Arbroath Abbey

The picturesque, red-sandstone ruins of Arbroath Abbey, founded in 1178 by King William the Lion, dominate the town of Arbroath. It is thought that Bernard of Linton, the abbot here in the early 14th century, wrote the famous Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, asserting Scotland's right to independence; an exhibition in the beautifully preserved Abbot's House includes a replica of the declaration. You can climb part way up one of the towers for a grand view over the ruins.