Dunglass Collegiate Church

Dunglass Collegiate Church stands in a quiet corner of East Lothian, one mile north of Cockburnspath beside the old A1. Built of ashlar sandstone with a stone-slab roof, it was once a chapel dedicated to St Mary. The church became a collegiate foundation in 1423 when Sir Alexander Home employed priests to pray for his family’s souls. The building witnessed turbulent years. In 1544 English forces attacked during the Rough Wooing but were driven back by local defenders. After the Scottish Reformation in 1560 the church closed and later served as a parish church until the 18th century. In the early 1700s it was used as a barn, and parts were damaged when a farmer removed the east window for his carts. Today the church is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. It sits among well-kept lawns and thick woodland, with a sundial on a small mound nearby. The surviving nave, choir, transepts and tower form an unroofed ruin that still draws visitors to this peaceful East Lothian landscape.