Cultivating Connections

10 ECHOES

Location: Forres, Moray, Scotland, United Kingdom

Commissioned by Findhorn Bay Arts as part of Dandelion Scotland Unexpected Gardens Project. Music by Dopey Monkey (Danielle Price and Martin Lee Thomson) Mix and Master by Sonny Johns

With thanks to Moray Rotary Club, Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches and the Elphinstone Institute.

The Unexpected Gardens Project is by Dandelion Scotland, commissioned by Events Scotland as part of UNBOXED creativity in the UK.

Forres in Bloom

Explore the sights and sounds of the Wee FiBees Garden with Sandra from Forres in Bloom.

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Grant Park

Find the animals created by Forres in Bloom and then take a moment to sit and listen in the Sunken Garden.

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Community Centre

We chatted to the community of people already growing in Forres including: Forres in Bloom, Forres Friends of Woods and Fields, Transition Town Forres & Incredible Edible Forres. Grab a drink at Forres Coffee House inside the Community Centre and listen to why our growers love what they do!

This track features the popular bothy ballad, Hairst O Rettie as well as a snippet from David Toulman’s book Hard Shining Corn.

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Town Hall

In the past, farming communities would mark the end of a successful harvest by sharing food, stories and music together! Forres Town Hall was the venue of our very own Unexpected Gardens Harvest Celebration featuring local food and drink and our own Unexpected Ceilidh!

This song features a wonderful poem entitled “Ae Mair Hairst” by Flora Garry known for her advocacy of the Buchan (North East Scotland) dialect as well as an archival recording from Tobar an Dualchais entitled "The Harvest Home".

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Findhorn Bay Arts

The headquarters of Findhorn Bay Arts! Here we attended one of our first Living Lane meetings, bringing together all the people who signed up to grow using Pop Up Pots. We exchanged growing tips and stories, performed/listened to music and learnt more about cultivating mushrooms at home! We also got a taste of some delicious locally made mushroom pâté and even managed to nab the recipe from the chef who made it!

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Mini Market Shop

Pop into to Findhorn Bay Art’s Mini Market Shop celebrating, promoting and supporting Moray’s growers, makers and producers by selling fresh, organic produce, handmade crafts and artisanal goods! We recommend the cakes!

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R & R Urquhart

The Unexpected Gardens not only brought together established growing groups in Forres, but also encouraged people to try planting seeds for the first time! We spoke to some of the new growers and asked how they were getting on.

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Memory Lane

The Lanes down Forres High Street are steeped in heritage and history. We chatted to Margot about life in her garden at Memory Lane.

(NB People still live down the lanes today with the gardens forming part of their homes and private property. Please be respectful when stopping on the High Street.)

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Incredible Edible Forres

Take a short pit stop at the urban garden project Incredible Edible, one of the town's community groups growing food to share!

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Mosset Burn

Take a look at the Floating Garden which highlights alternative approaches to land-based growing, showing that the unlikeliest of places can bloom! Sit by the Mosset Burn and let Eva from Findhorn Bay Arts tell you more about what can be found in the garden!

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Text for the Soundwalk researched and written by Lesley-Anne Rose at https://OpenRoadLtd.co.uk , with many thanks. Image with thanks to Isla Goldie Photography
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