|
In June 1300, Edward I invaded Galloway. It was not long before he received a statement from Pope Boniface VIII demanding that the he withdraw. Edward withdrew, but the next year a larger force, led by his son, Edward Prince of Wales, invaded Galloway. Tradition has it that when the prince proposed to visit Saint Ninian’s shrine at Whithorn, the Scots moved the saint’s image to Sweetheart Abbey, near Dumfries in the south of Scotland. That same night, anxious to receive the offerings of the prince, Saint Ninian supposedly caused the image to be miraculously restored to its shrine some 100 miles (160 km) away! |
| Following in the footsteps of Edward II, whom he convincingly defeated at Bannockburn in 1314, Robert Bruce came to Whithorn in 1329 - just three months before his death. According to tradition, Robert suffered from leprosy and came to pray at Saint Ninian’s tomb, where other sufferers of the disease were said to have been healed. Today, historians believe the king suffered from some other disease or series of conditions. Whatever his ailment, it is thought that his pilgrimage was a painful one, testament both to his courage and the |
![]() |
|
With a small party, the king set out for Whithorn on foot. He stopped only to have his shoes repaired and reached the shrine in eight days. When the queen and young prince recovered, James attributed this to the blessings of St Ninian resulting from his pilgrimage. His journeys are well recorded, and form the most complete record of individual pilgrimage in medieval Scotland. These were very public displays of devotion, during which he was seen by his subjects and distributed money to them. |
|
In August 1563, Mary travelled to Galloway, visiting the important lairds (owners of landed estates) of the region and stopping off at Glenluce Abbey and Lincluden Collegiate Church. She spent the night of 10 August at Whithorn, where she visited Saint Ninian’s shrine. |
| The Prince of Wales In his capacity as the Duke of Rothesay, Prince Charles paid a visit to Whithorn in May 2000. He was given a guided tour of the site, visited the museum and listened to a choir of local children singing in the priory ruins. After signing the visitors’ book, he also visited the coastal village of Isle of Whithorn, about 3 miles (5 km) south-west of Whithorn, to meet the bereaved families of seven fishermen from the area. They had lost their lives when the Solway Harvester sank off the Isle of Man earlier that year. |
![]() |