This exciting innovative tour of sites will go from Garden Cottage in the South-East of Scotland, up the East coast, and down the centre. Taking in various permaculture ScotLAND Centres and Learners, and many places of outstanding beauty for which Scotland is famed.
Our first visit will be Garden Cottage which is Graham Bell's inspirational, 25 year old forest garden. This site of a fifth of an acre produced more than 1 tonne of food in 2013. We will take in Park Road in Midlothian (near Edinburgh), a suburban garden farm with Bees, ducks, chickens, mini orchard, raised beds, Hugel beds, “Gypsy Hens business” and a wood stove, in a garden the size of a tennis court. Then... well each site is unique from the very urban, Urban Roots, to the farm-scale permaculture at Tombreck, the inspirational small-holding at Tap o’ Noth Permaculture and the ever-inspiring Findhorn Ecovillage.
Fore more information about the projects, please see:
https://www.permaculture.org.uk/scotland/land
Venue Location(s)
Garden Cottage, Coldstream; Park Road, Midlothian, Tombreck, Perthshire; Tap o' Noth, Aberdeenshire, Findhorn Hinterland, Moray; and Urban Roots, Glasgow
Targets
Anyone who is interested in learning more about permaculture in Scotland. Scotland has a wet and cool climate, so permaculture priorities here are quite different to those in other parts of the world. Join this tour if you are interested in seeing some inspiring examples of permaculture, from an individual back garden of less than a quarter acre producing more than a tonne of food in one year, to farm-scale permaculture. This could be people resident in any part of the world, including Scotland.
*Children would be welcome to join us, but the cost would be the same as for adults.
Tour routes & Dates (Please note, this is subject to change)
Wed 16th September
IPC UK Finishes - at 10am
Train/bus to Berwick - participants should book their own travel.
A day to yourself to consolidate your learning from the IPC.
Option A: Organise your own accommodation. (we suggest YHA in Berwick Upon Tweed)
Option B: YHA (Youth Hostel) accommodation
Day 1 - 17th Thursday September 2015
Breakfast - participants organise your own.
9am Participants will be collected in Berwick (in a minibus)
Visit Garden Cottage, Coldstream, ScotLAND Centre. Tour and some work on site.
Lunch from the garden
Minibus for 1 hour
2pm Visit Park Road, Midlothian, ScotLAND Centre
Minibus 2 hours.
5pm -Tombreck, Loch Tayside, ScotLAND Centre
Tour of site
Dinner (group cooking)
Option A: Camp (free)
Option B: Bed & Breakfast accommodation
Day 2 - Friday 18th September
Tombreck, Loch Tayside
8am Breakfast
Work on site (e.g. composting etc) 1 hour
Travel minibus 4-4.5hrs
Lunch: buy something in a cafe on the route, or take/make a picnic (made at Tombreck or at picnic site).
2-3pm arrive: Tap O Noth Permaculture, Rhynie, Aberdeenshire ScotLAND Centre
Guided tour of site: 2hrs to walk around the 8 acres.
Do some work on site (e.g. chopping wood, on-going maintenance, kitchen garden and possibly market garden work, harvesting, or mulching).
Dinner
Campfire Ceilidh
Accommodation at Tap o' Noth Permaculture:
Option A: Camping
Option B: Dormitory.
Day 3 - Saturday 19th September
8am Breakfast
Minibus (1.5-2 hours) via Duffton, Elgin & Cabrach
11.30am arrive Findhorn, Moray
Arrange accommodation
12.30pm Lunch in community centre
1.30pm Tour of Findhorn Hinterland Group (FHG) Edible Woodland Garden, ScotLAND Learner, and a more general tour of the Findhorn Community facilities (e.g. meditation space, Universal Hall, shop, cafe, living machine, nature sanctuary, Cullerne garden)
Hands-On practical.
Accommodation
Option A: Camping in Findhorn Hinterland
Option B: B&B
Day 4 - Sunday 20th September
8am Breakfast
9am Minibus ( 6 hours total)
On route we will visit some interesting natural sites in Scotland, such as the Birnam oak tree).
3pm Visit Urban Roots, Glasgow, ScotLAND Centre
5pm leave Glasgow
Some people can be dropped off in Glasgow
7pm, Berwick/Coldstream
In summary - The food from 9am on Thursday will be bought collectively and provided until you prepare your own evening meal on Sunday. If you bring your own tent, then you can choose Option A. If not, then please select option B.
Capacity of the event
Minimum 10, Maximum 15 for 1 minibus. We could then take a waiting list if there was in case we have enough further bookings for another minibus/car.
Travel arrangements
Participants should arrange their own public transport from London to Berwick Upon Tweed.
We will pick you up and organise the transport from there.
Participants should organise their own onwards transport, either from 5pm in Toryglen, Glasgow or from 7pm in Berwick Upon Tweed on Sunday 20th September. There is an airport in Glasgow, one fairly near, and another one in Edinburgh.
Price
Option A: £200
(this includes camping fees and food, you need to bring your own tent)
Option B: An additional £100
(we organise a bed for you to rest in, as described above)
Donations: (drop down menu) £10; £20; £50; £100
Contact Name
Lusi Alderslowe