Green Tourism
Our Commitment, Policies & Assessments
Sustainability at Loch Riddon Bothy
Our Bothy was built by a small company called Bothy Stores. Bothy Stores is a social enterprise based in Edinburgh. They strive to build inspirational, prefabricated contemporary cabins designed for simple living in rural or urban environments. Every one is built to last a lifetime using the finest quality materials.
Our main focus has always been on how we live and manage both the Bothy and our home and large garden on a day-to-day basis.
This is reflected in the sustainability goals we set…
to provide high-quality holiday accommodation while minimising the impact on the environment, and
to run Loch Riddon Bothy as sustainably as possible.
Currently, all wood we burn is sourced from local suppliers supplemented by logs from fallen or felled diseased trees on our own land together with wood gathered from nearby after a storm.
Electricity is on a 100% green energy tariff.
Rubbish and Recycling
Not the most romantic subject, but we strive to treat rubbish in the most environmentally sensitive way possible. We understand that when you are catering away from home, you have maybe brought more bottles, jars and packages than you normally would.
So, first of all, we have a small bin in the kitchen marked for raw fruit and vegetables only. This is all we can put on our own compost heap, as it simply does not generate enough heat to cope with eggshells, bones, or tea bags. We do, however, make lovely compost which we spread on the garden every Spring.
We have a bin labelled "Recycling" in the outside wooden storage box. This can take recyclable plastic, cartons, paper and cardboard, but NOT glass. There is a blue crate just around the side of the outside wooden storage chest, where you can put any glass items.
Finally, there is a bin to take all the real rubbish. If you need to empty this while you are staying, please tie it up and put it in the GREEN (very counterintuitive) bin next to the polytunnel.
Cleaning
We have supplied you with washing up liquid and loo cleaner from Ecover. We also use Ecover’s non-bio washing liquid and a general-purpose liquid cleaner. There is a great shop in Dunoon (our nearest town) called Eco, where we can get Ecover products refilled. We try very hard to throw out as little as possible.
This year we have exchanged our loo paper for a plastic free brand with far less packaging and no plastic packaging! The company, Oceans, supports the Marine Conservation Society.
We have also exchanged our cleaning cloths and scrubbies. The new ones from Composty are washable and reusable and when they reach the end of their life, they can be composted; no j-cloths or other so-called ‘disposable’ cloths for us. We hated having to throw these out after every guest.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Statement
At Loch Riddon Bothy we are dedicated to fostering an environment that embraces equality, diversity and inclusion. We are committed to ensuring that all guests are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or any other protected characteristic.
We are committed to –
Providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all guests.
Environmental Policy
At Loch Riddon Bothy we take our environmental responsibilities seriously. We want to maximise our green credentials in the way we run the business from choosing reusable, plastic free kitchen cloths to making sure we know exactly where our firewood has come from.
Key Points
We encourage the natural world to thrive around us
We strive to reduce all waste, particularly that which goes to landfill
Our energy (electricity and wood) is sustainably chosen
All products and consumables in the Bothy are chosen for their environmental credentials and are mainly reusable and / or recyclable
We comply with all relevant legislation and have our Scottish Short Term Let licence
We strive to keep ‘man-made’ noise to a minimum
We are always looking for ways to improve our environmental credentials and welcome suggestions from guests
Climate Risk Assessment
The climate risks that could affect Loch Riddon Bothy the most are extreme summer temperatures, surface water flooding and ground water flooding. According to the latest SEPA predictions, we are not in danger from rising sea water or river flooding.
Risks Identified
Extreme heat will affect guests staying in the Bothy as it is hard to cool the Bothy down. The added problem is of it possibly being midgy weather, meaning that opening windows and doors to enable air circulation may not be possible.
Surface and ground water flooding could cause large puddles to form down where the Bothy entrance adjoins the road. The field drains may be over whelmed and excess water be directed down the gravel path to the Bothy and the track, creating channels.
Steps taken to mitigate these risks:
To ensure guest comfort during particularly hot weather, we have provided an electric fan which can be moved around the Bothy as required.
There is a midge screen which locks into place for the bathroom window, allowing it to be kept open even in midgey weather.
Alternative bedding is provided to be as cool as possible.
To ensure that excess surface and ground water is directed into drains as efficiently as possible, there is an existing network of underground, clay drainage pipes on the property, which are regularly rodded to keep them clear. In addition we have created open drainage ‘ditches’ which carry an enormous amount of water. Interestingly, they have never run dry even when there has been no rain for 6 weeks or more.
The puddle which can form near the road is directed into another ditch. This needs to be kept clear of excess vegetation so that it can flow well.
We regularly check the entire area and last year found a very boggy patch of ground just up behind the bothy. An extra drain was installed. Currently we are experiencing water overflowing from our neighbour’s property and flooding part of the garden. This is being investigated.
Since arriving at this property 10 years ago, we have planted many moisture-loving shrubby willows, which do soak up a considerable amount of water.
Accessibility Guide
