SWEETHEART ABBEY, NEW ABBEY, DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY, SCOTLAND.
IN 1268, LORD JOHN BALLIOL DIED. HIS GRIEVING WIDOW, LADY DERVORGILLA OF GALLOWAY, HAD HIS HEART EMBALMED AND PLACED IN AN IVORY CASKET. SHE CARRIED IT WITH HER EVERYWHERE.
SHE UNDERTOOK MANY CHARITABLE ACTS IN HIS MEMORY. THESE INCLUDED THE FOUNDING OF THE CISTERCIAN ABBEY OF DULCE COR (LATIN FOR ‘SWEET HEART’) IN 1273. WHEN SHE TOO DIED IN 1289, SHE WAS LAID TO REST IN FRONT OF THE ABBEY CHURCH’S HIGH ALTAR, CLUTCHING HER HUSBAND’S HEART TO HER BOSOM.
ON HER DEATH, SHE WAS LAID TO REST NEXT TO HER HUSBAND’S EMBALMED HEART AND THE MONKS NAMED THEIR ABBEY, SWEETHEART ABBEY IN MEMORY OF HER.
SWEETHEART ABBEY’S CONCEPTION AS A SHRINE TO HUMAN AND DIVINE LOVE IS DEEPLY APPEALING. SO TOO IS ITS ATTRACTIVE SETTING. THE GRACEFUL RUIN NESTLES BETWEEN THE GREY BULK OF CRIFFEL AND THE SHIMMERING WATERS OF THE SOLWAY FIRTH, WHILST IT’S BLOOD-RED SANDSTONE WALLS CONTRAST WITH THE LUSH GREEN GRASS AT THEIR FEET.

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