AN AMAZING SMALL HOLDING PROJECT NEAR BRIDGE OF EARN

Here's a few photos I took at Chrissie's brilliant sustainable living/permaculture project the other day, a small holding near Bridge of Earn. (By the way, Chrissie is another woodworking student friend of mine). If ever there was an amazing demonstration of what's possible with a bit of observation and insight, lots of passion and energy, and access to land, this is it. The photos don't do Chrissie's work justice at all but I hope they'll give you a flavour of the place. 

Polytunnel, orchard/forest garden and tiny house in the background

ACCESS TO LAND

Chrissie and I chatted a lot about the issue of Access to Land. It's being discussed a lot at all levels here in Scotland and rightly so. We have a very strange situation in this country where a lot of our land is owned by just a handful of people, so where do we go from there if, like me, you feel that access to land is one of the keys to living sustainably? SEE PAGE: ACCESS TO LAND.

 YOU DON'T NECCESSARILY NEED TO OWN IT

Chrissie rents her small holding from a larger estate, they have a really good working relationship. In fact, she has been making such a great job of the area she currently manages that the estate are giving her the use of part of another field. Ruth and I have lived on two different projects in a work-in-lieu-of-rent arrangement with the farmers in both cases, more about all that here: THE LOG CABAVAN WAY

YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO NEED A LOT OF STUFF AND SOME SKILLS...

As well as access to land you're going to need the skills and resources to develop it. It may need a deer fence and stocks of plants and trees, there may be shelters to build or repair so you'll need tools and materials, then there's water and energy to think about... but good access to a half decent bit of land is the starting point. If I had my way, anyone seriously wanting to do this should get a healthy grant for doing so... more on all this soon...

Looking down into the valley from behind the tiny house you can really see how industrial agriculture has shaped much of the landscape

Comfy and stylish interior of the tiny house

Last but not least - a fine simple compost toilet