Since 2018, more than 1,000 beneficiaries from our partnered charitable organisations have joined us on the island for week-long restorative stays. Their time on the island is spent connecting with themselves, the land, and the people around them. The life of the island - and the island itself - creates an atmosphere of quiet usefulness, peace, safety and challenge. The impact on our guests can be profound, and often they return to their roles restored and resilient. Our guests find respite and grow more resilient through meaningful contribution towards our restoration efforts, by connecting with nature in Tanera’s regenerated wild places - and by experiencing our welcoming communal spaces.
From mulching to vegetable gardening, creel pulling to caring for our livestock, path building to tree planting, Tanera is a busy place. Our charitable guests can decide which activity they’d like to get stuck into, and are encouraged to contribute meaningfully to the needs of the island.
On Tanera, we gather around shared tables for good, nourishing food and the stories of the day. Some of what we eat has been grown or preserved here, bringing a little of the island into each meal. As dishes are passed around, conversations unfold, and people who arrived as strangers begin to feel familiar. For anyone who enjoys cooking, or would like to try, there is a welcome in the kitchen too.
The crossing to Tanera puts a stretch of sea between us and the demands of everyday life. Here, weather and tides shape the day. Over five kilometres of footpaths, built with guests and volunteers, offer space to walk alone or in company, close to wildlife and the work of restoring the island. Views across the water to the mountains invite us to look outwards. Between the force of the elements and the warmth of Tanera’s buildings, there is room to rest and reflect. Taking part in caring for the island can turn that feeling of distance into one of belonging.
Our resident artists and creatives enable our charitable guests to spend meaningful time creating art in any shape or form. They take pictures, write poems and prose, as well as draw, paint, and work in many other media in a relaxed, inclusive way. We have created a beautiful studio situated against the backdrop of the iconic Tanera Herring Station, allowing our guests and visitors to access that sense of place during quiet creative time. Usually, our guests’ creative output is heavily inspired by personal experience and by the island.