This article was written for the Global Ecovillage Network News in July 2025.

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Nestled in the northeast of Scotland, The Park Ecovillage Findhorn has long stood as a beacon for spiritual inquiry, ecological innovation, and community living. But in recent years, like so many communities worldwide, Findhorn has faced immense challenges – and now, against all odds, it is rising once more, renewed by the very principles on which it was founded.

From Crisis to Community Resurgence

The past few years have brought a storm of trials to The Park Ecovillage Findhorn: Brexit, the Covid pandemic, and the global energy crisis heavily impacted our ability to welcome visitors, host educational programmes, and keep vital facilities like the Universal Hall open. Shops closed. Events stopped. The Moray Arts Centre went quiet.

Then, tragedy struck twice – the heart of the community was physically damaged when two iconic buildings, the Community Centre and the Sanctuary (our meditation hall), were lost to devastating fires. We lost our places of gathering, grieving, sharing, and envisioning.

Financially, the knock-on effects were severe. The Findhorn Foundation (FF), once the educational hub of the ecovillage, ceased operations entirely in November 2023. In this process over 120 jobs were lost, and the impact was felt across the local economy. It was a time of heartbreak and uncertainty.

But this Community – rooted in its original spirit and through the dedication of many who hold such a deep love for this place – did not give up.

The Buyout: A New Model Rooted in Democracy and Ownership

In May 2023, as the situation grew dire, four long-standing community members – John Talbott, Dürten Lau, Maria Cooper, and Michael Shaw – founded the Ecovillage Findhorn Community Benefit Society (EF CBS). With determination and deep listening, they initiated a grassroots movement toward full community ownership of the land and infrastructure.

Through a transparent and inclusive process, a new elected board was formed in November 2023. By November 18th, 2024 – exactly 62 years and a day after Dorothy Maclean, Eileen and Peter Caddy arrived in the Park – the first major stages of the land purchase were successfully completed. Backed by over £375,000 community-raised investment [1], and with full democratic oversight, the future of Findhorn was secured by the Community, for the Community.

Since then, EF CBS has continued to grow in strength, partnering with Moray Council, the Scottish Government, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), and others to ensure a solid foundation for the next era of the Ecovillage Findhorn’s evolution. And up till this point, the work continues, more funds are being raised, more buildings are being brought into community ownership, and new ways of stewarding the legacy are being found.

🎉 The Community at Findhorn is not only open and alive, it’s regenerating, reimagining, and rerooting in its founding principles of co-creation with nature, deep inner listening and love in action.

A Sanctuary Reborn

Perhaps the most symbolic milestone of this rebirth came on Easter Sunday 2025, with the grand opening of the new Light of Findhorn Sanctuary – a sacred space and spiritual anchor for the Community, used for meditation and prayer.

The Sanctuary has always been central to life in The Park Ecovillage Findhorn, reflecting the deep spiritual undercurrent of the Community. Its loss in the fire was a profound grief. Now, this reborn Sanctuary held in community ownership is a true light in the heart of the village.

👉 Read more about the Sanctuary’s reopening.

 

Festivals Revive the Heart of the Community

We are now welcoming people to experience a new upsurge in activity, as community creativity blossoms through a wave of fresh initiatives and festivals that breathe new life into the land and spirit of Findhorn:

• Spring Together Festival over the Beltane Weekend: This collective gathering brought together the best of what the Community has to offer, from dance vibes and Beltane Beats in the Universal Hall to the ancient joy of jumping over the Beltane fire.
• The Lúnasa Festival, on 1-4th August 2025 will celebrate the Celtic festival of Lùnasa and continues this tradition with music, ceremony, and community joy.

Meanwhile, the beloved Phoenix Café has been quietly hosting wildly successful community events, including last year’s Solstice Festival, which drew over 400 people.

A Personal Reflection: Why I Love Findhorn

I’ve lived in the Park Ecovillage Findhorn for nearly six years now, having first arrived at the sweet age of 19 as a volunteer through the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN). That experience opened the door to a world of inspiring projects and extraordinary people, and offered me a welcoming entry point into the Community at Findhorn that profoundly grew my sense of purpose and direction.

A big shout-out to GEN here – I’m just one of many lives deeply touched and transformed by it. My journey is a reflection of the impact these networks can have: creating real pathways for young people to connect with purpose, discover community, and find their gifts – so they can offer them back in service to the beautiful ecosystem of ecovillages around the world.

A community rooted in a rich history of co-creation – not only between humans but also with the natural kingdoms of plant, animal, and mineral life, as well as with the angelic, elemental, and subtle realms. This deep interspecies and interdimensional communication has long been a hallmark of Findhorn and remains profoundly relevant today – as beautifully reflected in the Kincentric Leadership project that is inspired by long-time Community member Anna Kovasna (now living in the French Pyrenees) and draws from her years of leadership within GEN and her commitment to nurturing a worldview where all life is seen as kin.

Just this past Solstice, the “Arc of Solstice” initiative wove together a series of events honouring both the seen and unseen realms. One special gathering in the original garden invited participants to attune to the land, listen to enchanted storytelling, and open their senses to the more-than-human world. Soundscapes from the “Music of the Plants” technology – a fascinating device from our sister community Damanhur that lets plants express themselves through music – deepened the experience, while the theme was also explored with humour through theatrical acts, bringing a playful and creative lens to our connection with the more-than-human world.

Nevertheless, like many communities in the ecovillage network, the Park Ecovillage Findhorn is also an aging community. We’re actively working to create pathways for young people to come, learn, explore – and perhaps even make this their home.

[1] Ecovillage Findhorn CBS Annual accounts for year ending 31st March 2025.