Visible impact:

• We aim to remove litter from roadside and other areas
• Exclude grazing stock from some areas of pasture
• Establish conspicuous features - pond, trees
• Reinstate dry stone walls and cobbled surfaces
• Repair stone & slate buildings
• Enhance habitat for wildlife of various kinds
• Improve access for people to see wildlife

Minimise pollution:

• Our cottages are non smoking areas
• Treat sewage effluent to reduce biological oxygen demand
• Avoid discharge of sewage effluent to water course
• Use water-based paints
• Instruct guests on settings of stoves to minimise smoke
• Avoid cleaning products containing chlorine
• Avoid use of aerosols

Carbon offsetting

If you tell us the total distance you have driven on your holiday, we will plant one or more trees which, over their lives, will offset the carbon dioxide released by your car during the holiday. This will be done at no cost to you.

We will work to sustain the trees and will replace any which die. Of course, we cannot promise that the trees will grow to maturity and we leave in the hands of a later generation the fate of the mature trees.

Noise

• Restrict use of chainsaw to times when others are unlikely to be resting

Resources

• We purchase our electricity from Good Energy, who assure us that all of the power they supply is generated from renewable resources. They support and encourage over 350 small to medium enterprises which generate electricity from renewables.
• Restrict water flow to taps
• Avoid hanging baskets of flowering plants
• Collect rainwater
• Provide wood-burning stoves for use by guests to supplement electrical heating of cottages
• Grow wood fuel for stoves
• Maintain a high level of thermal insulation
• Fit low-energy lamps, where practicable, in most-used lights
• Use lower temperature washes in the washing machine
• Use timber furnishings and fittings, where practicable
• Use recycled paper toilet rolls and kitchen rolls

Waste

We ask guests to segregate uncooked vegetable, glass, metal, plastics, newspaper and card waste. We compost what is suitable, have some collected from our site and transport the remainder to Kelso for recycling.

We encourage visitors to see the Scottish Borders on foot and by cycling. Information about walking and cycle routes is provided in your cottage and we are pleased to talk with you about routes. We provide drying facilities and a lockable cycle store. Our efforts have been acknowledged by award of the designations "Walker Welcome" and "Cyclists Welcome" from the Scottish Tourist Board.