Tironensian monastery founded around 1162 in Ayrshire, Scotland. The Tironensian order were expert builders of underground tunnel systems, and researchers believe the abbey received Templar treasure smuggled from La Rochelle after the order's suppression in 1307.
About This Site
Kilwinning Abbey is the ruins of a Tironensian monastery founded around 1162 in the town of Kilwinning in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The Tironensian order was a group of builder monks founded in Tiron, France, in 1109 who constructed more than 100 abbeys and priories across France, England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. The Tironensians were not only expert builders above ground but were also highly skilled at constructing underground tunnel systems, including passages believed to connect Rosslyn Chapel to a nearby castle. Kilwinning is also traditionally associated with the origins of Scottish Freemasonry; the Mother Lodge Kilwinning No. 0, considered the oldest Masonic lodge in Scotland, claims a direct connection to the abbey and the builder traditions it preserved.
Connection to Oak Island
In Season 2, Rick, Marty, and Alex Lagina visited Kilwinning with Dave Blankenship, Charles Barkhouse, and researchers Kathleen McGowan and Alan Butler. Butler explained that after King Philip IV of France ordered the arrest of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307, eighteen ships believed to be carrying precious Templar cargo left the port of La Rochelle and sailed for Scotland. Scotland was a safe haven because King Robert the Bruce had been excommunicated by the Pope, placing the entire country beyond Rome's reach. Butler and McGowan argued that the Templar treasure, including what they identified as the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, was brought into the nearby harbour at Saltcoats and then moved to Kilwinning Abbey.
The Tironensian connection is significant because the engineering sophistication required to build the Money Pit's flood tunnel system and underground vault would be consistent with the Tironensians' documented expertise in underground construction. McGowan and Butler proposed that the Knights Templar formed a secret alliance with the Tironensians and later the Freemasons to transport and conceal sacred objects, ultimately hiding them on Oak Island.
Fieldwork Notes
Visited during Season 2 by Rick Lagina, Marty Lagina, Alex Lagina, Dave Blankenship, and Charles Barkhouse with researchers Kathleen McGowan and Alan Butler. The team examined the abbey ruins and discussed the Tironensian builder-monk tradition, the 1307 Templar fleet from La Rochelle, and the proposed alliance between Templars, Tironensians, and Freemasons.
