In 1996, I was commissioned by the Independent to spend time at Sancta Maria Abbey, a Cistercian monastery at Nunraw in East Lothian. The result was a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the monks at a time of profound change.

The Abbey, since 1946 home to the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, had around 15 monks in 1996, who undertook a mixture of daily tasks and strict religious observance. The present purpose-built building dates from 1969 when the monks moved from the nearby Nunraw house.