Rossie Priory

Rossie Priory is a Regency Gothic country house near the villages of Baledgarno and Inchture in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Despite the name, it was never a monastery. It is the seat of the Kinnaird family, set in a large designed landscape close to the Firth of Tay.

What is Rossie Priory?

William Atkinson designed the house for the 8th Lord Kinnaird in the early 1800s; sources give dates between 1807 and 1817. It took the place of the family's earlier home, Drimmie House. The Kinnairds have held these lands since 1399.

In 1949 most of the mansion was pulled down. The west wing and chapel survived and were restored by Basil Spence's practice, while the footprint of the demolished ground floor became a south-facing terrace. Historic Environment Scotland lists the house at Category B.

What surrounds the house?

The estate covers roughly 2,000 acres. The present layout dates from around 1800, and HES rates the grounds as outstanding on its Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes. The grounds include:

• parkland, woodland and walled gardens,
• an arboretum begun in the 1860s,
• three ornamental gardens: the Terrace, the Topiary garden with its clipped yew hedges, and the Water garden,
• Old Rossie Chapel, a medieval church abandoned in 1670 and rebuilt as a memorial chapel around 1870 (Category A),
• the ruin of Moncur Castle, a late 16th-century tower,
• listed cottages and lodges, including those at Baledgarno and Inchture.

Can you visit Rossie Priory?

It is a private estate, not a regular visitor attraction. The house is let for private and corporate house parties, so there are no standard opening hours. Check access with the estate before you travel. The setting and architecture are best appreciated from public roads and paths in the area.

How do you get there?

The estate lies about 9.6 miles (15 km) by road west of Dundee city centre, beside Inchture on the north shore of the Tay. A car is the easiest way; local roads link Inchture and Baledgarno with Dundee and Perth.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rossie Priory a monastery? No. The name echoes the area's medieval past, but the building is a 19th-century Regency Gothic mansion.

Who built Rossie Priory? The architect was William Atkinson, working for the 8th Lord Kinnaird.

Can I go inside? The house is private and let for closed events. Entry depends on the owners' permission.

What is protected? The house is Category B listed, Old Rossie Chapel is Category A, and the grounds are on Scotland's Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes.