The Cistercian abbey founded at Culross in 1217 is now largely in ruins, but the surviving choir and tower of the medieval church are still in use as the parish church of Culross — a continuity of worship on this site spanning eight centuries. The ruins of the nave and cloister buildings are preserved in the hillside above the village and are freely accessible.
The walk up from the village through the churchyard to the abbey takes about ten minutes and rewards with good views over the Firth of Forth and the Ochil Hills beyond. The parish church itself (the former choir of the medieval building) contains several fine carved medieval and Renaissance monuments, including the alabaster tomb of Sir George Bruce — builder of Culross Palace — and his family. Allow time to look at the older gravestones in the churchyard, many of them with elaborate Scots Renaissance carving.