FINDHORN

Anyone feeling in need of a bit of spiritual awakening should head to Findhorn, where the Findhorn Foundation's eco village offers full board accommodation and "experience weeks" which promise to "unfold a new human consciousness". Activities on offer include meditation, nature outings and gardening. Reading about the origins of the gardens at Findhorn requires a suspension of disbelief: one of the founders of the Community reckons to have been able to "intuitively contact the overlighting spirits of plants", and these spirits provided guidance which led to the cultivation of monster cabbages and other oversized plants.

The village of Findhorn lies between Findhorn Bay and Burghead Bay. The present village is a successor to a previous village which was overwhelmed during a storm in the 1600s, and another one which succumbed to floods in 1701. The bay's mudflats, which are exposed at low tide, attract large numbers of birds. The village's fishing and shipbuilding activities of the past have been replaced by more leisurely activities, the focal point for which is the Royal Findhorn Yacht Club. Visitors interested in the history of the area should head to the Findhorn Heritage Centre and Icehouse.  The Icehouse was used to store ice for salmon to keep it fresh for shipping to London, and its underground chambers were built over 150 years ago.  To the south-east of the village is the site occupied by RAF Kinloss.

Map of the area.

Findhorn. Photo by W. L. Tarbert, via Wikimedia Commons.