Sixty-five years ago, a pair of Tibetans fled their country in 1959 after it was invaded by China.
Arriving in a small village in Dumfries and Galloway with a vision to set up a Buddhist monastery to preserve their culture, Samye Ling was built.
One of the co-founders, Akong Rinpoche, oversaw the development of the site until his death in 2013. Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche is now the abbot of the monastery, and continues Akong’s vision. Here are some photos showing some of the grounds and inside the temple at Samye Ling. The monastery operation has grown from just one former shooting lodge to a large temple that can hold up to 500 people, accommodation for resident and visiting monks and nuns, and gardens with various Buddhist and world peace-themed sculptures.
The site is still being developed to this day.
1. The valley
Kagyu Samye Ling, the first Tibetan Buddhist Centre to have been established in the West, is tucked away on the banks of the River Esk in a valley near Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway. | Katharine Hay
2. Johnstone House
Co-founders Akong Rinpoche and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche fled Tibet in 1959 after it was invaded by China and moved into a former shooting lodge in the area, about a mile north of Eskdalemuir, which is called Johnstone House. It was here they started developing plans to establish a Tibetan monastery to help preserve the Tibetan culture. Samye Ling is now home to a much larger temple, but the first temple used was in Johnstone house, and it's where monks and nuns used to dine before a larger dining area was built. | Katharine Hay
3. Samye Temple
After being established in 1967, the next two decades then saw the development of a larger temple, the Samye Temple, which was inaugurated on the 8th August 1988. The Dalai lama came to bless the building. All the construction work was done by members of the community. It can fit up to 500 people and is where teachings and prayers take place today. | Katharine Hay
4. Akong Rinpoche shrine
Inside the temple is a lifelike representation of Akong Rinpoche. His co-founder, Trungpa Rinpoche, moved to the USA in 1970, and Akong took on a leadership position and presided over the monastery's growth and success. He also continued humanitarian work in Tibet. This was until he was killed in China in 2013 when visiting the country. Reports at the time said his murder was linked to a financial dispute. | Katharine Hay