A very public display of affection

They say Paris is ‘the city of love’ but there’s a lesser-known place where love is the whole reason it even exists. We’re in a Scottish village now known as New Abbey, about 10 kilometres south of Dumfries. We’ve stepped inside the ruins of Sweetheart Abbey, the testament to a 13th-century love between a husband and wife. Founded in 1273 by ‘lady of substance’ Dervorguilla of Galloway, the abbey was constructed solely to commemorate her love for English nobleman John de Balliol upon his death in 1268.
© Westend61/Getty Images