Appeal for information after damage to pillar at Kilwinning Abbey
Police are investigating after a stone in the 13th century building was destroyed
Last updated 13th Sep 2024
Historic Environment Scotland is appealing for help from the public to find whoever is responsible for causing criminal damage at Kilwinning Abbey.
The damage was done to the 13th century pier of the Abbey, which supports the arched entrance into what used to be the abbey’s south-west tower.
One of the lower courses of the pier has been completely destroyed, with the stone still lying on the scene of the crime.
Police Scotland is investigating the incident, while HES is ensuring a replacement stone is cut using templates from the neighbouring stones and installed in place of the damaged stone.
Gillian Gardner, Physical Security Senior Manager at HES, said:
"One of the worst heritage crimes I've seen"
“This is the worst case of heritage crime I have seen in a long time. It is heart-breaking to see historic fabric destroyed in this manner.
“As highlighted in our recent campaign with CrimeStoppers and Police Scotland, heritage crime is a serious matter which damages our historic sites and robs us of our history. Reckless acts such as this one carry the risk of serious injury to both the perpetrator and anyone else on-site. Not only is it dangerous, but this kind of vandalism has a knock-on effect on all of our sites, as our conservation specialists are pulled away from their core conservation work on other monuments to tend to these incidents.
“We urge anyone with information regarding this incident that could help investigations to get in touch with Police Scotland on 101; or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or crimestoppers-uk.org.”