Eight miles away from Banchory, the village of Finzean is nestled in the heart of Royal Deeside.
If you haven’t been to Finzean, then you may not know where it is – or how to actually pronounce it.
If you don’t know, it’s “Fing-in”.
Finzean lies on the South Deeside road between Banchory and Aboyne, snuggled in the Feugh valley.
And for the past 22 years, Mel Shand has been proud to call Finzean her home. The scenic spot was perfect for the artist.
She moved here with her family in 2002 when her husband, Hedge Shand, was offered a job as a gamekeeper.
A massive community player, Mel was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her efforts in supporting people through the pandemic.
She has also brought the community together through a number of projects, including three plays and The Portrait of Our Time, where she photographed 220 households to “record a moment in time”.
So who better to talk up the community?
Here are the five things about Finzean that Mel Shand says make it so special…
1. ‘The ever-changing views within a glorious landscape’
“I absolutely have a favourite view,” says Mel.
“It’s a view from the gate along Finzean House Drive. From that point you can see the top of Peter Hill, so the moorland, then the forestry and the agricultural land, coming right up to the gate, and it’s beautifully framed by trees.
“Finzean means the ‘fair place’, and it is encapsulated within that view.”
She also enjoys the “meditative walks in the deep green woods”.
2. The ‘ever-evolving’ community
Mel explains: “Across the generations, you’ve not only got people that have been here for generations, you’ve got people who come and go and people who come and stay.
“We have all the history, and the landscape and nature but it’s the people who are the pinning stones that make it all worthwhile.
“There’s lots of people doing lots of stuff in clubs and associations, which is wonderful.
“I’ve been an artist my entire life but moving to Finzean, and becoming a part of a traditional estate and farming community, inspired me to use some of my ideas to engage people in lifelong learning.
“I am particularly interested in the people because the people are what makes a community and when people get together they can make stuff happen.”
Her second “alter-nativity” community play was mirrored with the Syrian refugee crisis. In 2016 it received the Epic Award for community engagement with the arts.
Mel said that it remains one of her proudest achievements.
She also added: “I feel embedded in the community because I am part of something.
“I am part of the estate because of my husband’s job and I am part of the community because of what I put into it.”
3. Mel Shand on the history of Finzean
“When you visit a place like this you kind of peel back layers and layers of history.
“The history of Finzean is also rooted in the landscape. It’s a reminder that our time here is fleeting…
“When I moved to Finzean, I could see that there were historic mills that have harnessed the naturally abundant resources and old heritage buildings that have been preserved.”
Mel also said that there are several trees on the estate that she goes to “for comfort, solitude and inspiration” and she acknowledged how they continue to grow.
In the 22 years she has lived here, she recalls 12 oak trees that were planted close to her house.
4. Mel and Hedge’s jobs
She smiles: “We don’t have any hobbies because we are lucky enough to love what we do.
“Lucky us, look at where we live and work.
“We are mindful of that, because you don’t do gamekeeping for the money, it’s a lifestyle choice which is richly rewarded.”
Mel added she is “proud to be a gamekeeper’s wife”.
“When Hedge and I do have time together, he invites me out on ‘gate night’, we have ‘gate night’ not date night, which means that I get to go with him and open the gates.”
Mel also spoke of the role that the Finzean Farm shop has in supporting the rural economy.
She said: “If you are going to justify shooting game, we believe you have to eat it and the way to get it to market is from the source.
“As the game goes to the Finzean Farm Shop then not just the local people, but people from around about, can access it and it supports the sporting industry.”
She adds: “I am so passionate about it and I really do believe game is so important.
“We are losing sight of where our food comes from and game is healthy, it’s lean, it’s low fat, it has barely any food miles and it’s fresh.”
5. ‘The wildlife, but specifically the bees’
Finally, Mel says there is a very particular buzz about Finzean…
“Beekeeping is a very traditional Finzean occupation,” she explains.
“The community play I wrote in 2020, called Beekind, reflected how the inner workings of a productive beehive reflected a successful community.
“One bee produces just 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime – a tiny amount of sweetness – but a whole hive working together can produce 30lbs of honey in a season.”
“It’s absolutely incredible what lessons there are to be found in nature.
“The bees have the benefit of this pristine landscape, they fly straight to the hill and they turn the purity of our landscape into the most delicious honey.”
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