Findhorn PDC: Gaia Education's 2-Week Scotland Course (Aug 2026)

The Findhorn Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) is a two-week immersive course held at Ecovillage Findhorn, one of Europe's largest and oldest ecovillages, from August 3rd to 16th, 2026, in The Park, Findhorn, Scotland. Accredited by the Permaculture Association, it blends theory, practical skills, and community wisdom, focusing on permaculture as a holistic design system for sustainable living, with emphasis on community applications engaging heart, head, and hands. Led by expert certified educators Lusi Alderslowe (lead faculty and PDC trainer with 15 years of experience teaching in Scotland, England, Ireland, Turkey, and online), Maria Cooper, Craig Gibsone, and guest speakers from the ecovillage. The package includes 14 days of tuition with hands-on learning, formal sessions, a day trip to a working permaculture smallholding, and experiencing ecovillage life. Registration covers lunches, welcome and closing dinners, starting at 3pm on August 3rd and ending at 5pm on August 16th, followed by a campfire celebration; breakfasts and other evening meals are not included, with departure advised on August 17th. Participants engage in practical activities drawing from the ecovillage's decades of sustainable practices, including food forests, renewable energy systems, and community governance models. Lusi Alderslowe's expertise ensures certification upon completion, equipping attendees with tools for designing regenerative systems in various climates and social contexts. The course highlights permaculture principles like observing and interacting, catching and storing energy, and obtaining a yield, applied through site-specific designs. Immersion in Findhorn provides living examples of permaculture at scale, from organic gardening to natural building, fostering skills in forest gardening, water harvesting, and social permaculture. This program supports global efforts in ecological restoration by training designers to create self-sufficient, low-impact communities resilient to climate challenges.[2][4]