St Mary's Monastery & Retreat Centre

Lovely peaceful monastery on Kinnoull Hill, overlooking the city of Perth. Sunday Mass in the church was lovely.
Mar 22nd, 2023

It's a lovely place for a retreat. The community and the staff are so welcoming and the food is good and plentiful. All rooms en suite and very comfortable.
Mar 21st, 2023

I have just been on my first visit to St Mary's on a personal retreat. I received the warmest of welcomes from the community, Pat, Charlie and Ronnie. My room was very comfortable with beautiful views of the garden and fields beyond and an amazing power shower ! The communal areas are ideal for reading and relaxing. There is ample space to be alone for contemplation but also ample opportunity to chat to others if you are a solo visitor. I requested a vegan diet and the food completely exceeded my expectations, it was delicious, carefully thought about and super tasty.Walkers are spoilt for choice and views, and if lucky, like myself, you might enjoy spotting a red squirrel or two
Mar 7th, 2023

I just spent 4 days here and loved everything about my visit. The fathers and sister are very welcoming. They invited me to join them at their table during meal times, they are too loving and humble. The grounds and gardens are breathtaking. A walk up the hill takes you to the summit where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Tay River. Perth is only a mile away, a walking distance. From there you can catch the train and travel to different places to explore Scotland. I enjoyed a day trip to Edinburgh, which father Ronnie recommended and helped me plan. He even drove me to catch the train after mass, so I wouldn't miss it. The room was very clean with an ensuite. The entire monastery is very clean. The meals are delicious and fresh with vegetarian options. Excellent price for all you get. Excellent wifi also. St Mary's is an ideal place to go if you are looking for a place to retreat, relax, enjoy peace and God's perfect creation. Thank you father Ronnie, Sister Shiela, all the fathers, Carol, thank you to the entire community for making my stay very special. May God bless!
Jul 20th, 2022

I have just completed a 5 day personal retreat at St Marys Kinnoull. It has been a wonderful and physically, mentally and spiritually reviving experience. My room was very comfortable, warm and with a fantastic en-suite private bathroom. The catering was very good and the staff preparing and serving it were excellent, helpful and very careful at following covid regulations. In fact, all throughout the building and at all times you felt really safe with regards to implementation of covid safety guidelines. The congregation, including Sister Sheila and Father Charles were so kind and made my stay wonderful with a mix of warmth and good humor but also respect for my private time and space. Attending prayer times and mass alongside the congragation and other guests was a very humbling, healing experience. However its worth pointing out that you never felt under any pressure to join in any services or events. They made sure everyone was welcomed and treated equally regardless of their creed or lack of it. The grounds are so quiet and beautiful and there are wonderful opportunities for lovely walks nearby, from Kinnoull Hill to Branklyin Gardens and with Perth city and the riverside very easy to access by foot. All in all it has been such a great opportunity to find some peace and having a good rest at these difficult times. Thanks so much for taking such good care of me. Thanks to Carole at reception for all her efficiency and to the gardener for keeping the grounds so appealing. Ill definitely be back! Ana Speedie.
Apr 25th, 2021