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Arran & Holy Island, Scotland
Holy Island, off the coast of Arran in the Firth of Clyde has been a place of pilgrimage since the 6th Century, famed for its ecological way of life. This beautiful island was purchased in 1992 by the Buddhist community of Samye Ling, their aim being to preserve the island's remarkable spiritual heritage, environment and wildlife.
The programme began with the planting of 27,000 native hardwood trees and control of rhododendron. Operation New World field studies involved data collection for a bio-diversity management programme.
"I remember Holy Island being a unique, friendly and spiritual place. It was cold and we all used to sit huddled together in the one room that had a wood-burning stove. We camped and at dusk we could hear the oystercatchers calling and the eiderducks 'oooowing' as if they had just been told a juicy bit of gossip! We looked at rock pools, we did habitat mapping, we built a dry stone wall, went walking and even got invited to a prayer session by the Buddhist monks. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Then we had a day on Arran and I remember getting on a bus and a farmer got on with a little lamb in a shopping basket!"--Abigail Gibbs, Trainee
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