The remote Glenluce Abbey was founded by Roland, Lord of Galloway, in 1192. Its austre-living Cistercian monks came from the nearby Dundrennan Abbey. Their monastic life lasted for 400 years, until the Protestant Reformation of 1560. The abbey fell into disrepair after the death of the last remaining monk in 1602.

Although less substantial than other medieval monastic ruins, it uniquely retains parts of the original piped water supply. The entrance to the Chapter House, which dates to around 1500, includes a section of reconstructed cloister arcade.