Pluscarden Abbey
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-> Northeast Scotland
-> Aberdeenshire and Moray
-> Coast
-> Elgin
-> Pluscarden Abbey
Set in a verdant valley seven miles southwest of Elgin, Pluscarden Abbey (daily 4.30am-8.45pm; free), looms impressively large in a peaceful clearing off an unmarked road. One of only two abbeys in Scotland with a permanent community of monks, it was founded in 1230 for a French order and, in 1390, became another of the properties burnt by the Wolf of Badenoch; recovering from this, it became a priory of the Benedictine Abbey of Dunfermline in 1454 and continued as such until monastic life was suppressed in Scotland in 1560. The abbey's revival began in 1897 when the Catholic antiquarian, John, third Marquis of Bute, started to repair the building. In 1948 his son donated it to a small group of Benedictine monks from Gloucester, who established the present community. They are an active bunch, running stained-glass workshops, making honey and even recording Gregorian chants on CDs, all of which is detailed on their website. The abbey itself is airy and tranquil, with the monks' singing often eerily floating through from the connecting chapel. It is possible to stay here on retreat for a few days; see the website for details.
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