The Priory

The Priory – Blantyre

The Priory, dating from the thirteenth century or earlier, was situated upon the banks of the Clyde opposite Bothwell Castle. One Victorian commentator said of the scene: ‘… what with the stags that bounded through the woods and the salmon that swarmed in the rivers, the jolly priests and peaceful villagers of that old Blantyre must have felt that verily their lives had fallen in pleasant places!’

Records state that Friar Walter of Blantyre Priory was involved in negotiating a ransom for King David Bruce when he was a prisoner of the Battle of Durham in 1346.

The Priory from Bothwell Castle

William Wallace is said to have performed a swashbuckling leap into the Clyde from its walls when interrupted on a visit by some hostile English soldiers.

The Priory became the ancestral home to the first five Lord Blantyre’s and of course, Teresa Francis Stuart, Granddaughter to the first Lord Blantyre, who modelled for Britannia, was born here.

The ruins of the Priory can still be visited, although judging by this 1908 sketch, it seems unlikely that there is much left to see.

Priory Impression by the late Blantyre Artist, John McDermott.

If you have any Photos… Send them to Bill

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