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 the people; profit to continue regenerative ambitions and invest in the 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.
Cairngorm Bothies provide a unique 100% off-grid experience by immersing guests in living with energy, waste, and water consciousness. They increase awareness and the importance of such behaviors by giving guests the experience of living in an environment where these elements are of primary concern through a completely off-grid experience. Guests have employed sustainability in their holiday choices. The bothies have faced several challenges since their launch in 2020 but have managed to overcome them through a strong team, local contractors, and business support. This resilience and adaptability are ongoing as this year they increased the bothie offering from six to twelve. They faced significant challenges such as launching during the Covid Pandemic, structural & forest damage with the recent winter storms e.g. Arwen, Malik, and Otto. Maintaining a sustainable off-grid operation has challenges from the operations of creating a unique experience with comfortable self-catering accommodation to that of protecting the forest environment. A solar array powers electricity to the water treatment and each of the bothies. This electricity is used to power the LED lighting, fridge, plug sockets, and power the shower. Heating and cooking are created on the wood-burning stove that also supplies the hot water. Despite these challenges, the Cairngorm Bothies team has managed to maintain and improve the facilities, offering visitors a unique and memorable experience in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park.
As the Cairngorm Bothies are still a relatively new self-catering business, the team finds themselves learning and developing new methods and strategies to overcome the challenges as they arise, while care and attention are given to the customers' journey and creating an enjoyable sustainable off-grid experience for their guests. Feedback from guests is important to them and is often acted upon, so much so that the second phase of bothies had extra height built into their plans. Careful consideration is made when considering and implementing eco-friendly practices, such as using renewable energy sources, reducing waste, and promoting responsible tourism through a regularly updated “Welcome Pack“ and most recently the introduction of a QR Code of Things to see and do, reducing the need for the use of printed paper. Their guests receive a “responsible visitor charter” with its suggestions of how to conserve energy, give the car a rest, shop local, reduce, reuse, recycle, be water-wise, be respectful of nature, and support other aligned green tourism businesses. The team collaborates with local conservation organizations to ensure the protection of the surrounding wilderness.
Through target marketing, guests almost by definition have an interest in human-powered pursuits such as the outdoors, such as cycling and walking. They signpost guests toward such activities that are locally available and direct them toward taking their leisure in a sustainable way with pre-approved suppliers. To those that are already practicing sustainability, they provide an easy, well-thought-through offering complicit with their own values. To those who are less environmentally aware, they provide an educational experience in a non-judgmental way. They aim to generate a better and wider adoption of sustainable practices by making it a joyous experience and thereby improve the uptake. Guests receive “local things to see and do” in an online format reducing the need for printed paper. They use environmentally friendly products from the Bio-Hygiene range, including the use of refillable bottles. These are sourced from an Aberdeen based supplier and ordered monthly, to reduce the number of delivery-miles and selected to minimize the impact on the environment from some aggressive chemicals. Procurement is very carefully considered from an ecological and local business viewpoint. They try to avoid plastic products for use in the bothies, ordering cotton or wooden items as the preferential alternative. e.g., wooden cooking utensils instead of plastic. Employment - their strategy for staff recruitment is to secure local people. Staff are made aware of their green credentials in the recruitment process and are exposed to the responsible visitor charter. They seek to employ locally also because of the important consideration of the local rural economy.