Heatherlea the Green Option!
Go Green in Scotland, Go Heatherlea!
We are genuinely passionate about Scotland, its wildlife, and the need to protect our environment. When you choose Heatherlea for your Scottish birding holiday, you really help make a valuable contribution – our Green Tourism award is the proof. Since gaining our award we have made many further improvements and pride ourselves on implementing real green standards. We ‘make it happen’ in lots of different ways;
The HEATHERLEA Kitchen Garden
As soon as we moved to the Mountview Hotel in 1998, Caryl began growing our own produce. Over the years we have grown a vast amount of produce, and whenever you come you can expect some of these from our garden;
Mange-tout peas, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, swiss chard, courgettes, garlic, pak choi cabbage, broccoli, curly kale, lovage, tarragon, thyme, fennel, landcress, rocket, sage, lemon balm, ginger mint, applemint, spearmint, cos, freckles, lollo rosso, green salad bowl and red salad bowl lettuces.
Caryl is an accomplished jam maker, and you might sample strawberry, damson, worcesterberry, rowan jelly, apple jelly, marmalade, and lemon curd.
From the local forests we gather bilberries, and local mushrooms include chanterelle, porcini, and blewits.
Our composting bin is well established, and takes our vegetable and fruit waste (also egg shells, tea bags etc).
Not only does this help reduce food miles, our salads and vegetables taste great and keep you healthy too!
SUPPORTING LOCAL FOOD SUPPLIERS AND GROWING OUR OWN PRODUCE, REDUCES FOOD MILES AND HELPS ECO-FRIENDLY BUSINESS IN NORTHERN SCOTLAND.
- We buy from ‘The Really Garlicky Company’, Highland Wholefoods, Highland Greengrocers, SG Mustard (Nethybridge) and other local good places.
- Our restaurant and bar stock sparkling/still water, whisky and beer from local producers.
- Local butchers and farm producers are preferred for meat, free-range eggs, milk and cream.
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE HOTEL
- We use ecofriendly cleaning products, recycled toilet paper and biodegradable/recycled bags.
- Our water and energy usage is assessed monthly and simple water saving devices are in place.
- The Heatherlea office uses recycled paper; we recycle scrap paper into our own pads and monitor energy usage with a view to reduction.
- We recycle cans, card, plastics, scrap paper, ink cartridges and glass.
INVOLVEMENT OF STAFF IS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS.
- We have a ‘Green Tourism Manager’ and a team of two volunteers ensures good green practice. We have regular ‘green meetings’ and your suggestions are also welcome.
- Promote our Environmental Policy Statement to everyone and display it on our staff notice board.
- sponsor Abernethy Primary, where four children have parents employed by Heatherlea, as an Eco School.
- 'Green Tourism Manager' Emma McBride is also on the Eco Committee of local Abernethy Primary School.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES OUTSIDE THE HOTEL ARE VITAL.
- watch wildlife in a responsible way at all times
- travel in large, more efficient minibuses
- support and pay our local Badger group to use their hide
- sponsor a local footpath in Nethybridge – The ‘Puggy Line’ Trail!
HEATHERLEA BURSARY
The Heatherlea Bursary in Biological Sciences at Lancaster University is now its fifth year. A student on the MSc Ecology & Environment is being supported by Heatherlea, and the course includes a project in its curriculum.
We are of course very pleased to make this small contribution to the cause of Environmental Science.
ABERNETHY PRIMARY SCHOOL
Four of our staff have children at the local school, which is now a Green Flag Eco School. To support their bid we recently provided them with bird tables, feeders and peanuts. The children are all keen to watch and learn, and this is a vital way to engage youngsters in their environment. The school even has resident Tawny Owls, which raised a chick (called ‘Plop!’).
‘At Heatherlea we’re passionate about both Scotland and its wildlife and the need to protect our natural environment is of the utmost importance. We are committed to reducing the negative effects and maximising the beneficial influences our holidays have on the environment. Being environmentally aware is about more than just recycling or supporting a worthy cause, it is more important to reduce the energy, water and waste we produce, and where that is not possible we reuse or recycle. These things often take more time and thought, but Heatherlea is committed – this is about actions not intentions.’
Emma McBride, Green Tourism Manager
