Abbot House is claimed to be the oldest surviving secular building in Dunfermline, its core dating from the 15th century. It sits directly next to the abbey gatehouse on Maygate, its pink-harled walls standing out among the other historic buildings in the area. The building has had many uses over the centuries — it was a private house, then a boarding school, and is now a heritage centre telling the story of Dunfermline's history from the Picts to the present day.
The building itself is worth visiting for its architecture: the ground floor has a vaulted ceiling typical of late-medieval Scottish construction, and the upper floors have been carefully restored. The displays inside cover the long history of the royal burgh, with particular focus on the abbey period and Dunfermline's role as a medieval capital. The building is directly adjacent to the abbey and best visited as part of a wider tour of the historic centre.