29 November 2004

Craigencalt Farm

The drive to Craigencalt Farm was one ocean view after another filled with barren hillsides and a stunning blue ocean.  The sun was so bright as we drove along the western coastline we could hardly believe we were in Scotland where warm temperatures and bright sunshine are rare.

When we turned onto the winding road that follows along the coast we could look to our left out over the water and see Edinburgh far off in the distance.  At one point we   rounded a very sharp bend in the road and I was sure I spotted what we were searching for…Scotland’s first (and only) Earthship, a house made of tires, cans and bottles.

Just beyond a picturesque lake, sure enough, we saw the sign for Craigencalt Farm, and the Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI).  We made our way past the lake (or loch as they say in Scotland) and up a hill to a huge old stone house.  Giant stone barns gathered around the house, all watching over the loch. 

We parked the car and walked to the edge of the hill trying to take in the beauty of this place.  Below us were gardens and greenhouses and woodlands, all clustered around the cobalt blue lake.  Kinghorn and the sea rested beyond this stunning view.  A man, standing at the bottom of the hill, shouted a greeting and motioned for us to come on down.

We climbed past chickens, peacocks and ducks, and through the mud to have our first look at this marvelous building.  Cat was like a mountain goat, climbing everywhere and calling out at her new sense of freedom.  By the end of our time there she had explored every nook and cranny.  She takes to a farmyard full of critters like a duck to water. 

The outside of the unfinished Earthship was surrounded by piles of stones that were meant to cover up the outside of the front of the tire walls.  Inside, the smooth brown adobe walls and clay tile floors made for a cozy place to meet.

Our hosts were a “wee” (small) hearty crew of Scottish and English folks who had dreamed of creating a “zero waste – zero energy” way of life.  Which merely means that if people reuse what already exists and uses alternative forms of energy, the world can survive and be a wonderful place for our kids and their children.

There are not many people in Britain (or anywhere for that matter) that have built a home out of tires and bottles.   Jay and I had come to Craigencalt Farms to help them design a marketing plan for “launching” their Earthship to Britain.  The launch we envisioned that evening went on to include nearly 1,000 visitors to the center in one day, and raised several thousand pounds for this worthy project.

The real visionary behind this movement in Scotland is Paula Crowie, a sprite of a woman who learned about Earthships when she was traveling in the US.  She ended up working on a project in New Mexico, and the bug that bit her during that time inspired her to come back to Scotland to start her own project, SCI.  She has influenced the Scottish government to accept these ideas as viable building techniques.

Becoming friends with Paula reminded me of how important it is to take risks.   She and I shared a common dream, but without both of us reaching out, challenging each other and working together (even with the Scottish language barrier) we would never have found a rewarding friendship.

On the morning we left Craigencalt Farm, Cat, Jay and I stood high on the hill overlooking the peacock pen and the lake.  The wind turbine that generates much of the electricity for the Earthship whispered off in the distance.  The air was brisk, despite the calendar saying it was August. 

We had made new friends.  The three of us were dreaming of finishing our own Earthship in southeast Ohio.  We were together in this wonderful place of promise, and we could see into the future, and just for an instant, life was perfect.