Take The High Road To Save The Planet

Nov 18 2007

Mairi Mallon Takes Family On An Eco-Friendly Trip Round Scotland

It's not easy being green but my family are determined to try...even giving up our holiday in the sun for an eco-friendly break at home.
Rather than jump on an ozonedestroying flight to Mallorca, my husband Stephen, kids Katy, four, three-year-old Euan and I minimised our carbon footprint - and saved a few bob - by touring Scotland's bonnie landscapes.

Visit Scotland aim to make Scotland the world's first carbon neutral destination and have given eco-friendly accommodation a green grading.

They also give advice on which eateries use locally sourced food and how to use the car as little as possible.

The first stop on our road trip was St Andrews in Fife for a stay in the Rufflets Country House Hotel.

The luxurious complex became Scotland's first official carbon neutral hotel this year and backs green projects, such as the reforestation of the Caffran Valley in the Scottish Borders.
It is also offsetting its carbon footprint and has a scheme to use rainwater to flush WCs.
The hotel is terrific for children, with teddy bears on the beds and friendly staff. Our room had an antique bed, a large family bathroom and connected to a twin room for the kids.
The hotel's smart Garden Restaurant also gets the thumbs up thanks to its excellent adult and children's menus.

Nothing is too much trouble - a glass of milk is presented on a silver platter - and when Euan played up after our first course, the rest of our meal was sent up to our room with a smile and no fuss.

The next day, we braved the cold wind and headed to Elie beach armed with buckets, spades and wellies.

The kids loved picking up tiny pink shells, while I adored the fresh local fish we ate for lunch at the Ship Inn.

Our next stop was the Highlands and a warm welcome greeted us at the family-run Lovat Arms hotel in Fort Augustus, right on the banks of Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal.
Their central heating and water system uses a revolutionary biomass wood chip burner - very eco-friendly.

The food was excellent and we devoured a fabulous high tea, fish and chips and local lamb.
The Lovat Arms staff even arranged a babysitter so Stephen and I could get a night out at the lively and friendly Lock Inn, where they serve west coast mussels and seared steak to locals and the Nessie-hunting crowd. Definitely worth a return visit.

The Heavens opened the next day, so we headed into Inverness and let the kids loose in the impressive leisure centre which boasts a large indoor and outdoor pool, flumes and rapids.
Thankfully the sun was shining the following day, so we ventured to the beach between Arisaig and Mallaig. It was a two-hour drive but well worth it.

The gorgeous white sands wouldn't look out of place in the Caribbean - although the ice-cold water and pale holidaymakers certainly would!

Our next stop was the Nevis Range north of Fort William, which has a gold grading from Visitscotland for its environmental policies.

The kids screamed with laughter and fear when we took a gondola up to the summit of the Ben, where you can see for 50 miles across the islands.

The small swing park was also a hit, as was watching the daredevils on the downhill mountain bike track - the UK's only World Cup venue for the sport.

On to see the magnificent mountains of Glencoe. We took the easier paths at the foot of the famous Three Sisters and the kids had a ball running through the heather and jumping over streams.

From here we travelled to Oban, where all the accredited green venues were full, so we checked into the friendly and great value Kelvin Hotel.

A boat ride took us to Tobermory on Mull, the setting for our wee ones' favourite telly show, Balamory. They loved wandering the colourful narrow streets looking for their favourite characters and their homes.

Being environmentally friendly on holiday was not that hard. We fell off the green wagon a few times - we drove further than expected and succumbed to the lure of fast food - but when we checked our footprint on the special calculator at www.climate care.org, we had done quite well.

A flight from Glasgow to Palma for four produces 1.68 tonnes of CO2, while our trip produced 0.24 tonnes. We may have come back a bit damp and minus a tan but we minimised our impact on the environment - and on our wallets.

I LOVED
exploring the lush hills of Glencoe.

I HATED coming home without a tan.

SCOTLAND MAILFILE
For details on eco-friendly trips and VisitScotland's green tourism business scheme, go to www.green-business.co.uk
For more information on places to visit in Scotland, log on to www.visitscotland.com
We stayed at Rufflets Country House in St Andrews (www.rufflets.co.uk), the Lovat Arms Hotel in Fort Augustus (www.lovatarms-hotel.com) and The Kelvin Hotel in Oban (call 01631 562 150).