Churches in Scotland

This metallic cross was most likely the last thing a condemned person would see while on the gallows.

This impressive Gothic church dates back to 1244 and stands on the site of one of the first churches in Scotland.

Twenty carved heads in Glasgow take a comical, modern twist to the medieval apotropaic, avenger of evil.

This unusual 15th-century house of worship once catered to those who sought its healing properties.

An 18th-century religious argument etched into stone.

This Norman church survived the Reformation before suffering 300 years of neglect.

The ruins of a world-renowned medieval hospital.

According to local legend, this church was built with two doors, so that residents of two rival villages had their own entrances.

This remote Scottish island has the only round church in the nation.

The oldest church in Inverness witnessed the brutal executions of many Scottish soldiers.

Edinburgh’s version of the Sistine Chapel is this former church, with an interior covered in paintings done by one woman over the course of nearly a decade.

The true beauty of this church is showcased in the hand-painted stencils across the ceiling.

Dating back to the 500s, these stones include some of the oldest Christian memorials in Scotland.

Named after a 6th-century saint, who was also a scholar.

Now in ruins, this abbey was the home of Tironensian monks for more than 400 years.

The ruins of a small church belonging to a powerful Scottish family still hold the remains of its patriarch.