Toiletries

Are supplied by Ishga Hebridean Spa. They’re made with hand picked seaweed extract from the Isle of Harris. They’re a certified Organic producer and we buy in bulk bottles to refill smaller ones for guest use.

Cleaning and Recycling

We use a combination of Method and Eco Ver cleaning products for cleaning between guests as well as leaving dishwasher tabs and detergent for guests to use during their stay. We buy in bulk bottles and refill the smaller ones for daily use to reduce our plastic consumption.

Guests are provided with a link to a digital guest guide ahead of their stay with local recommendations and helpful information on the house. No laminated paper sheets on our watch!

We have clearly labeled recycling bins for both dry mixed recycling and glass recycling.

Energy

Renewable energy is close to our hearts with Dean working as an Aeromechanical engineer designing offshore wind farms.

Naturally we removed the Gas cooker in favour of an Induction Hob and electric oven, and switched to ‘Green tariff’ electricity.

We upgraded the hot water cylinder to a super efficient model and fitted efficient shower heads to reduce water and electricity consumption while maintaining a luxurious bathing experience.

All bulbs in the house are LED.

We have looked into the installation of Solar Panels at the house but have been advised due to the orientation of the house in the Glen we wouldn’t benefit from enough solar gain in the winter months to make it a worthwhile investment. So, for now, we will rely on the green tariff energy produced from one of Dean’s wind farms.

We also added a super efficient log burner to the house, produced by the UK based manufacturer Charnwood who use only British steel. It is Defra approved as ‘A Plus’ at 84% efficiency.

We provide unlimited logs from a local supplier to reduce the need for plastic netted logs to be bought in from the supermarket.

Furnishings

When we carried out the refurbishment of the house we gave away anything that was reusable including the kitchen and appliances, bathrooms suites, internal doors and some furnishings.

When we were choosing items for the house we went for design classics that will stand the test of time in terms of style and of quality.

We also shopped local where we could, sourcing all of our timber from the island as well as soft furnishings from our super-talented next door neighbours, Skye Weavers.

Home Car Charger

In 2021 we made the big switch from a petrol car to an electric one (and we haven’t looked back once!).

“Range anxiety” is still a low-level concern when out exploring, but it must be said that the charging network in the Highlands is surprisingly good, probably thanks to the NC500 route.

Our nearest rapid charger is in Dunvegan (20 minutes away) and you can check out the full charging map here:

ChargePlace Scotland

Additionally we have installed a 7KW car charger at the house for overnight top-ups to make exploring the island that little bit easier for EV drivers. Energy is charged at cost.