Living in such a remote place environmental issues seem to highlighted and clearer than in an urban existence where one feels powerless to make changes with meaning.

We have set the minimum stay as 2 nights to maintain the generally relaxed atmosphere within the house and, more importantly, to reduce the environmental impact of guests visiting the area. If guests only stay 1 night the amount of laundry and therefore, energy consumed is twice as much as when the stay is for 2 nights. If local sightseeing and walking are the main activities; there will be fewer miles traveled on the roads than compared to a holiday where the whole of Scotland is being 'done'.

We are implementing improvements to try and minimise our impact by using energy efficient appliances, low energy lighting, minimal chemical use and environmentally friendly products. The laundry is dried outside as much as possible and we even have a mangle!

It is our policy to shop as locally as we can; making good use of the fantastic produce we have on our doorstep. We buy from our local butcher and fish man along with the fruit & vegetable merchant that pass through the village regularly. They in turn source locally,therefore fewer food miles get added to our food and money is kept in the local economy rather than disappearing to the multinationals. The dairy order from the West Highland dairy (near Plockton) arrives here thanks to Roddy our butcher (Lochcarron) which is less than 20 miles traveled.

We encourage reducing, reusing and recycling as much as possible. The village has won an award for our innovative plastic recycling point. Part of this philosophy is to reduce the amount of packaging we purchase with products. For example we were unhappy about the packaging and wastage associated with many guest soaps. We resolved this by buying gorgeous, locally made, high quality, blocks of soap which we cut to size for length of stay. Guests like the soap so much they take the remains with them & it all gets used. There is now no packaging involved and minimal waste.

It is wonderful when we have like minded and thoughtful guests who for example do not have the radiators on high then leave windows open. Or drink our clean, virtually un-recycled, tap water rather than buying bottled water.

In due course we shall be applying for a Green Tourism award which will direct and focus our policy development and ethical considerations.