{{Short description|Priory in Moray, Scotland}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=March 2025}} '''Urquhart Priory''' was a Benedictine monastic community in Moray; the priory was dedicated to the Holy Trinity.<ref>[https://canmore.org.uk/site/16577/urquhart-priory "Urquhart Priory", Canmore]</ref> It was founded by King David I of Scotland in 1136<ref>[http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/8347/name/Urquhart+Priory+Site%2C+Moray+Urquhart+Grampian "Urquhart Priory Site, Moray", Powis]</ref> as a cell of Dunfermline Abbey in the aftermath of the defeat of King Óengus of Moray. It remained a dependency of Dunfermline.<ref>[https://www.poms.ac.uk/record/person/549/ "Urquhart Priory", PoMS, no. 549]</ref>
In 1453, John Bonally, the Prior of Urquhart formally requested from the Pope that his monastery and Pluscarden be merged. At that time, Urquhart had only two monks and Pluscarden had six.<ref>Macphail, S R: History of the Religious House of Pluscardyn.1881 Edinburgh, p 223</ref> A papal bull was issued by Nicholas V on 12 March 1453 joining the priories and from then on Pluscarden became a daughter house of the Benedictine Dunfermline Abbey. Pluscarden was chosen over Urquhart for the priory location as the buildings were larger and thought easier to restore<ref>[https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/smrpub/master/detail.aspx?tab=maps&refno=NJ26SE0005 "Urquhart Priory", Aberdeenshire Council]</ref> and Bonally was appointed as its first Benedictine prior.<ref>[https://www.pluscardenabbey.org/history "The Abbey", Pluscarden Abbey]</ref>
The site was abandoned; there are no surface remains of the priory, although stones are occasionally ploughed up.
==See also== * Prior of Urquhart, for a list of priors and commendators
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Bibliography== * Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., ''Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland <small>With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man</small>'', Second Edition, (London, 1976), p. 61 * Watt, D.E.R. & Shead, N.F. (eds.), ''The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from the 12th to the 16th Centuries'', The Scottish Records Society, New Series, Volume 24, (Edinburgh, 2001), pp. 213–16
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Category:Listed monasteries in Scotland Category:Benedictine monasteries in Scotland Category:Christian monasteries established in the 1130s Category:1136 establishments in Europe Category:History of Moray Category:Religion in Moray Category:Former Christian monasteries in Scotland