PLANNING permission has been granted to turn the original home of the county’s Cistercian monks into a private house.

Nunraw Tower, by Garvald, which was most recently used as a guesthouse by the monks at nearby Sancta Maria Abbey, was sold to a private developer last year.

Edinburgh-based architects GLM submitted a planning application in January, looking to extend the historic building.

Works include a full restoration of the tower and its cottages, as well as restoration of the property’s 17th-century beehive dovecot and its 19th-century glass house.

The tower was recently sold to Linda Leith, who intends to bring the building back into domestic use as a private house.Linda, who lives and works in North Carolina, USA, can trace her family back to Scotland.

David Johnson, director at GLM and project architect for Nunraw Tower, said: “We are delighted that East Lothian Council has approved our plans for Nunraw Tower and that we can now begin work on this beautiful historic building.

“Working on listed buildings is one of our specialisms and absolute joys. We are honoured to have the opportunity to adapt Nunraw Tower for 21st-century living and look forward to sharing our progress with East Lothian.”