The Pluscarden garden is at its busiest at this time of year. The community also manages many plants under glass or plastic. In the accompanying picture, tomato plants are being strung up for the new season. The plants are blossoming now, and will help to supply the monks and their guests.

Historic Pluscarden Abbey plans to make some roof-repairs later this year. Before doing such work, it is essential to ensure that any bats which may be roosting in the roof are not disturbed, so the Abbey is undertaking a bat-survey, to discover what species of bats roost there, and in what parts of the Abbey. Since bats are active in the evening and at night, surveyors have to cope with cool temperatures and wrap up well, as well as being patient as they wait for the bats to emerge.

Repairs are being made to a floor in the monastery.