File:The North Trancept of Culross Abbey (28368736550).jpg

The abbey is now used as the Parish Church of Culross. It is accessed through a door under the tower that leads to what was the choir of the original abbey. The nave was removed in c 1500. On the far left of the choir, viewed from the door, is the entrance to the north transept. It was from this point that the above photograph was taken. The steps lead to the Bruce Vault that was built in 1642. Within the vault are memorials to Sir George Bruce (c 1550 – 1625) and Sir Robert Preston (1740-1834). The Bruce Memorial, shown in the first comment below, is on the right as you enter the vault. For more about the general layout of the church including a photograph showing the two memorials in one view visit Undiscovered Scotland: Culross Abbey

The large tablet – visible through the arch – is a memorial to Sir Robert Preston and his wife Elizabeth (1765-1832) both of whose remains are deposited beneath the chapel. Sir Robert was born in Culross and, in about 1810, purchased from the 9th Earl of Dundonald Culross Abbey House, including its considerable estate and the Abbey itself. The Earl was by then virtually bankrupt.

In 1825, the Earl's son – Thomas Cochrane, RN – revisited the village of his birth and was warmly received by Sir Robert at the Abbey House. Cochrane by then had achieved considerable successes in the British, Chilean and Brazilian navies. It was always his wish to accumulate sufficient finances to buy back the estate, but Sir Robert was not prepared to sell.