Garvald
In 1945, the archbishop of St Andrews & Edinburgh suggested the estate of Nunraw, Garvald as a possible site for a new catholic community; the owner, Marcus Spurway, was willing to sell the old house and the surrounding farmland. On February 2nd 1946, the first seven monks took possession and the Archbishop McDonald celebrated the first mass in Nunraw House.
On the 21st of November 1947, the monastery became an Abbey, and the Right Rev Dom Columba Mulachy became the first Abbot, receiving an Abbatial Blessing on February 2nd 1948: after 400 years, Scotland again had a Cistercian Abbey. The first sod of the new Abbey was dug on Easter Monday, April 14th, 1952 and the foundation stone was laid on August 8th 1954 in the presence of 13,000 people. Between 1952 and 1969, the main buildings were erected, the refectory, scriptorium, library and dormitory. Volunteers came each summer to help the monks with the building work, living in the old huts behind the village pub.
The north wing is presently used as a church, and the real church building is planned on the east side. The old Nunraw House functions as a guesthouse, with Father Raymond in charge.
On 16th December 1969 Father McGlynn became the second Abbot. During the 1990s, several of the original members of the order died, and there were few recruits to replace them.