It's not often that Fiona and I venture east of Inverness but this Saturday Fiona had a friend up from Stirling and we decided to go somewhere different. The landscape east of Inverness changes dramatically from the wild rugged hills around us to miles of rolling rich farmland, tranquil hidden glens and dramatic coastal scenery. The first place we visited was Findhorn or to be more specific the Findhorn Foundation (http://www.findhorn.org/index.php?tz=-60 )The Findhorn Foundation community is an experiment in conscious living, an education centre and an ecovillage and a fascinating place to visit if only to see the fantastic eco houses that have been built there!
From there we went on to visit Pluscarden Abbey. Now I am neither a catholic or religous but it is a wonderful, peaceful place. Set in a leafy valley only 6 miles from Elgin and dating back to 1230, it is the home today for 28 Benedictine monks.
After the abbey we toured around a bit before stopping at a viewpoint looking down on the Morayshire Coast and what a wonderful sight it was. With the late afternoon sun just beginning to fade, it was the perfect end to a perfect day ( see photo at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Inverfarigaig-United-Kingdom/Evergreen-BB-Loch-Ness/52381952026# )