A lone wolf's look at the Park

Can you go from complete stranger to a sense of belonging, in just days? Rob Leiby visited Findhorn on a quest for community, and found a bubble of peace in a chaotic world. Here’s the story of his weeks at Ecovillage Findhorn.

Life, society, and conditioning taught me that independence is one of the most important traits to have. For many years, I followed that idea – to the point where I became hyper-independent.

In 2024, my idea of being ‘self-made’ was seriously challenged. At a community festival called The Village, my heart was blown wide open. I was held, supported, and seen. It changed my life. From that moment, I realised there’s tremendous beauty in community and shared connection.

Since that festival, I’ve been travelling the UK in my campervan – asking questions, looking for answers, and striving to learn more about sustainable community. Part of my mission in life has become co-creating community and returning to how we’re supposed to live. The question is, who’s actually doing it successfully?

For over a year, I’ve roamed the country, met people of all kinds, and seen communities in various stages of development.

My travels took me on a month-long trip around Scotland. I had no idea exactly why I was going, but something inside knew I needed to. Call it divine guidance, intuition, or whatever you like.

It turned out the main purpose was to visit Findhorn. I’d heard chatter about Findhorn Eco Village over the years, but it had slipped from my mind – until, by pure ‘chance’, I found myself an hour away and the idea returned in a flash of otherworldly inspiration.

Without meaning to, I ended up spending nearly two weeks in and around the Park, immersing myself in all I could and let me tell you, there’s a lot going on!

I arrived in September 2025 and was almost instantly overwhelmed with inspiration.

Sixty-plus years in the making, the Park showed me what’s possible when you commit to a vision, share a higher purpose, and take responsibility for building it.

It feels like a true village – a bubble of peace in a chaotic world. Perhaps both a pro and a con is how self-sustaining the Park is: it has everything you need and little reason to venture out. From what I saw, being in the bubble can make it easy to forget what the world is like outside of community life. In big cities, it’s rare to walk outside, know everyone, have conversations, feel supported, or have your voice heard. From day one, I could have wonderful, deep conversations and people had time for me.

That’s the beauty of a community rooted in love. I felt peaceful within myself and surrounded by opportunity. The people were truly amazing (shoutout to Pip, Jonathon, Elizabeth, Angus, Peter, and everyone else I met!) – so willing to share wisdom and advice if you’re ready to learn. I was welcomed in many ways: volunteering, Love in Action (their form of work), dancing my first Ceilidh, and even at silent discos. I had an absolute blast. 

Of course, no community is without its challenges. As with any family, life throws curveballs. It would be unrealistic to expect calm seas all the time. When I was there, residents were going through a big adjustment period as the Findhorn Foundation winds down. It felt like a pivotal change – from a centralised structure overseeing everything to a collection of smaller, circular businesses and groups. Personally, I think that’s quite beautiful; the less hierarchy, the more circular leadership and individual responsibility can flourish. That adjustment period, though, can be tough.

Another challenge might be the lack of a certain demographic. The 18-40 age range seemed underrepresented. I couldn’t say exactly why – it might be due to the peace and harmony of the place. Many in that age group (myself included) are still inviting a high degree of chaos into life. While there’s plenty to do, it can feel almost too still at times. The Park becomes rather quiet after 6-7pm, and I heard it described as a bit of a ‘ghost town’ in the evenings – though this might depend on the season. It will be interesting to see, as time goes on, how younger generations are invited and integrated.

For me, the most impressive part was that, despite the challenges, no one seemed ready to give up. While many communities collapse when conflict arises, the Park Ecovillage had an underlying energy that felt incredibly solid.

I believe the shared purpose of living in love and at one with Spirit is the defining factor in that strength. It was powerful to see and hear so many different paths converge in one place with a similar essence. Anyone desiring community would do well to anchor themselves in a shared purpose like Findhorn’s.

When I arrive at any new place, it can take time to integrate and feel comfortable. At Findhorn, I felt caught between having no specific reason to stay and knowing I couldn’t leave until my experience cup was full. I was on a mission to uncover the secrets of such a long-term community.

After wandering around like a lost puppy for a few days, I eventually found my footing. By the end of the first week, I was volunteering on the Hinterland, starting to feel at home. That process of settling in felt normal – and one week is a remarkably short time to go from complete stranger to a sense of belonging.

I couldn’t tell you what it’s like to live there full-time, but from the immersion I had, I imagine it would be hard to leave once you’re settled.

I’m a fairly critical person, and there aren’t many places that impress me – but Findhorn did. And that’s without even mentioning the majesty of the land itself: a haven of nature and subtle magic. If you simply open your eyes, you’ll find it everywhere. The care and attention that’s gone into living in harmony with nature fully justifies its Ecovillage status.

There is easily a book’s worth of content about my short time there – the people, the land, the energy – but the only way to truly understand is to visit. If I can give one piece of advice, it’s this: don’t stay in your comfort zone. Don’t hide in your own world or only stick with the people you know. Get involved. Put yourself out there. See what it feels like to live in community and open your heart, body, and mind to whatever awaits you at Findhorn.

You won’t regret it.

And all that’s coming from a 28-year-old dude who never thought he needed community in his life. I promise you – we all need a village.

With love,

Rob