3 Easy steps to a Green Short Break in Edinburgh

At the end of January I went away to see the bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond and to breathe some fresh clean Highland air.

Step 1 Book your train tickets – I travelled from London to Edinburgh via the east coast trainline and tickets booked in advance with National Express are very reasonable. It takes around 4 hours from London King’s Cross station to Edinburgh Waverley station. Plenty of time to sit back, relax, read or just enjoy the scenery.

Step 2 Book your accommodation -There is a selection of organic bed and breakfast available at Organic Holidays  although on this occasion I stayed in a city centre hotel which did offer you the opportunity to reuse your towels and also allowed you to control the temperature in the room so you could turn it down when you went out in the morning and turn it back up on your return.

Step 3 Explore Edinburgh and take a trip into the Highlands - I chose to explore the Highlands and Loch Ness and to visit Loch Lomond and it was well worth the effort as Scotland is beautiful whichever season you visit.
 

I travelled with Rabbies Tours who are Scotland’s first first bus tour company to achieve a gold award for the Green Tourism Award, a world leading green accreditation scheme, demonstrating Rabbie’s high level of commitment to protecting the environment and to sustainable tourism practices. Eric regaled us with stories as we drove a full mini bus up to Loch Ness and back via Pitlochory. It was a great feeling to know that we had reduced the number of vehicles touring through this beautiful countryside. We had plenty of stops to see castles and also spotted red deer. You can easily book online or ask at the Tourist Information centre.

Edinburgh is a lovely city  to walk around with the castle, Holyroodhouse or climb Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park. It provides one of the best vantage points over the city to the countryside beyond. And after your walk check out the Urban Angel cafe and deli which had a delicious selection of organic produce to tempt you with. There is a large seating area at the back of the cafe so do not be put off if when you arrive the seats at the entrance are all taken!

So next time you fancy a break to why not consider Edinburgh and treat yourself to a green trip north of the border.

Ecobookers Celebrates Its 1st Birthday With A Redesign

Environmentally friendly travel site, Ecobookers, is one year old. Well it was at the start of September actually but I thought I’d take some time to look around the site as it’s been redesigned.

We first looked at Ecobookers back in November 2007 and liked what we saw. The new site is a bit easier to use and certainly more pleasing on the eye. Although I haven’t actually booked anything through it, I like the way all the accommodation is researched and the huge amount of information that’s given. Check out the review of the Lova Lava Land Eco-Resort in Hawaii for example.

There are 130 eco-friendly accommodations in 38 countries around the world on the site, ranging from eco-friendly hotels, B&Bs and ecolodges to more unusual eco-friendly accommodation, such as yurts and treehouses. So check it out here.

Phrasebooks On Your iPod

Rather than shelling out to buy a paper phrasebook for your next foreign vacation, why not download one to your iPod instead?

Intelligent Travel reports that Collins have now released their popular phrasebooks in iPod versions. “They’ve taken the phrasebooks from the back of their Collins Gem dictionaries (about 500 different phrases) in French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish. The phrasebooks are split up into sections (food, accomodation, emergencies, etc.), and iPod users can both listen to how the phrase is pronounced and see its spelling on the screen.”

Each book is a bargain at $10 / £4.99 however they’re only compatible with iPod originals and Nanos and not those fancy Touch or iPhones.

Responsible Tourism Awards 2008

The Responsible Tourism Awards are now into their fifth year.

The idea behind the Awards is that all types of tourism – from niche to mainstream – can and should be operated in a way that respects and benefits destinations and local people. The Awards recognize individuals, companies and organizations in travel that are making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

They’re a little different from other awards schemes in that winners are nominated by travelers. The deadline for receiving nominations this year is Monday 16 June so you better get a move on! Nominations can be made there before that date, and I encourage you to do so if you’ve perhaps stayed in a great little lodge or perhaps traveled with a tour operator who you were impressed with their responsible attitude towards the environment.

Last year there were over 1,700 nominations, the video below shows you last year’s overall winner.

South Freo Eco Village – The Painted Fish

When booking my latest trip in Australia I wanted to find and stay at as much eco-friendly accommodation as possible. And the first tip I can share is that using the search term ‘eco accommodation’ + “destination” seems the best way to find the most relevant search returns using a search engine. (I had originally tried to be more specific putting in “B&B’s” as well however, this led to much less relevant search returns).

