Cairngorm Bothies, winners of Green Tourism's GOLD AWARD, offer woodland retreats in a 100-year-old Scots pine forest for eco-conscious guests seeking self-catering, dog-friendly holidays. Completely off-grid, powered entirely by renewable energy and run in accordance with their purpose to "leave the place better than they found it" and their values centered on their people; profit to continue their regenerative ambitions and invest in their environment and community. The accommodation is ideal for adventure seekers, nature lovers, and guests who share and act with environmental awareness. Tackling climate change is ingrained in their nature, and raising awareness is their ambition.
The Bothies had sustainability at the heart of their design and value proposition from the outset. There was no purpose-built holiday development that was completely off the grid. This presented design and construction challenges as it had to be invented. The first thing successfully overcome was the location within the Blelack Forest. An aquifer was located, and a suitable site for the solar array was identified. Water is drawn from an underground aquifer, treated, and pumped to the bothies using solar energy. The solar array was sized to match the demand of the bothies and provide a supply to meet that demand. The water plant was also sized in a similar way to the solar array. In terms of sustainability and site design challenges, they aimed to minimize disruption to the natural forest environment. To this end, they designed the integration of the units into the forest with minimal impact on the forest floor. This included a special type of foundation and no man-made paths.
The Bothies are built using local trades and contractors, from local architects to local painters and decorators. Local sourcing is ingrained in the company's ethos. They operate an employment strategy to recruit local people and, where possible, minimize CO2 emissions when they travel to work. Employees are made aware of their green credentials during the recruitment process, along with their Responsible Visitor Charter. They value their employees; they are the ambassadors of their cause. Their core values include their people. Firstly their staff, but more widely and beyond that, their community, e.g., they supported the LEADER development project of their village hall by lending funds to kick-start the cash flow. They are aware of their own impact by being able to spend the money that their guests bring into the local economy. Their money has a positive impact on the bars, restaurants, and attractions in the area, helping to sustain local, sustainable businesses and the livelihoods that go with them.
They have strong links with the local community, creating jobs and working with other neighboring businesses that can provide services to their guests. Their woodland paths and green spaces can be used by both locals and guests. Sharing their forest stream for the local community duck race is another way of supporting the local community. In business, they are now looking at collaborative ways of working, for example with Tarland Trails, a mountain bike track, with whom they are starting to work together to provide a joint offer. They believe that the combination of the two businesses is stronger than the individual offerings.