A historic church with links to St Margaret of Scotland could be taken into state care as efforts are underway to preserve public access amid rising costs. Proposals have been made for Dunfermline Abbey, which hosts the bones of King Robert the Bruce, to come under the responsibility of Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
The abbey, which was founded in 1128 on the site of a priory established by St Margaret, costs £60,000 a year to maintain, with a further £4 million required for repairs. It is considered one of Scotland’s most historically significant religious sites as it became the primary burial place for Scottish monarchs during the Middle Ages and has been described as “Scotland’s Westminster Abbey”.
