Home > Green Policy

The way we live reflects our love of life and deep respect for this wonderful earth.

Like the native American Peoples and all folk who care for this earth, we do our best to tread lightly upon it.

The positive actions listed below simply reflect what we believe. Our aim to give more than we take, and to nurture the property in our care, so that it is improved and maintained in an holistic and responsible manner. We also intend to do all this in celebration and enjoyment of abundance, not suffering and self denial.

Recycling is simple

Whilst Argyll is struggling to implement some of the new green legislation, as a whole the county is offering a good service of recycling, and I am assured that this will continue to improve. Locally we are able to recycle:-

Paper and cardboard

Glass - clear, green, brown

Plastic drinks bottles

Plastic carrier bags

Soft drinks cans

Clothing and fabric

The local dump also has facilities for collection for recycling of a wide variety of household items.

We provide a compost bin in the retreat, and a paper recycling box for guests to use. Then we separate the remaining rubbish and recycle all we can.

Reuse, repairing and creative adaption

We are deeply committed to re-using everything possible. Many of the building and maintenance projects at Dunstaffnage Mains are made from reused materials, and we seldom invest in new items of furniture (with the exception of computers and mattresses).

Conservation of resources

We are on the greenest power available to us here - energy saving electricity. The tariff promises to supply green power exclusively, and further to plant trees every year to over our carbon emissions. We also plant trees and shrubs in the garden every year, and have successfully raised approximately 500 from seed, and about the same number from small plants.

Our hot water tanks (house and retreat) are on timer switches that allow us the luxury of warm water for washing without wasting energy. Also the tanks are well lagged to avoid loss of heat unnecessarily.

Both buildings are well insulated, and both have full double glazing or secondary double glazing.

We collect rain for watering the garden.

All things Eco

We are committed to the use of green decorating, cleaning and building products. However, we have no intention of throwing away half used products nor re-decorating before it is necessary to do so, as this seems absurdly wasteful, and not in any way green. Also, many green cleaning products are extremely un-ECOnomical, and so I choose to use the best of old world and new age cleaning - like vinegar, essential oils, soda crystals, etc.

Green growing things

We take great pride in this lovely garden, and we have planted well over 1000 shrubs and trees in the seven years we have been here. I grow most of these, and flowering plants and herbs, from seed.

The completion of the peace garden is a slow evolution, for the right elements have not yet been brought together. However the wild flowers flourish, and the prayer flags on their spiral serve as a good beginning. This area will be sheltered and private, and be filled with herbal and medicinal plants. The intention is to create a space for contemplation and healing. When the Peace garden is designed and planted, I will turn my attentions to growing vegetables and more fruit.

Naturally we make our own compost from kitchen and garden waste. It is our policy not to burn garden waste, and so we reuse the wind fallen branches and trees as planter and fencing materials. Anything too small for this purpose is mulched and used to suppress weeds.

We use chemicals as little as possible, but we have on occasion used biodegradable and pet friendly weed killers. However this need may be a thing of the past, now that the garden is largely tamed. I use plastic sheeting to smother extreme weed growth now.

Eventually we hope to replace the septic tank with a green water filtration system, however this is beyond our means at the present time.

Respect for all life

We leave roughly a quarter of our grass area as wild meadow, to encourage wild flowers and wildlife to flourish. We have also planted seeds for bio-diversity appropriate to this region. Even wilder areas are maintained around the perimeter of the garden, and we feed birds throughout the year.

A dear friend, who is member of the RSPB, was delighted to find a vast number of birds to watch in the garden, and in the wetland area between the garden and marina.

Ecology for Humans

We have a strict no smoking policy.

We also offer a superb range of holistic therapies and workshops for mental, physical, emotional and spiritual growth and health.

Enjoy your visit - and please come back again soon!