1889 excavations at Whithorn Priory

The earliest known excavation at Whithorn Priory began around 1889. The Third Marquess of Bute, who had paid for repairs at other important historical sites, funded the work.

At the time, few historic monuments were cared for by the state and conservation was in the hands of benevolent landowners and patrons.

Local architect William Galloway directed the work, stabilising the existing masonry and making plans and drawings. He focused mainly on the priory church and crypts.





During the excavations, two important discoveries were made. The first of these was the end of a rectangular building, which workmen found while clearing rubble to the north of the east end of the priory church.

Galloway decided this had been a lady chapel, a small place of worship dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Such chapels were often part of Premonstratensian abbeys and priories.

Galloway also found part of an older church, projecting from beneath the east end of the crypt.

Galloway’s other major discovery was the Latinus Stone, the earliest Christian monument in Scotland. This was found re-used somewhere within the east end of the cathedral.

Galloway’s works were never published and there is only one known photograph of the excavation.

Later excavations uncovered evidence of this early excavation including workmen’s boots and the base of a wooden crane used by the stonemasons.