Entering Newbold House ...
 Turning off the main road into Newbold
House you pass
by the old lodge, now a private house, into our rhododendron lined drive with glimpses of the large front  lawn and forest that almost surrounds us.
The trees and shrubs form an organic tunnel, leading to our peaceful and nurturing haven from the hectic world outside.
The gardens were planted with specimen trees from around
the world by Victorian gardeners many are over a century old including Atlantic Cedars, Incense Cedars, Copper Beech, and many fine examples of the native Scots Pine. Over time some areas which have been neglected for perhaps 50 years or more have been naturally seeded by Birch, Scots Pine, and Sycamore.
Around the House
 The front lawn is our most open space,
surrounded by a variety of trees it has been used for circle dances; ceremonies; games and sunbathing. Here we also grow cut flowers to fill the house with the beauty and scent of the garden.
A walk around the house takes you past our Victorian
conservatory, affectionately known as 'Crystal Palace', to an area overlooked by the kitchen where there is a fire
pit. Over the past year we have had many fire ceremonies to commemorate Celtic  festivals;
birthdays; and to celebrate friends starting new journeys from here back into the world.
In the spring of 2007 a chef who had been living here for two years made the community an
authentic Spanish paella on the open fire as his leaving gift, a special time.
 Moving towards the back of the
house you pass the various caravans and a yurt where some of our community
sleep. The lawns
around these small dwellings are dotted with flowers and apple trees of which we have
many old and rare varieties.
The walled vegetable garden
From here the walled garden becomes visible where we grow some of our organic food.
We have beds of vegetables, herbs, and fruits of many
varieties. When the garden was built the rear south facing wall was heated
to allow the cultivation of plums, peaches, and vines. Today we still grow
plums and other fruit from warmer climes but the wall is no longer heated. Around
this garden there are areas for contemplation and relaxing, one small garden we
call the peace garden is in the walls an old greenhouse that once stood on the
site.
The Woodlands
Behind the walled garden is a large
woodland, owned by the Moray Council, with Scots pines surrounded by
heather. This is such a treat to have on our doorstep especially in
late summer when the purple heather is in bloom. Walking through the woodland
is one way to reach Cluny Hill where there are seven small rounded hills and sleepy hollows that surround one of the Findhorn Foundations main campuses, Cluny Hill College.
The House
 On entering the house the Victorian passion
for wood is apparent in archways and panelling in all main rooms on the
ground floor. These show the original owners' links with India such as the sculpted archway over the dining room door.
The Dining Room
From the dining room there is a view over the steps leading down to the front lawn and also a
view of 'crystal palace'. The ceiling is
covered in decorative plasterwork and gives the room a sense of grandeur while
the size of the room is small enough to have a feeling of intimacy. In many
ways this room is the heart of the house where guests and community come
together to enjoy good food and share stories and ideas.
Crystal Palace
 
Crystal Palace gives a sense of the tropics, in late spring jasmine scent
floats through the air in between the banana trees, fig trees, and other
tropical plants. Even in winter there is a sense of delight on walking in
here because of the oxygen rich air.
This conservatory was built by the
company that built the Palm House in Liverpool.
Front Room
 At the front of the house is our largest
function room, here the windows give a panoramic view of the garden
and allow in lots of sunshine. On the ceiling are plaster motifs
of beautiful peacocks another reference to the first owners' connection to India.
This room can be extended by opening sliding doors to the Music room, which houses our piano along with other musical
instruments, it shares many of the features of the Front room. Both
are very flexible and have been used for talks, workshops, dances, meetings and as a concert venue.
Art Room
 Our second function space is the Art room.
Its name comes from a possible origin as space for exhibiting the families
art. It is also thought to have been the family chapel and we sometimes use it as a meditation room. It is said to lie on a leyline, a
Pictish building was found just outside in the courtyard when the
foundations of the house were being laid.
Guest Landing and Bedrooms
A beautiful wood staircase leads from the main hallway to the guest rooms,
here stained-glass windows overlook the stairs. All
the guest rooms and bathrooms lead off a landing/guest living room. Originally there were two main bedrooms to the house
which had his and her dressing rooms and en-suite bathrooms. When the
house became a hotel in the mid 20th
century these large dressing rooms were converted into bedrooms, all
are a good size and have views of the surrounding gardens and woods.
Library and the Sanctuary
Leading away from the guest landing are the
stairs to the attic where we have a library and the sanctuary which is our
quiet space for sacred singing and meditation. Our sanctuary, nestling under the rafters, has a very
relaxing and nurturing quality to it .
The Kitchen
Our kitchen is very
important to our daily rhythms. As well as preparing food it is where we meet every morning to share our feelings, plan the day and keep up-to-date on community plans, development and progress.
The paintings
The walls of Newbold play host to some
beautiful paintings by local artist Carola Splettstößer . Carola is a friend of our community and is a member of the Findhorn community. More information is available on her website http://www.carola-paintings.com/.
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