Findhorn ecovillage in Moray completes new Sanctuary building after 2021 arson attack
A new sanctuary will open later this month at the Findhorn Ecovillage – almost exactly four years after the original building was destroyed by fire.
Large enough to hold 80 people, the replacement has been constructed using donations from supporters from across the globe as well as £194,665 awarded by the UK Government’s levelling-up fund.
Various events will be taking place on Easter Sunday and Monday, April 20 and 21, to mark the opening.
The original sanctuary was destroyed in an arson attack during the pre-dawn hours of April 12, 2021, along with a bigger second building – the ecovillage’s community centre.
A former employee, recently been made redundant by the Findhorn Foundation charity due to the pandemic, handed himself into the police the day afterwards and was later ordered by a court to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
Kathy Tyler is the project coordinator for Park Ecovillage Trust which oversaw the construction of the new building.
She said: "The Light of Findhorn Sanctuary is a testament to our shared spiritual journey, community resilience, and deep commitment to spiritual and ecological values.
“It offers a sacred space for reflection and connection to one’s source, as well as the golden thread that links us to the essence of the Findhorn spiritual community, wherever it is found in the world.
“We are incredibly grateful to the donors, the supporters, our funders, the many volunteers who have helped with the site, and the Findhorn Foundation Trust, which has been our partner.”
Like its predecessor, the new sanctuary stands just yards from the original caravan inside which the ecovillage’s first residents once lived.
Husband and wife Eileen and Peter Caddy, plus their friend Dorothy Maclean, moved to the site, which stands a mile distant from the village of Findhorn, during the course of 1962 in order to pursue their goal of a more sustainable lifestyle.
Over the years others came to join them until, nowadays, the wider ecovillage community is home to about 500 people.
Three separate ceremonies will take place over two days to mark the sanctuary’s opening.
The first will begin at 3pm on Sunday, April 20, with a live link available online for anyone unable to attend in person.
Details about what’s set to take place, as well as about how to sign up, are available on the Park Ecovillage Trust’s website.
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