#15: FINDHORN, SCOTLAND Turn on, tune in and drop out beside the sea

HASN’T IT GOT A BIT OF A HIPPY PAST?

Say Findhorn and some may automatically respond “commune” – possibly with a slightly wistful, faraway look in their eyes. You might even get a muttered “You had to be there, man”. But Findhorn’s famous foundation for spiritual, sustainable living and the accompanying eco village, as well as the nearby former fishing village, have thrived in this quietly beautiful seaside position, drawing artists and visionaries who four years ago founded a biennial festival that attracts local and international attention to a six-day celebration of arts and culture, this year from Sept 26 to Oct 1.

ANYTHING MORE DOWN TO EARTH?

Morayshire

has 50 distilleries, beating any other area in

Scotland Findhorn Bay is on the Moray Firth, five miles outside of the fetching little town of Forres on the rather unfairly overlooked north-east coast of Scotland. Bracketed by miles and miles of silver sand merging into dunes backed by fairytale forests of pine,