St. John's Church was built between the 12th and 16th centuries, though there must have been churches preceding it. It was heavily damaged during World War II, but it has been restored. The oldest part of the building is the Romanesque tower. The tower dates from the early 13th century.
The choir, in part likewise from the 13th century, is a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic elements, and features two side chapels. To the left of the choir is the vestry, above which there is a room that must once have served as a chapel.
The 14th-century nave is now quite low, as it is covered by a modern ceiling inspired by that of the vestry.
The chapel to the south of the nave dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. Its two bays have Gothic vaults. The vaults of the northern aisle, which an inscription dates 1513, are flamboyant Gothic.
References:Dryburgh Abbey on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders was founded in 1150 in an agreement between Hugh de Morville, Constable of Scotland, and the Premonstratensian canons regular from Alnwick Abbey in Northumberland. The arrival of the canons along with their first abbot, Roger, took place in 1152.
It was burned by English troops in 1322, after which it was restored only to be again burned by Richard II in 1385, but it flourished in the fifteenth century. It was finally destroyed in 1544, briefly surviving until the Scottish Reformation, when it was given to the Earl of Mar by James VI of Scotland. It is now a designated scheduled monument and the surrounding landscape is included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan bought the land in 1786. Sir Walter Scott and Douglas Haig are buried in its grounds.