Message from the Dutch

For nearly 50 years, the Findhorn Foundation has been the guardian of the Isle of Erraid. From the very beginning, the partnership between Findhorn and the Dutch was rooted in trust and a shared vision. During a nerve-wracking car-ride with racing enthusiast Peter Caddy behind the wheel, my parents and Peter sketched out a simple one-page agreement, defining the essentials of the cooperation:

Findhorn would inhabit the island, creating a magical place to live and host guests and at the same time provide labor for maintenance. The Dutch would cover the capital expenditures and spend their summer holidays on Erraid.

This simple agreement made so much possible – from restoring the lighthouse keeper’s cottages and protecting the natural surroundings, but above all share this magical place with thousands of others.

We were children in 1978 when we first set foot on the Isle of Erraid with her Findhorn inhabitants – lovingly nicknamed “the Flintstones”. Oh, how much we loved them! In those early years, the Flintstones and the Dutch jointly shaped the holiday time (‘Dutch time’). Together we explored all that Erraid has to offer: Walks to the Hanging Rock, setting the sweeping net, preserving vegetables, finding the sweet lobster spots, sailing the Drascombe, ‘learning’ how to milk cows, run the boats and bake bread, ‘helping’ with the salmon net, sheep round ups, BBQ’s, strawberry milkshakes, babysitting the little Flintstones, singing on the pier, Scottish ‘dancing’ in Mothers pride, preparing for the Bunessan show, candle making, cinnamon rolls; For us, it was nothing short of paradise.

Over time, the Erraid Community grew into a resilient, self-sustaining group, capable to cover costs. The connection with the Findhorn Foundation evolved over the years — sometimes close, sometimes more distant — depending on the need and capacity on both sides. But the core Findhorn values of inner listening, “work is love in action,” and co-creating with nature were always alive and well on Erraid.

Recently the Findhorn Foundation had to decide to end its custodianship of Erraid. This moment led us to reflect. What do we truly value about Erraid? And how can we help care for it in the future?

We believe it is our responsibility to preserve the lighthouse keepers’ cottages, protect the island’s natural environment and ensure this special place remains a source of inspiration for others. That means continuing to share Erraid — which requires a resident community.

And thus, we recently spend time on Erraid to explore how best to support the Erraid Community in moving forward independently.  We have concluded that the best step is to establish a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. We have invited neighbours of Erraid and past members to be trustees of The Erraid Community SCIO. As we write this, we are nearly ready to submit the application.

In the past few weeks, we worked closely with the current Erraid group. It’s been a joy to witness their transformation – from a collection of individuals, into a cohesive, creative and energized team. They are ready to host guests, organize themed workshops, tend the gardens and care for the island with love and commitment. Even in the midst of this major change, they have continued to care for the island and warmly welcome guests. It feels as if Erraid called the right people at just the right time.

In this transition we feel tremendous support from the Findhorn management team, the warm network of old Erraidians and the Erraid neighbors. Thanks to the the solid foundation of nearly 5 decades of cooperation between Findhorn, Erraid and Dutch, Erraid now has everything it needs to flourish as a fantastic inspirational example of a regenerative, self-sufficient community, living in harmony with one of the most beautiful islands on earth.

We warmly invite you to visit Erraid and experience the contagious energy of this new beginning.

Hester Kuypers – van der Sluis and Marianne van der Sluis