Priors and Abbots of Pluscarden
| TENURE | SUPERIOR | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| VALLISCAULIAN PRIORY | ||
| 1239 ? 1264 | Simon John Frer John Suryass |
Exact dates unknown |
| 1264–1274 | Andrew | Later Abbot of Kinloss |
| 1274* | William | Bagimond’s Tax Roll, Pluscarden assessed for £533 annual income. |
| 1286* | Simon | |
| 1345* | John Wise | |
| 1367–1398 | Thomas Fullonis | |
| 1398* | Alexander de Pluscardyn | Brother of Henry de Pluscardyn, Chancellor at Elgin Cathedral |
| c.1417* | Eoghann MacPheadair | David Cran, monk of Deer intruded briefly as prior. |
| 1428* | Andrew Symson | Monk of Deer |
| 1435* | Richard Lundy | Monk of Melrose; did not take up office – the monks of Pluscarden elect William Birnie, a Pluscarden monk, but this was disputed by Symson and law suit continued until 1439 |
| 1447* | Willam Hagis | Monk of Pluscarden; election challenged by William Birnie. |
| 1449–1454 | Andrew Haag | Bull of Pope Nicholas V dated 1454 commanding the union of the priories of Urquhart and Pluscarden |
| FIRST BENEDICTINE PRIORY | ||
| 1454* | John Bonally | Pluscarden and Urquhart priories merge by Papal Bull. John Bonally, monk of Dunfermline and Prior of Urquhart appointed Prior of Pluscarden. |
| 1456–1476 | William Boyce | Monk of Dunfermline |
| 1476–1480 | Thomas Foster | Monk of Dunfermline; Gavin Dunbar, cleric of Moray Diocese, later Bishop of Aberdeen, attempts to become prior in 1479. |
| 1481 – 1486? | David Boyce | Monk of Dunfermline and elected by the community. |
| 1487–1509 | Robert Harrower | |
| 1509–1529 | George Learmonth | Secular cleric of St Andrews Diocese. Died March 1531. |
| 1529–1560 | Alexander Dunbar | Secular cleric of Ross Diocese. Died September 1560 |
| COMMENDATORY PRIORY | ||
| 1561* | Master William Cranston | 1561 – 1562 George, 7th Lord Seton named Yconomus of Pluscarden. |
| 1565–1577 | Alexander Seton | Alexander Seton was the 4th son of the 7th Lord Seton and was the Prior of Pluscarden after being appointed by Queen Mary Stuart. In 1577, he was deprived of Pluscarden for failing to adhere to Protestantism. |
| 1577–1582 | James Douglas | Intruded as prior. Natural son of James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton. |
| 1587 | Alexander Seton | Pluscarden was erected into a temporal lordship belonging to Seton.
He became Lord Urquhart upon his appointment to the legal bench and later received the title of Lord Fyvie in 1597, and then Earl of Dunfermline in 1605. He became Chancellor of Scotland under King James VI. |
| LAY PRIORY | ||
| 1595–1611 | Kenneth Mackenzie of Kintail | |
| 1611–1633 | Colin Mackenzie 2nd Lord Kintail | |
| 1633–1649 | Thomas Mackenzie of Kintail | |
| 1649–1655 | Sir George Mackenzie of Tarbat | |
| 1655–1662 | Sir George Mackenzie | |
| 1662–1664 | George Sinclair, Earl of Caithness and Major George Bateman | Joint lay priors of Pluscarden |
| 1664–1687 | Major George Bateman | Sole lay prior of Pluscarden |
| 1687–1709 | James Grant of Grant | |
| 1709–1763 | William Duff of Dipple | Later 1st Earl of Fife |
| 1763–1809 | James, 2nd Earl of Fife | |
| 1809–1811 | Alexander, 3rd Earl of Fife | |
| 1811–1857 | James, 4th Earl of Fife | |
| 1857–1879 | James, 5th Earl of Fife | |
| 1879–1889 | Alexander, 5th Earl of Fife, 1st Duke of Fife | |
| 1889–1900 | John, 3rd Marquess of Bute | |
| 1900–1945 | Lord Colum Crichton-Stuart | |
| SECOND BENEDICTINE PRIORY AND FIRST ABBEY | ||
| 1945–1948 | Dom Benedict Steuart | Titular Prior of Pluscarden |
| 1948–1951 | Dom Brendan McHugh | Local Superior and acting Prior |
| 1950 | Dom Wilfred Upson | Abbot of Prinknash (1938–1963) declared de jure Prior of Pluscarden by Lord Lyon, King of Arms |
| 1951–1961 | Dom Norbert Cowen | Local Superior and acting Prior |
| 1963 | Dom Dyfrig Rushton | Abbot of Prinknash (1963–1979) and Major Superior of Pluscarden Abbey (1963–66) |
| 1961–1966 | Dom Columba Wynne | Local Superior and acting Prior |
| 1966 |
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| 1966–1974 | Dom Alfred Spencer | Conventual Prior |
| 1974 |
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| 1974–1992 | Dom Alfred Spencer | 1st Abbot of Pluscarden |
| 1992–2011 | Dom Hugh Gilbert | 2nd Abbot of Pluscarden |
| 2011 — | Dom Anselm Atkinson | 3rd Abbot of Pluscarden and Abbot Visitor of the English Province of the Subiaco Congregation of Benedictines 2003 — |
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