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Findhorn is an Eco Community located about an hour from Inverness, Scotland, towards Moray Bay. I took a trip there with my cousin and auntie. I had heard of the place but not read too much about it, wanting to get a feel for what it is really like. So we turned up with no expectation, other than that we would probably stay for a few hours then go somewhere else- but over 7 hours later we were still there! Our first stop was in the Visitor Centre, where the lovely lady told us the story of how the place began. Three lovely, spiritual people met at Cluny Hill Hotel, where together they transformed the hotel into a top 4 star, very popular place. This was Peter and Eileen Caddy, and Dorothy Maclean. The three were sent to another hotel to see if they could work the same miracle there, but they failed. It could have been that someone was trying to get rid of them. So they found themselves homeless and jobless, and parked their caravan in Findhorn Bay Caravan Park. They arrived in 1962 and did not expect to stay long, but the original caravan is still there today!  The Original Caravan Eileen has an incredible inner guidance, call it God's voice or what you will, that guided her to make improvements to the hotel. And it did not desert her now. Peter had absolute faith in this voice, and was called to act upon whatever it said. Dorothy had an innate ability to be in contact with the intelligence of nature. Together they grew a garden on the caravan park, which attracted attention due to its productivity and giant 40 pound cabbages!
Many like-minded people started to arrive, wanting to learn their natural secrets. During the 70s the community grew to 150 people, and the Findhorn Foundation was formally established. Cluny Hill Hotel was purchased and renamed Cluny Hill College, and is used today to house staff and people visiting for workshops. The Foundation welcomes people who are keen to experience 'the God within', where all aspects of life are interconnected. Spiritual practices, inclusive of all religions and practices, are put into practice throughout everyday life.  Shrine outside somebody's home After understanding where it all began, we began our wanderings around the Ecovillage. There are many different types of buildings around to view and admire, from straw bale houses and Earthships, to houses made out of old beer barrels and Bag-End Ecohomes. The thing that struck me is that even though all materials and technologies used were sustainable, they did not scrimp on luxury: all the houses were beautiful!
We discovered so many little interesting things: vegetables piled up by the side of the road with an 'honesty box' to put your money in; the Pottery, along with a very friendly Pottery dog; a heart shaped garden with a beautiful tree in the middle called the Quiet Garden and wind turbines that more than covered the electricity for the village.
We sat for a long time in The Sanctuary, a little building that looked like a hobbit home, with a round room for meditation. It had such a wonderful feeling to it, we sat there for ages listening to the silence and the sounds of nature outside.
We ate in the Blue Angel Cafe: dairy and gluten free crepes stuffed with lots of roasted veggies and other goodies, and fresh beetroot and carrot juice. Later we had a cuppa at the Universal Hall, which has an auditorium for events and shows. While we were there the International Conference: Healthy Birth, Healthy Earth was just finishing. We caught a glimpse of the participants singing and dancing together to a drum, a song about motherhood and creation.
The place is huge, and so relaxed we were in no rush to get around it all. We lingered in the original garden, where the caravan stands and vegetables are still grown. We wandered around Cullerne Garden, where many other vegetables are grown, outside and in massive greenhouses. There we rescued a frog caught in some netting and put him in the pond. And we walked down to the beach to gaze at the sea and the sands stretching to the horizon either side of us.
We discussed whether we would live there, and came to the conclusion that we would prefer to make our own community. But I believe there is so much more to discover here, and the community is constantly growing and changing. To have that shared positive view of humanity, already there in front of you, is something very valuable. They mediate, grow food, build houses, welcome guests and share experiences together, they sing, dance, have fun together.  A Meditation by Eileen Caddy, Co-Founder of Findhorn, from her book The Living Word I am love I am light I am peace I am abundance Know that wherever I am, you are For we are one For deep within your heart is Love Light Peace Abundance. Dwell on these words Love Light Peace Abundance Until you know that you embody them That they are a part of you And all that is not of the highest is transmuted. You can transcend all negativity When you realise that the only power it has over you Is your belief in it. As you experience this truth about yourself You are set free. Give constant thanks for the awareness of the truth And walk in it. - Eileen Caddy For more info: www.findhorn.org/
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