For the truly romantic amongst you, Sweetheart Abbey is a lovely red sandstone ruin from the late 13th century and is just over an hours from Otter Cottage in Newton Stewart. The Abbey of Dulce Cor as it is properly called is a Cistercian monastery and was founded by Lady Dervorgilla of Galloway. Wife of Lord John Balliol, this grieving widow is said to have carried around his embalmed heart in an ivory casket. She was laid to rest some 20 years later in the abbey grounds still clutching his heart next to her bosom.
Due to unstable stonework around the high remains of the abbey there is limited access however you can still wander around the cloisters and the low remains and it is free to visit at the moment. The countryside around the location is beautiful so don’t be put off.
