Culross Abbey was built for Cistercian monks in the 1200s and survived until the Reformation of 1560. The abbey church became the parish church, which in its current form dates back to around 1632. It is located high on a hillside above the coastal village of Culross. The unusual setting is thought to be the site of an early Christian community led by St Serf and of which St Kentigern (Mungo) was a member.

When monastic life came to an end the domestic buildings were left to fall into ruin. Only parts of the nave and cellarium remain, along with the foundations and piers of the undercrofts of the east range and frater.