The West Kirk, near Culross, is the site of the Benedictine abbey, the Black Kirk. In “The Way Out” the Black Kirk is blamed for Tammas Baxter’s illness, the villagers believing him to be possessed after visiting the kirk. Jamie takes Claire to the site of the Black Kirk. While there he explains how young boys would visit the kirk as a dare, and sometimes eat berries and wood garlic. Claire realises that the wood garlic is actually lilly of the valley, the cause of Tammas’s illness.
Culross West Kirk was built in the early 1500s. It was the official place of worship for Culross until 1633 when a new law moved this to the nearby the Abbey Parish Church. However, it was used for burials up until the 19th century.
