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You are here: Home / Discover Treshnish / Environment / Environment – What we are doing

Environment – What we are doing

Treshnish, Mull, Bluebells in Gruline woods

Award winning Eco friendly Cottages

At Treshnish we care about the environment.  Not just in looking after the precious parcel of land we call home, but in ensuring we minimise our impact on the environment at large.  Treshnish & Haunn Cottages joined the Green Tourism Business Scheme in 1999 – we consciously determined to lessen our impact on the environment in all aspects of our business.

When we took over the farm 25 years ago, the cottages were in dire need of attention.  This gave us the opportunity to make them as eco-friendly as possible from the start.

On this page you can see what we have been doing, and here you can see some ideas for what you can do too, while you are staying with us.

The farm is managed to benefit bio-diversity and wildlife, the eco friendly cottages are managed to reduce our carbon footprint whilst providing a wonderful environment in which to stay. We have adopted site-appropriate domestic scale renewables (wind, solar) to generate electricity – we are currently generating over 80% of our annual energy need.

 

Explore what we are doing

(or see what you can do whilst you are here)

Welcome to Walker’s Scheme

Treshnish Mull - walkers
Some of our guests travel their entire journey on public transport. Read more…

Please look at West Coast Motors for timetables from Tobermory to Calgary.  There is also a very useful community bus service from Salen to Calgary…  which passes the road end. This makes it easier to get here by public transport.
Electric Cars Welcome – Charging Point


Part of the Mull Electric Charging-point Network…Read more…

In November 2014, as part of an island network, we installed a dual charging-point for electric cars. This means you can bring your electric car to the island, and charge your batteries whenever you need to, whilst you are staying here. Please contact us for further details if required.
Cyclists Welcome Scheme

Treshnish Mull - cycling
Member of Cyclists Welcome Scheme…Read more…

Some of our guests arrive on bicycles having pedalled from the ferry, others come part way on public transport and cycle the rest of the way.  Please contact West Coast Motors to find out which buses allow bicycles.

There is also a very useful community bus service from Salen to Calgary… Read more… which passes the road end. This makes it easier to get here by public transport.
We have dry storage for your bicycles in the Recycling Shed.
There is additional clothes/kit drying space available in the Boiler House.

Environmentally friendly renovations

Treshnish Mull - Thatch cottage
We use local suppliers wherever possible…Read more…

and employ local tradesmen.
Our eco friendly cottages meet or exceed current insulation in building standards – in some cottages we have used sheeps wool insulation, and in the farmhouse we have used wood fibre insulation.
Double glazing throughout with airtight doors to reduce energy wastage.
The wood fired central heating in Treshnish Cottages use thermostatic controls.
We have fitted low energy fittings as standard, and now installing LED where new fittings are required.
Natural paints used throughout, though sometimes necessary to use non natural paint (such as yacht paint on external doors!).
Wood burning (no coal) stoves.

 

Renewable energy & heating


Our renewable journey started with …Read more…

a Renewable Energy Study which we had done in 2005.
Our aim is to produce as much energy as the business uses (self sufficiency goal).
We can now generate in excess of 80% of total annual electricity usage on site (Treshnish Farm, holiday cottages, farmhouse).

4.2 sq.m of solar panels for hot water on Toechtamhor and farmhouse 2006.
Proven 6kW wind turbine October 2009 – supplies Studio, farm office/laundry.
3.7kW Solar PV panels in 2011- supplies workshop, woodchip boiler pumps.
Kingspan 6kW wind turbine November 2012 – supplies farmhouse.

Additional electricity imported at Treshnish (farmhouse, cottages, office, laundry) is from 100% renewables source (Ecotricity).

We installed a District Heating Scheme with a Froeling Biomass boiler (wood chip supplied by local community woodland company from timber grown a few miles away) in 2009. This supplies the farmhouse, office, laundry, 4 Treshnish cottages (saves an estimated 50T of carbon a year).

