Findhorn Community, Scotland

I have wanted to come here for many years, and very nearly came to the 1995 conference on Ecovillages and Sustainable Communities that saw the birth of the Global Ecovillage Network. So it was a treat to spend 2 weeks here, the first doing their introductory programme Experience Week, and another week just exploring, hanging out and talking to specific people.

The community known around the world as Findhorn (named after the centuries-old village of the same name nearby) is a sprawling, complex, vibrant and evolving community consisting of 6 - 7 hundred people living in 2 main sites (the Park and Cluny Hill College) and surrounding locations. The main location, known as “The Park”, is the original caravan park in which the founders Eileen and Peter Caddy and Dorothy Maclean established their spiritual practice in the early 1960s, and learned to work with nature to grow the now famous 40-pound cabbages. Gradually a community of people grew around them, drawn to their deep commitment to listen to the “still small voice within”, and build a community of love and light.

Of all the communities and “eco-villages” I've visited, Findhorn comes closest to feeling like an actual village. There are now many different entities, enterprises and housing arrangements that all come under the Findhorn umbrella, and the community continues to grow and evolve. This is not always easy or comfortable but this extraordinary place still exists and thrives and feels very much alive. It continues to draw thousands of visitors a year for day visits, to attend conferences and performances, and to attend one of the many residential educational programmes offered. While the conceptual boundary of the community is rather loose and fluid, it is held together by a very strong centre based on attention to the spiritual level, the concept of “work is love in action”, and the practise of attuning to self, others and nature in every action.

Community Structure
Over the years the community organization has evolved through a number of different entities, and this process continues.

The Findhorn Foundation (FF) was established in the 1970s as an educational and environmental charitable trust, with trustees elected from within the members. It eventually purchased both the caravan park and Cluny Hill College, a grand spa hotel, and all of the “community” buildings (including the community centre, Universal Hall, sanctuaries, etc) and most of the houses and former caravans are owned by the Foundation. People who are drawn to live at Findhorn can do a series of workshops to eventually become staff, and can then become members of the Foundation. The primary decision-making body of the Foundation is the Council, made up of members of the Foundation of at least one year who commit to staying informed and attending the 4 meetings per month. Day to day running of the Foundation is delegated to the Management Team, members of the Foundation who have been appointed to specific roles such as leading the Finance or Education teams. The Management Team brings most decisions to the council, which sets the strategic direction of the Foundation.

The Findhorn Foundation is a working community, and many people contribute to the work and running of the Foundation in several categories. Staff members work in a variety of positions including education, administration, finance and management, head cook and gardeners. Staff who live either at the Park or Cluny Hill receive full food and board and £200 per month. Staff who live outside in the neighbouring towns of Findhorn, Forres, or elsewhere receive the minimum wage. Work in the gardens, kitchens, or home care is generally done by those on short or long term programmes from 1 week to 6 months duration, such as Experience Week, Living in Community Guest programme, or the Living Education Staff Programme, experiencing “work is love in action”. Those on programmes all pay a fee towards their food and board as well as contributing to the work. There is also a “seva” or volunteer category, where people are given food and board and £50 per month for 40 hours work per week withing the foundation.

Until the mid 80s the FF was the primary organization, but this became a lot more fluid as people were drawn to settle nearby. A host of enterprises have grown around and within the community, including the shop, bakery, printing press, art and craft businesses, healing and therapists, accommodation and ecological charities. A new level of organization, the New Findhorn Association (NFA) was established as the umbrella organisation for on-site community individuals and businesses, to be a unifying structure and provide community cohesion. The FF is just one, although the largest, of the member organisations within the NFA.

There are now many houses in or adjacent to the Park which are individually owned by people not necessarily members of the FF, including the famous barrel houses made of old whiskey barrels. The largest cluster of privately-owned houses is known as The Field of Dreams, where individuals designed and built their own houses under a strict set of criteria to ensure they were “ecological” houses.

A small cluster of 7 houses is being designed using the cohousing model, and will soon break ground. Another very large development being planned is a 40 house subdivision n the duneland to the north of the community, and probably a further 35 houses just north of that, all of which would be part of the wider Findhorn commnunity, although owned by individuals.

These privately developed housing projects all have their roots in the general Findhorn ethics and values, but are not without controversy and much debate from other members. One of the key debates at the moment is around the use of the community buildings, currently all owned and paid for by the foundation. NFA members would like more access to these facilities, but there needs to be a mechanism where they contribute financially to their running and upkeep. There is a move to transfer some of the foundation assets and initiatives, such as the weekly newsletter, from the foundation to the NFA, to enable wider ownership and contributions.

Another issue being discussed at the moment is the aging population, and how those members who have given years of service to the Findhorn Foundation for very low pay can be supported in their old age. Until now there has only been a handful of elders at any time, but this could become a much higher proportion in the future and will put pressure on the ability of the foundation to care for them.

There is so much more to say about Findhorn – their “Living Machine” waste treatment system which treats the waste water from 400 houses to shower quality in a large greenhouse; the 4 wind generators that generate more power than needed at Findhorn and therefore feed power back to the grid; the morning singing of ancient hymns in 4-part harmony in the beautiful nature sanctuary; the dunes and beautiful Findhorn Bay.... I loved the place and will definitely be back.