Also known as “the Cathedral of St Andrew” this is a ruined cathedral located in St Andrews, Fife. Undiscovered Scotland tells us: “A religious community was probably first located on this site in about 732, when relics of St Andrew were brought to what was then known as Kilrimont or Cennrígmonaid by Bishop Acca of Hexham. There is an alternative and probably more fanciful story, that Saint Rule (also known as St Regulus) brought a number of St Andrew's bones here by boat in 347, having sailed from Patras in Greece and eventually surviving a shipwreck near the site of today's harbour.”placeholder image
Also known as “the Cathedral of St Andrew” this is a ruined cathedral located in St Andrews, Fife. Undiscovered Scotland tells us: “A religious community was probably first located on this site in about 732, when relics of St Andrew were brought to what was then known as Kilrimont or Cennrígmonaid by Bishop Acca of Hexham. There is an alternative and probably more fanciful story, that Saint Rule (also known as St Regulus) brought a number of St Andrew's bones here by boat in 347, having sailed from Patras in Greece and eventually surviving a shipwreck near the site of today's harbour.” | Leonhard_Niederwimmer on Pixabay

25 Scottish ruins and abandoned sites that people want to see restored voted on in poll

Abandoned buildings and ruins serve as physical evidence of Scotland’s intriguing past which, despite some arguing serve no purpose today, are still deeply treasured by many as proven by a recent poll.

With a surplus of abandoned buildings and ancient ruins scattered throughout the country it is no wonder why Scotland has earned a reputation as a place rich in mythology and rumours of haunted locations. For example, Scotland’s castles - of which Visit Scotland estimates there were once as many as 3,000 - correspond to Scottish clans and remind us of our bloody history with hard-fought battles that forever shaped Scotland into what it is today.

The Scottish architectural legacy is one world-famous for good reason with other incredible examples of craftsmanship like our revered churches and influential Scottish figures like Charles Rennie Mackintosh. However, in the modern era many of these majestic buildings have been left to withstand the punishment of time without any sort of maintenance or repair, leaving a wealth of stunning architecture to perish.

That’s why we asked our Scotsman readers: “What abandoned building or ruin in Scotland would you like to see restored?" In response, we received a treasure trove of inspired nominations that we have collated into this list of twenty-five Scottish buildings that we would like to see restored to their former glory.

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