Inchaffray Abbey

The only traces now visible are an earth mound and some walls on rising ground which once (before drainage) formed an island where the abbey once stood (the surrounding marshes known for eels).

A charter of Jonathan, Bishop of Dunblane, refers to the place "qui uocatur lingua Scottica Inche Affren"[2] (="which is called in the Gaelic language Inche Affren") and comparative usage shows that Insula Missarum was taken as a translation, e.g. "Sancti Johannis evangeliste de Inchefrren"[3] and "sancto Johanni apostolo de Insula Misserum".

[4] A priory was created on the site of an existing ecclesiastical establishment of a group of clerics known as "the brethren of St John of Strathearn".

[7] Abbot Maurice of Inchaffray carried the relics of Saint Fillan to bless the Scots army before the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

By 1561 Inchaffrey's fortunes had declined, its income being assessed at £667, third lowest of the Augustinian abbeys in Scotland included in the levy.

Ruins of the abbey as depicted in 1794
Abbey as it is today. This taken from the reverse angle of the above sketch.
Map of the area around the abbey in Strathearn
Two-sided pendant seals from Inchaffray Abbey, late 13th century, now in the British Museum . [ 6 ]
Seal of the abbot of Inchaffray. The abbot is either Innocent or Nicholas.