Our Story

THE BACKGROUND STORY 

 

The Ecovillage at Findhorn has been evolving for more than sixty years as a place of innovation, learning, creativity and community. Over that time, thousands of people have contributed their energy, skills, resources and vision to creating one of the world's best-known ecovillages.

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Like many communities, we faced significant challenges in recent years. Brexit, Covid-19 and the energy crisis placed considerable pressure on organisations across the Ecovillage. The loss of important community buildings through fire and the closure of educational and visitor activities created further uncertainty during a period of rapid change.

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Yet throughout this time, the strengths of the community remained. The Park continued to be home to a remarkable concentration of social enterprises, charities, educational initiatives, artists, entrepreneurs, volunteers and residents, all committed to creating positive social and environmental change. The relationships, knowledge, experience and shared purpose that had been built over decades proved to be some of our greatest assets.

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In November 2024, those community assets were mobilised in a new way. Hundreds of members, supporters and community investors came together to secure a significant area of land and buildings at Ecovillage through Ecovillage Findhorn CBS, bringing them into democratic community ownership and stewardship.

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This was not an end point, but the beginning of a new chapter. Today, a broader transition is underway, with land and assets previously held by the Findhorn Foundation Trust being transferred to a number of community organisations, including Ecovillage Findhorn CBS, with each entity taking responsibility for different aspects of the Ecovillage's future. Together, these organisations are helping to create a more resilient, diverse and locally-rooted model of stewardship.

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Education remains at the heart of this shared endeavour. Ecovillage Findhorn CBS hosts conferences and other learning opportunities, while many other organisations based at The Park continue to contribute to the Ecovillage's role as a centre for learning and transformation. These include the Moray Art Centre, Theatre of the 7 Directions, Trees for Life, Findhorn Hinterland Trust, and the Findhorn Foundation Trust's successor organisation, FF SCIO.

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Our story is therefore not one of decline, but of renewal: building on decades of experience, community participation and practical experimentation to create an Ecovillage that can thrive for generations to come.