So I typed in ‘eco accommodation Fremantle’ and up popped The Painted Fish. So I called Shani and Tim and booked to stay 3 nights in the South Beach Eco Village. The accommodation is uniquely “Freo” and the website thepaintedfish.com.au is chock full of information about how Shani and Tim have turned their dream of combining a living gallery and sustainable accommodation. They are currently busy renovating another house in the ‘village’ and were more than happy to spend time chatting with me about their various projects and the choices they have to make in terms of choosing materials and suppliers. They like to use local suppliers wherever possible.

I stayed in The Railway Carriage (yes it really is a converted railway carriage!) which was beautiful, secluded and self-contained. The shower and ‘dunny’ are both outside and if you have never showered al fresco before then try it! The shower itself is one of Tim’s scultpures and is made from copper pipe and shaped into a showering sunflower.

This is high quality budget accommodation and ideal for two people to have a uniquely eco, South Freo experience. Locally run supermarkets selling organic produce are only 10 minutes walk away. In fact everything you could want is within walking distance. The beach is literally a 3 minute walk away! And you can easily get from Perth to South Freo by public transport so no need to take a car. It is simple to catch the train from central Perth using the Transperth Journey Planner and then you can either walk 25 minutes or take the free CAT bus to South Freo.

Official Green Hotel Scheme Launches In UK

VisitBritain, Britain’s National Tourist Board has launched a new program to help accommodation providers and visitor attractions in England take the first steps toward becoming sustainable businesses.

The Green Start project aims to encourage a “rapid, widespread and significant increase in the adoption of sustainable tourism principles” by offering a validated sustainable accreditation scheme.

Jason Freezer, VisitBritain’s sustainable tourism project manager, said: “VisitBritain is committed to encouraging sustainable businesses. However, nearly two-thirds tell us they need more guidance on developing their business in that way.

“Green Start is an initial step in helping more of our tourism businesses improve their existing practices and signal to visitors that they recognize the increasing importance and value of sustainable good practice.”

Benefits to businesses are listed as including:

• Cost savings, e.g. on utility bills
• Improved quality profile and market edge
• Increased business, e.g. from green conscious consumers
• Improved management efficiency and skills
• A feel-good factor for you and your staff

Using an online self-assessment tool, participants must meet a code of conduct, commit to four fundamental sustainability requirements and, over a period of two years, meet or work towards at least 23 relevant ‘good practices’ from a total menu of 50. These could include insulating buildings and water tanks, using low-energy lighting, collecting rainwater, using locally-sourced produce or promoting eco-friendly travel such as cycling. More details can be found on the Green Start site.

8 Tips To Being An Environmentally Friendly Traveler

When traveling it’s often difficult to think how to do it in an environmentally friendly way. There are actually quite a few things you can do, so here are some tips to help you out.

1. Before leaving for your trip, remember to conserve at home. Turn off the lights, computers and appliances that will not be in use and make sure to tightly turn off all faucets to prevent waste of water.
2. Consider offseting the carbon dioxide emissions created by your travel by investing in a carbon-reducing program that funds renewable energy, energy efficiency or reforestation projects. For more information about some of the programs available, visit www.carbonfund.org, www.sustainabletravelinternational.org, or www.climatecare.org.
3. When you have reached your destination, explore your options for environmentally responsible local transportation. Look for opportunities to use public transit like buses or trains, rent a bicycle or even walk. If you need to rent a car, consider an environmentally-friendly compact or hybrid vehicle. Choose the smallest vehicle that can accommodate you as they are more fuel efficient.
4. Research the availability of green hotels or ecolodges that have environmental sustainability as part of their mission. Search for green hotels, bed and breakfasts, resorts, motels, lodges or inns wherever you’re going.
5. When you check-in to your hotel, ask them if they have recycling or eco-friendly programs that you can participate in. You can also:
   • Turn off lights and air conditioning when you leave your room.
   • Only get your sheets, towels and amenities changed when you really need too.
   • Ask the hotel about their energy usage, such as bulbs and recycling. If enough people ask then they might take notice.
   • Refill your own water bottles rather than using the ones provided.
   • Take short showers rather than baths.
6. Respect the local ecosystem while you are visiting. If you go hiking, do not stray from the designated trails. When visiting the seashore, do not disrupt local life forms such as corals, seashells or starfish. And, anywhere you visit, make sure to refrain from littering.
7. Support the local community that you are visiting whenever possible. This can mean buying local instead of imported goods, or hiring a local guide who will be familiar with the region. Activities such as these help sustain and replenish the community economically while reinforcing its culture and identity.
8. For more ideas pelase take a look at our Green Holidays article.

Please note: Part of these tips were originally sent to me to promote a website, but it no longer exists and I’ve deleted the email – so if this was you please let me know and I will happily give you credit.

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