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A salmon-pink painted house with stepped gables stands behind a clipped hedge maze, a castle wall and turret rising on the hillside behind.
Fife

Abbot House

Dunfermline's oldest house, the coral-pink home of the abbots by the abbey, restored with a coffee shop, a gift shop of local makers and a walled garden.

Welcome

Beside the great abbey of Dunfermline, on the corner of Maygate, stands a house painted a startling coral pink, with stepped gables and a walled garden.

Abbot House is the oldest house in Dunfermline, more than four hundred years old, and it has survived the great fire of 1624, wars and the upheaval of the Reformation.

It was built for the abbots and commendators of the abbey, and later passed through many hands, among them merchants, tailors, a sea captain and a pharmacist. For years it was known as the Old Grey House, until it was lime-washed pink in the 1990s, possibly its original colour. Look above the main door for a carved motto, a stern warning against idle gossip.

After years of restoration the house has opened its doors again, with a coffee shop, a gift shop of work by local makers, a nook of Scottish and antique books and artists' studios upstairs. The walled garden is a quiet place to sit.

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Before you go

The coffee shop and gift shop open Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 4pm, and Sunday 10am to 4pm, according to Abbot House.

Closed Monday.

Where
Maygate, Dunfermline, KY12 7NE.
Oldest house
In Dunfermline.
Inside
Coffee shop and gifts.

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Did you know

A weathered carved stone inscription in archaic lettering spans a lintel above a doorway on a red-painted building, a sash window above.
Did you know

A warning over the door.

The motto above the main door warns against idle talk; it is said to have been put there by Robert Pitcairn, a leading figure of the Reformation.

A salmon-pink painted house with stepped gables overlooks a courtyard fountain and clipped hedges lining paved paths.
Did you know

The Pink House.

For years it was the Old Grey House, until it was lime-washed pink in the 1990s, perhaps its original colour.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Fife

Resplendent behind a glowing pink exterior, Abbot House is thought to be the oldest building in Dunfermline. It dates back to around 1450 and was likely the residence of the abbot – being mere steps from the abbey itself – and its bulky stone walls were secure enough to survive the Great Fire of Dunfermline in 1624. Having spent several years closed due to a lack of funding, it’s now open to visitors once more.

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Where it is

On Maygate beside Dunfermline Abbey, in the old centre of Dunfermline, KY12 7NE.

Close byDunfermline.
  1. The green shopfront of Must Be Crackers! on Dunfermline High Street, its counter and shelves seen through the open door.Must Be Crackers!Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. Child runs across a ladybird-themed play park, ice cream van parked behindPittencrieff ParkThe glen and its peacocks.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. Stone entrance building with wooden bench, lettering reads "Saint Margaret's CaveSt Margaret's CaveUnder a mile 1 min by road
  4. Dunfermline Abbey and PalaceDunfermline Abbey and PalaceThe abbey and palace next door.1 mile 5 min by road
  5. Aproned woman and dog stand outside Coorie by the Coast caféCoorie by the Coast4 miles 9 min by road
  6. Aberdour Castle and GardensAberdour Castle and GardensA castle and terraced gardens.9 miles 18 min by road
Directions
The grave of Lilias Adie, a flat sandstone slab on the sands of Torryburn Bay at low tide.AttractionsGrave of Lilias Adie4.7 miles
Blackness Castle stands on the Firth of Forth shoreline at low tideAttractionsBlackness Castle4.9 miles as the crow flies
Turreted castle with rows of tall windows behind a mown grass pathAttractionsHouse of the Binns6.0 miles as the crow flies
The counter at Dune Bakery in South Queensferry, with croissants, pains au chocolat, twists, cruffins and focaccia sandwiches behind glass.CafeDune Bakery6.2 miles
Haggs Wynd climbing past the palace wall.AttractionsHaggs Wynd Culross7.2 miles
Parleyhill House's curved gable with its two oval attic windows, Culross.AttractionsThe House with the Evil Eyes7.2 miles
Forth Bridge's red steel cantilevers seen through overhanging tree branches across the waterAttractionsForth Bridge7.3 miles
Cochrane's bust with the Scottish and Chilean flags behind.AttractionsAdmiral Thomas Cochrane Statue Culross7.3 miles
The alabaster monument to Sir George Bruce with his children kneeling before it, Culross Abbey.AttractionsThe Bruce Vault, Culross Abbey7.3 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the house, and when each is next free.

West End Muse
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Fife
  • 13 miles from Abbot House
Check datesA hotel studio room with a beige fitted kitchen unit and stainless sink beside a bed dressed in white and teal cushions, a wall of black-framed pictures above a patterned headboard.Old Town Chambers
  • To stay
  • In Edinburgh
  • 13 miles from Abbot House
Check datesA round table and chairs stand before tall curtained windows looking onto stone buildings, a sofa and mounted television to the right.Moment George IV Bridge
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Edinburgh
  • 14 miles from Abbot House
Check datesA turreted sandstone building with conical spires catches the evening light above rooftops, a large pine tree standing beside it.The Scott Hotel
  • A hotel
  • In Edinburgh
  • 15 miles from Abbot House
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in FifeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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