St Peter’s Seminary has been abandoned for over 30 years and has been described by many as a “modern building of global significance” as the ancient religious site once served as a college for priests.
Situated in woodland in the village of Cardross, Argyll and Bute, the building first opened in 1966 and was where young men were sent to train as priests before entering the Roman Catholic Church.
However, the site never reached its full capacity of 100 students and was plagued by problems from the beginning, including maintenance difficulties.
It closed in 1980 due to the stagnation of Catholic congregations, which meant that the number of candidates entering the priesthood began to decline.
Pictured: The imposing St Peter’s Seminary, nestled in the woodlands of the village of Cardross, Argyll and Bute.
Previously used as a college for priests, the structure has endless floors reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic scene, with foliage crawling across the concrete.
You could spend hours exploring the eerie building, which is covered in graffiti and littered with rubbish.
A nod to his past, Priest is emblazoned on the wall in bright yellow writing, reflecting off the gloomy, flooded floor.
The concrete labyrinth, in which one could easily get lost, was previously a drug rehabilitation center but was evacuated in the late 1980s.
It later became a drug rehabilitation centre but due to continuing problems it was vacated in the late 1980s.
The grand grey concrete building stands out like a flying thumb in the lush Scottish forest. Decorated with solemn, colourful décor, the seminary links the past with the present.
Getting lost in the maze of hallways would be an easy task, as the ruined corridors twist and turn throughout the desolate structure.
Reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic scene, a large open area of the structure has trash strewn everywhere while the walls are awash with street art.
In a subtle nod to its past, one wall has “Priest” written on it in bright, bold letters, which are reflected in the soggy puddle that fills the floor.
Explorers could spend hours on the multi-story property, which has endless paths and hiding places to explore.
St Peter’s Seminary is one of 42 post-war buildings listed as Category A, the highest level of protection for a site of “special architectural or historic interest”.
In 2017, an arts charity raised a large amount of money to restore parts of the building and safeguard the rest (in case sufficient funds could not be raised).
The grand grey structure (pictured, nestled in a Scottish woodland) was previously a place for young men to train to become priests, but this eventually ceased to happen as the number of those seeking the priesthood dwindled.
Rusted, damaged fences and graffiti (pictured) litter the historic structure, leaving it to crumble into ruin.
St Peter’s Seminary (pictured) is one of 42 post-war buildings listed as Category A, the highest level of protection for a site of “special architectural or historic interest”.
In 2017, an arts charity raised money to restore sections of the building and safeguard the rest; in case there were not enough funds, money could be raised (pictured: The Seminary from an aerial view)
The Scottish Government previously rejected an application to place the building under state guardianship in 2019 on the grounds that the estimated cost of making it safe for public access was too high (pictured: a piece of street art of a blue man on a green background)
Four years ago the site was handed over to the Kilmahew Education Trust, which is preparing plans to restore the educational elements of the complex (pictured: curved concrete modules on the outskirts of the building)
Just two years later, the Scottish Government rejected an application to place the building under state guardianship because the estimated cost of making it safe for public access was too high.
In July 2020 the site was handed over to the Kilmahew Education Trust, which plans to reinstate the educational elements of the Seminary Complex following conservation and restoration.
However, to this day, St Peter’s Church is in a sorry state, with almost every wall covered in some form of graffiti. Argyll and Bute Council says there are currently no plans to restore the building.
An Argyll and Bute spokesman said: ‘The plans for St Peter’s Seminary are in the hands of its owners, who are responsible for its upkeep.
‘Argyll and Bute Council would welcome any future discussions with them to find a sustainable future for the building and surrounding land.’
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