15 Tips for guests

We have 250-350 guests passing through our home each year. If everyone adopts one or more of the following during their stay it will make a difference. Think about adopting these measures throughout your Scottish holiday. If you then use them at home you will be saving money. We have cut our use of electricity and LPG heating bills by more than the rise in energy prices.

Think Global – Act Local

• Switch lights off when you leave the room
• Think before opening windows if you are hot. Turn the heating down first
• Turn off electrical appliances at the wall when you have finished using them - to save phantom power use - phone and computer chargers are very bad on residual energy use
• Only use the amount of water you need when you boil the kettle - put the surplus hot water in the flask provided for re-use. Doing this at home over a year really saves a lot of energy
• Think whether you need to use every towel provided - energy needed to heat water, chemicals and the transport involved in detergents to do your laundry, add up over a year, often unnecessarily
• Hang your towels up to dry when you finish showering
• Most people do not do a daily sheet and towel change when at home - it seems silly to do that on holiday
• Turn the tap off whilst brushing your teeth - to save good drinking quality water being wasted
• You don’t need to bring in bottled water - ask at the kitchen for a re-fill with our filtered water
• Use the recycling box on the landing for recyclable rubbish like batteries, plastic & glass bottles, tins & cans, newspapers & magazines. There is now a compost caddy for food waste
• The only things to go down the toilet are body wastes and toilet paper. Please use the plastic pouches for sanitary / medical waste and the lined bathroom bin for everything inorganic
• Ask to hire our bicycles for one day when you are here & give the car a rest - reduce your carbon footprint. We recommend two cycle routes that both involve a cuppa before you turn back!
• Support local businesses - stay local, eat local & buy local produce – seek out other Green Tourism awarded businesses
• Walking and the great outdoors is what this wonderful area is about. Do ask us for our walking recommendations during your stay – we have walks for ALL abilities to offer
• There is so much to see and do within a 20 mile radius of our house - just ask us to inspire you with suggestions for wet or dry days.

All these are small things - but if everyone enjoying the nine million bed nights in the Highlands did them... just imagine...!