We do everything we can to reduce waste, and we don't introduce chemicals into the environment any more than is necessary.
We don't want to release any more chemicals into the environment than we need to, and with that in mind, we use Ecover and Method products for cleaning (also available for our guests to use).
We provide a couple of smol laundry tablets to each guest to get them started.
We provide hand soap, shampoo, conditioner and body wash to our guests, and these are sent to us in bulk and decanted into the pump action bottles within Snowberry.
We also provide small soaps, and are on the lookout for more sustainable soaps, however the feedback we have had from guests is that they prefer to have the option of soap or body wash, so both are provided.
Whilst the lawn area is looked after by Alastair, we do have a wee wildflower section in the parking area for the birds and the bees, and in our own home we dedicate a large swathe of our garden and pond to biodiversity.
We have just installed all new LED lighting within the cottage, and we do hope that upon leaving you switch everything off to conserve energy. We use a provider of 100% green energy.
We have just installed a brand new boiler which is as efficient as we could get, and we provide instructions for turning off the heating (which is on a timer to conserve energy) should you find yourselves too warm.
We provide a large bin for recycling in the kitchen (please wash all items before placing in the bin) as well as an area for glass bottles and jars and soft plastics which are then recycled.
We also provide a composting bin under the sink, which goes to be composted off site.
We provide enough towels for your stay for re-use, and we can provide more for longer stays.
For bed linen for longer stays, we offer a changeover service once a week, but the option is yours.
The water from the taps is fine to drink as it comes directly from the mains, we do not offer plastic bottles of water.
Whilst we provide tea, coffee, sugar, herbal teas and hot chocolate in individual packets, this is from a hygiene point of view, and we do compost the packets where possible. We look for compostable packaging where we can.
We provide a pint of milk for every guest (alternative milks are available - please ask before arrival), and this is in plastic bottles, which we ask our guests to clean and put in the recycling.
There is a usually a box on the side of the road opposite Snowberry where our neighbours provide fresh eggs (for a charge) from their flock of hens (subject to availability).
Getting to Lewis by public transport is fairly simple, as long as you book well in advance. There is a train station at Inverness, and from there the national bus company Citylink would take you to the departure point in Ullapool for the ferry. The ferries are run by Calmac, and there are different departure points to get you to the Hebrides. Have a wee look at our dedicated page here.
Getting around on the islands by public transport can be trickier, but is not impossible, it just requires a lot of pre-planning, details are on the How to get to Lewis page.
We encourage the use of bicycles and have a secure shed for bicycles in the parking area. Information on hiring bicycles is also on the How to get to Lewis page.
We are currently investigating EV chargers as it is not possible to charge your vehicle using the domestic supply in the Cottage (there is one a mile and a half away at Galson Campsite), so watch this space!
We aim to eliminate single use plastics from the Cottage as soon as possible - our goal is season 2026, and we are always on the lookout for alternatives.
We already provide some alternatives in the form of bamboo cups for children, and our toiletries are in refillable containers. We provide paper straws and bamboo cotton buds.
We have trialled putting our milk into refillable glass bottles, but the feedback from guests was negative, so we have reviewed that and gone back to the milk in sealed plastic containers. We do ask the guests to wash the bottle and recycle in our recycling bin.
We provide compostable cling wrap as an alternative to cling film, and 100% recycled and recyclable foil. For guests leftovers we also provide compostable food and freezer bags.
We are currently searching for alternatives to kitchen scourers, if anyone has any ideas, please get in touch!
We do not provide water in plastic bottles, as the water from the taps is suitable to be drunk.
The individually wrapped tea bags, herbal teas and sugar are in compostable packaging, and we are currently looking for the same kind of packaging for the coffee sachets.
We also provide a small jar of ground coffee which we refill for each guest. This is to get you started in case you did not arrive with any - there's nothing like waking up to find you don't have a coffee!