Local wood fuel, not coal


Woodburning stoves in 7 out of 8 cottages…Read more…

Supports local firewood suppliers (North West Mull Community Woodland Company).
Uses Mull grown timber (softwoods).
Low energy laundry/drying room


Converted decaying old shed into Laundry …Read more…

which cut down on heating costs/energy use.
Using passive solar gain from south facing windows for drying laundry.
Concrete floor and masses of insulation to store solar heat.
Heated by woodchip.
Uses wind turbine electricity.
We use outdoor drying lines whenever possible for drying bedlinen and towels.
Recycling ethos and facilities


Recycling shed/log store built in 2010 …Read more…

Bins for glass, plastics, paper, batteries, tins/cans, plastic bags, jam jars, compost, milk bottle tops
Each cottage has a compost bin and we use collected vegetable waste to make compost in our garden
Reduced waste going to landfill by 40% between 2010 and 2014.
Responsible disposal of redundant items
Use local recycling facility, both for recycling items we can no longer use but also for shopping – Castaways in Craignure (funds raised are distributed locally)

 

Eco friendly cleaning materials


Ecover, Bio D cleaning materials …Read more…

sourced in bulk from workers co-operative, saving on packaging and journeys
Supply eco-friendly cleaning products in the cottages including Ecover dishwashing tablets and soap powder for washing machines. (soft water means only half the amount is needed).
Monitoring & reducing consumption


Monitoring of electric and heating use …Read more…

helps identify energy wastage/room for improvement.
Monitoring energy production v. energy use.
Guests take responsibility for their own energy use through metered usage.
Turning thermostats down by a degree – better to turn it up than waste excess.
We source the most energy efficient appliances – 95% are A+, A++ or A+++.
We keep records of Energy ratings of new appliances.
Minimmum standard of low energy light bulbs.
Programme of upgrading light fittings to LED.
We supply kettles with cup marks on the side to make it easier for you to only boil the water you actually need each time, thus saving energy.
Outdoor washing lines & indoor clothes airers for each cottage.
To comply with Visit Scotland requirement for tumble drier, we have one at the farm that guests can use.
Supporting local businesses


Great local produce available on the island …Read more…

for visitors – details in cottages.
We actively support Dervaig Producers Market, fortnightly during summer months.
Dervaig Village Shop – recently extended – you can get almost everything you might need here.
We supply guests with our own free range eggs when we have enough.
Our own beef and mutton/lamb for sale most of the year.
Would like to supply home grown vegetables but haven’t got there yet…
Carolyne is one of three volunteers who run the Mull and Iona Food Trail.
Reducing our carbon footprint


Working to balance our Carbon Footprint …Read more…

through energy savings, energy generation and carbon offsetting
In May 2014 we offset 75 tonnes of carbon dioxide (estimated consumption from 2014 to date) via ClimateCare, where the money is used on ‘greenhouse gas reduction projects in order to reduce the rate of global climate change’.

 

Planting trees, putting up bird boxes


Planted over 2500 native broadleaved saplings…Read more…

Fenced off 10 hectares of woodland and open space to protect existing wooded areas, and encourage natural regeneration.
Swallows: When we converted farm steading into Studio, swallows needed replacement nest sites – so we put swallow boxes up in the new farm building (now used by sparrows!).
Housemartins: to encourage visiting pairs we put a Housemartin box on north wall of farm steading.
Barn Owls: 2 barn owl boxes put up in 2010. Barn owls seen at Treshnish regularly in 2012 – not in our boxes though!
Various other bird boxes in woodland and trees.
The Green Tourism Business Scheme


Strongly support GTBS principles …Read more…

and strict monitoring.
Members since 1999, Gold Award holders since 2002.
We were awarded the GTBS Goldstar Award 2011 and the GTBS Carbon Footprint Award 2011.
Involved in organizing Holiday Mull ‘eco conference’ Feb.2012 to try and encourage further GTBS membership on Mull & Iona.
Mull and Iona Eco Charter


Local initiative supporting energy saving …Read more…

and encouraging local produce.
What you can do to help


Whilst still enjoying your holiday in one of our eco friendly cottages!

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Treshnish & Haunn holiday cottages are situated near Calgary Beach on the beautiful Isle of Mull, one of the Inner Hebridean islands, off the west coast of Scotland.

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E. enquiries@treshnish.co.uk

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