Educational centre, smallholding
Argyll & Bute
We have owned a 40 acre ancient coastal Atlantic oak woodland (Ferry Wood - temperate rainforest) since 2016 and since then have cleared all the large invasive rhododendrons. We have also put up a deer fence to exclude deer from most of the wood and need help monitoring vegetation changes as well as scything bracken to keep paths open. So, if you are interested in woodland management, this is the place for you! It has a comfortable cabin on site.
As of August 2022r we have been living in our new home, a timber-framed near- Passivhouse - near the wood.
We host courses and open days, are close to swimming beaches, have a sailing dinghy, canoe and kayaks as well as bikes.
Ed teaches Permaculture Design Courses and tutors students on their Permaculture Diploma. He is currently compiling a whole-site design for both the house garden and the garden at Ferry Wood (which includes a field where we grow crops) and is interested in taking on a permaculture intern who could assist him in this.
Carina is the main gardener now retired from her work as the village G.P. (doctor) she maintains an interest in homeopathy and is still closely involved with Tarbert Community Healing Garden at the Health Centre in Tarbert..
We are both founder members of Action West Loch, a local group seeking to restore the ecosystems of the loch itself, the rivers feeding it and the land on its shores, which consist of rainforest fragments in need of protection and the creation of linking corridors. The group is committed to working with local communities to achieve these goals.
We have a lean-to greenhouse.
In true Gaelic tradition we look to the sea for fish, seaweed (for eating and mulching) and inspiration. We live in an ancient Neolithic/Bronze Age/Celtic landscape which has been revered for thousands of years.
Ed specialises in landscape observation and bioregions and has a blog - bioregioning.com - which gives you a flavour of what he does. Also follow Ferry Wood on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/624046491087672/
He sings in a Gaelic choir and is a writer. He is also a keen bread maker. He is keen on wild swimming. Carina does T'ai Chi and Xiang Gong. We have a big book collection.
for more information see our website
https://www.ferrywoodrainforest.org/
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Bakery
Green Building
Renewable energy production
Mechanics / tools / technology
Methods or systems
Permaculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
17
Hectares
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42
Acres
Ed
Member since 2009
Languages spoken:
French
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 4 days
Argyll & Bute
Buses run from Glasgow 5 times per day - Citylink 926 bus to Campbeltown. Buy a ticket to Tarbert turning circle and we will meet you there.
Reviews
Jesslyn
United Kingdom
•
April 2026
We spent a wonderful 4 weeks with Ed & Carina at [Host]and had a truly meaningful and enriching experience. During our stay, we learned a wide range of practical and ecological skills, including loch maintenance, identifying invasive species, understanding lichens, and harvesting edible sea kelp. We also took part in creating seaweed compost, enriched with charcoal, and contributed to various projects such as planting vegetables, building kitchen shelves, constructing concrete pedestals for a fountain as part of water management around the home, and planting willow along a pond to help prevent erosion. Winter was slowing with spring on the way with frog spawn, budding trees & emerging plants.
The work was varied & rewarding, balanced with time to enjoy the surrounding natural beauty—woodland walks, canoeing & walking the sea loch labyrinth were all highlights.
Ed and Carina are exceptional hosts—warm, generous, and deeply knowledgeable. Their commitment to responsible land stewardship and sustainable living is evident in every aspect of the experience. They provided delicious, healthy meals, often sourced directly from their garden, and created a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere with enjoyable evening conversations.
The accommodation was spacious, comfortable, and thoughtfully prepared, with all our needs more than met. We highly recommend [Host] to anyone interested in learning, contributing, and experiencing a genuine connection to land, food, and community.
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Camille
France
•
November 2025
I had a very nice time at Carina&Ed's!
It was a wonder to discover this area of Scotland that they are helping to protect.
Thanks to them I found out the incredible world of seaweeds among others.
They shared their knowledge about gardening, mushrooms, the rainforest...and so much more.
Carina helped me to plan my next trips, she has a very good knowledge of the area, buses and ferries (on top of all her other knowledge!!).
I was genuinely inspired by how much they are involved and committed to their community.
I was lucky to stay in a room in their lovely house. The daily work was quite diversified according to the weather between the wood, the garden by the sea and the garden by their house. I had the chance to enjoy a sauna and wild swim session, it was bliss.
Thank you!
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Ian
United States
•
October 2025
My time at [Host] was quite a unique experienced. This was my first international WWOOFing experience. I stayed in the off grid cabin by the wood for about 2 weeks helping Ed and Carina with clearing rhododendron, mulching the garden with seaweed, creating compost piles, repairing fences and all sorts of other things.
The work was enjoyable to me and felt productive. The location on the coast of western Scotland was so beautiful, waking up in the cabin each morning to the coastal view was quite a treat.
Ed and Carina are wonderful hosts, cooks, gardeners, foragers, and people of the land. Their mission is inspiring and they’re both always glad to talk and teach about what they’re doing.
I also gained some valuable culinary insight during my stay. As someone whose diet is largely meat based I adapted without hitch to the delicious vegetarian meals they made. I learned how to ferment kimchi and how to whip up a stir fry in minutes. To me this was both a new way of living and a refreshing example of more options and opportunities for health and wellness.
I highly recommend a stay at [Host] for anyone looking to reconnect deeply with wilderness, pursue a more holistic and natural lifestyle and learn more about restoration and permacultural practices.
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Jacqui
Australia
•
September 2025
Our two weeks with Ed and Carina was varied, educational and in a wonderful setting. We came primarily to learn about Atlantic rainforest restoration and left with a good understanding of this, along with practical experience. We were delighted to see a badger regularly, and a red squirrel.
Ed and Carina were welcoming hosts and great company. They went out of their way to assist us with planning the next stage of our holiday, so we could observe otters on Mull.
As well as rainforest restoration, we helped with their community work (healing garden), the permaculture food garden and food preparation and preserving.
The accommodation in their home was very comfortable, and the food was very healthy using seasonal produce from the garden as much as possible. We enjoyed learning some new recipes.
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Timon
Netherlands
•
August 2025
Ed & Carina are living a beautiful life on a wonderful homestead and are very welcoming to those wishing to appreciate the natural wonders of the Scottish temperate rainforest. We got to do a lot of different chores and tasks which is great, and had a lot of freedom to explore around. From weeding in the garden to building compost heaps, harvesting in the garden to pulling out the invasive rhododendron saplings and processing the larger woody plants into firewood and material for biochar. Ed & Carina are kind people, great cooks and walking fountains of information (and then there's the library!) there's so much to learn from them about history, ecology, permaculture design and organizing for change. The cabin for the WWOOFers is quite a (lovely) 2km-ish walk away from the house so a car, bike or a love for long walks is a nice thing to have with you.
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Louise
United Kingdom
•
July 2025
I had the most amazing time with Ed, Carina and my lovely fellow wwooffers. Being part of the household for three weeks was so peaceful, interesting and invigorating. Both Ed and Carina are so generous with their time and knowledge. I really enjoyed learning about the rainforest, its lichens, mushrooms, insects. Having been 8 years in Scotland and having never heard of it before, I'm now determined to tell everyone about it! Your curiosity is so infectious and I loved how you made us wwoofers able to have a impact on your garden by listening to our ideas/skills and experimenting together. That's what wwoofing is all about. Thank you again so much, until next time :)
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