Abbeys -- Scotland; Cathedrals -- Scotland; Church architecture -- Scotland
South of the chapter-house was probably the fratery or monks' day
room. It has been vaulted at a late period--probably third pointed.
There is a fire-place in the centre of the west wall, and an outer
doorway at the south end of the same wall. The apartment was lighted
by three plain round arched windows in the east wall, one of which
has had tracery inserted in after times. At the N.W. angle, opening
from the level of the cloister, is a round-headed doorway, and
traces of a staircase which served as the day access to the
dormitory. South of the fratery is the slype or passage, with arched
openings to the east and west. It has also a doorway to the fratery,
and another to the apartment on the south side, the latter of which
now only exists in part, the south end of the range having been
destroyed. The range of these buildings still retains its eastern
wall to the full height of two stories--the upper story being
doubtless the dormitory.
On the south side of the cloister, where the refectory once stood,
there are now only the ruins of the vaulted basement on which it
stood. At the east end of this range there is a doorway from the
cloister giving access to a staircase which led down to the lower
level of the fratery, and the remainder of the south side was
probably all occupied by the refectory. The west wall is almost all
that survives; it is now ivy-clad, and contains a picturesque
circular window, with radiating tracery. Adjoining this wall in the
S.W. angle of the cloister there is an arched recess, apparently
intended for a tomb and monument, but now empty. Over the doorway in
this angle is a large shield, containing the arms of John Stewart,
who was commendator in 1555. On the shield are the initials J.S.,
with the crozier in the centre. He was brother to the Earl of
Lennox, and uncle to Lord Darnley, who married Queen Mary. The arms
are those of the Stewarts of Lennox.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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