re-roofed and the ancient monks from Canterbury range of historical studies. to set up Benedictine church walls were shored up with priory Historical background massive flying buttresses. 1128 David I elevates After marrying Malcolm III in an earlier The abbey guesthouse had long been a priory to abbey; royal residence but in the 1590s major rebuilding church in 1070, Queen Margaret invited a group of Benedictine monks from rebuilding work began. Queen Anna, 1093 Margaret dies and is Canterbury to set up Scotland’s first wife of James VI was the driving force buried in abbey alongside behind this; her son, Charles I was born Malcolm Benedictine monastic community at Dunfermline. This priory was extended here. From 1603, with the union of the 1250 Margaret canonised and developed by her son, David I as crowns, however, the Scottish court as saint; new chapel built effectively moved to England and the for her relics a tribute to her and became an abbey after 1128. The church was consecrated palace was last used by royalty in 1651 1303 Invasion of Edward in 1150 and a century later was by Charles II. I of England; domestic buildings destroyed extended to include a shrine to the In 1817 work began on a new parish newly canonised St Margaret. 1329 Robert the Bruce church. During the building, a body was buried at Dunfermline Supported financially by the Crown, discovered which was identified as that of Robert the Bruce; this timely find was 1560 Building ransacked the Benedictine monks at Dunfermline by Protestants carried out their daily round of prayer celebrated by incorporating his name in and the works of god in peace until the top of the new church tower. 1590s Royal apartments completely remodelled the arrival of Edward I’s invading forces What can be seen today is a real for Queen Anna in 1303. He took over the abbey and mixture: elements of the original 1753 Great central tower used it as his winter base; when he left twelfth century church rub shoulders collapses he destroyed the monks’ domestic with nineteenth century additions; the buildings though left the abbey church 1819 Remains of Robert refectory of the original cloister survives the Bruce discovered untouched. Rebuilding began at once, in part as does the south wall of the during building of new aided by Robert the Bruce. Construction royal palace. church on site work continued for another 250 years 1821 New parish church completed HISTORIC SCOTLAND education DUNFERMLINE ABBEY 3 Before the visit Working on site Pupils will gain more from a visit Ideally pupils should come to the Supporting learning if they come prepared with some abbey with a sense of purpose, to background information on the investigate a particular aspect of the and teaching chosen area of study. site. They should be encouraged to A visit to Dunfermline Abbey look for physical evidence, to ‘read the • The Middle Ages: look at the role is particularly appropriate for stones’ rather than focus on reading of the church at this time, the teachers working on class study information panels. In addition to the organisational structure of Scotland topics such as: points for discussion in this pack, useful and some key figures (e.g. Queen starting points are: • The Middle Ages Margaret, David I, Robert the Bruce, – Monastic Life Edward I) as well as general work on • What materials were used to • Robert the Bruce and the how people lived. construct the abbey? Where did they Wars of Independence come from? Why have some parts of • Robert the Bruce and his time: look the abbey survived and not others? • St Margaret at key events of his life, the wars The Curriculum for Excellence with England and their effects on • Can you see any ways in which the aspires to motivate and challenge Scotland and on society in general. abbey has changed? pupils through a wide range of • St Margaret: look at the events • What evidence is there for daily life varied learning experiences. Site of her life, her influence on of the monks? Of royalty staying in visits have a particular role to play in joining up learning outcomes Dunfermline and Scotland, and key the palace? religious beliefs and practices of the across the curriculum. A visit, and Pupils can record evidence by taking time. use of the supporting materials, notes, sketching, taking photographs, will help to: Whatever the topic, it would aid recording impressions into a tape • develop successful learners by discussion on site if pupils had an idea recorder. challenging pupils to consider of some of the key terms relating to On the Historic Scotland website: how life has changed for people. abbey buildings and life e.g. abbey, www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ It will help them to think abbot, monk, monastery, nave, education_unit teachers can find critically about evidence and cloister, altar, relic, shrine, tomb, additional resources to help with work arrive at their own conclusions. Mass, Reformation, refectory, on site. These include compiling an • develop confident individuals. palace. These and other terms could Evidence Record and a My Impressions Pupils wilI learn about aspects of be collated into a class dictionary, Record. their community’s past, develop illustrated after the visit with drawings an understanding of social or photographs made on site. Suggestions for follow-up work changes, establish some of their own values and communicate The abbey and associated buildings After the visit pupils can share their their views on different have changed greatly over the years. discoveries in groups to create a fuller historical and social issues. Discuss with pupils how and why picture. This could then become buildings change; how wind and • develop responsible citizens. the basis for a range of presentation It will help to increase pupils’ weather can affect a building as well as activities, e.g.: deliberate changes. social and historical knowledge • A poster, leaflet or guidebook for and understanding and Discuss and research what it would future visitors encourage greater respect for have been like to live in a monastery or their own historic and built • A slide show with commentary of convent. Investigate the everyday lives environment. their visit of monks and nuns. • develop effective contributors • Imaginative writing based on the Help pupils gain a clearer grasp of the by broadening pupils’ lives of people who lived at or visited time scale by making a timeline with knowledge and understanding the abbey in the past. through investigative, creative them, counting back the centuries and and critical thinking then marking on key events. This could be added to after the visit. HISTORIC SCOTLAND education DUNFERMLINE ABBEY 4 Plan of Dunfermline Abbey On the trail of the Scotland’s royals Our suggested tour route focuses on features which illuminate how the abbey was used and visited by generations of Scotland’s royal family. Where possible it highlights aspects of the lives of the monks of the abbey. It takes in eight locations, marked on the plan to 3 2 4 the right: 1. Outside the Church 1 2. Inside the Nave 3. Bruce’s Burial Place 5 8 4. St Margaret’s Shrine 7 6 5. The Refectory 6. The Kitchens 7. The Royal Palace 8. The Vaults and gatehouse Background information is given in the pack for each location. It is written in simple language and is fairly minimal so that it can be read aloud to pupils if desired. Also included are suggested questions for discussion. The focus throughout is on encouraging pupils to interpret the building and deduce what they can from the clues in the ruins of the buildings. Ideally divide your class into groups of about ten and allow about an hour for the suggested tour. HISTORIC SCOTLAND education DUNFERMLINE ABBEY 5 Tour notes: On the trail of Did you know... Many of the early kings’ Scotland’s Royals surname was Canmore. This comes from the Introduction: Outside Dunfermline Abbey Gaelic ‘Ceann Mhor’ meaning ‘big head’ or ‘big Stand on the grass outside the ticket kiosk. chief’. Background information for teachers. This can be read to pupils. • There has been an abbey here at Dunfermline for more than nine hundred years. The church is still in use. The abbey was started by Queen Margaret, who later became a saint. She invited monks from Canterbury in England to come and set up the first abbey of its kind in Scotland. • Lots of members of the royal family visited here. Margaret’s son, David, developed the abbey and made it bigger and grander. Many royals came to stay in the abbey guest house – in fact, it became known as a Royal Palace. Some royals visited the abbey after they had died – in their coffins! Twenty two kings and queens of Scotland were buried here. And for some royals it was the first place they ever visited – Charles I was born here.