Our Community had its beginnings on 17th November 1962 when Peter and Eileen Caddy and Dorothy Maclean came to live in the Findhorn Bay Caravan Park near the village of Findhorn in North East Scotland. They settled in a small caravan in the dunes with Eileen and Peter’s three young sons, with an annexe for Dorothy. They did not intend to start a community, but the garden they planted began to flourish with spectacular results, based on Eileen’s inner guidance, Dorothy’s contact with the intelligence of nature and Peter’s determined and inspired action. The garden attracted many people to come and visit, and then to live and work with them.

The garden became famous for demonstrating what can be achieved in cooperation with the realms of nature.

As people came to see the gardens and hear about the principles behind them, many wanted to stay on and continue their explorations. Over time, a community of like-minded people gathered.

In 1970 an American spiritual teacher named David Spangler arrived in the community and, realising that an ‘education of consciousness’ was taking place here, helped to establish a formal learning path using the environment and activities already in place.

The seed was planted for a ‘University of Light’ where life itself is the classroom, and work, daily practice and relationships are the teachers.

During the 1970s the community grew from 20 to approximately 150 members and the Findhorn Foundation was formally established as an educational and environmental charitable trust. Cluny Hill Hotel was purchased by the Foundation in 1975, and renamed Cluny Hill College. The land on which the caravan park stands was purchased in 1983.

From its earliest days the Findhorn Foundation welcomed guests who were keen to learn about and experience ‘the God within’, where all aspects of life are seen as interconnected. The community has developed as a place where spiritual principles common to all religions, and with no doctrine or creed, are put into action in everyday life. The founders were inspired to create a positive model of cooperation for humanity and for nature, and this inspiration continues in our work today.

From the late 1980s onwards, one result of these aspirations has been the development of the Findhorn Ecovillage, an experiment to combine everything learned so far about the interconnectedness of life and cooperation with nature. The Findhorn Ecovillage uses the best alternative and ecological technologies to help create a sustainable environment and culture. The emphasis on the community as a place for learning continues to develop, with a range of holistic courses, conferences and special events offered each year.

Eileen Caddy died in December 2006 but her spiritual dedication still inspires people in the community and around the world who find joy and hope in her books and guidance. Dorothy Maclean lived in the USA for a number of years and led workshops around the world. She retired to our community and died in 2020. Peter Caddy left the community in 1979 to work internationally, returning to visit regularly until his death in 1994.