Arran Huts

  ARRAN HUTS OFF GRID. SUSTAINABLE. REGENERATIVE. COMMUNITY-LED. The Arran Huts project has been developing an alternative model for tourism and rural living, based on the traditional practices of hutting in Scotland. Here we take a look at what the project involves, from the Arran Huts website: We believe that the conservation, protection and reestablishment …

IsleHoliday, tourism for the community

An enterprising community project is offering visitors to the islands a community based alternative to that behemoth of holiday home rentals, Airbnb. IsleHoliday.com. is the latest venture to come out of the creative isle20.com which emerged in response to the the pandemic’s impact on island-based tourism. Isle Develop CIC IsleHoliday is the new project from …

A rates levy for second homes?

An article from the Scottish Community Alliance on June 28th, 2022, based on a recent piece in The National In a non-binding poll, 93% of residents from the Yorkshire holiday town of Whitby voted in favour of the Council intervening in the housing market by restricting the sale of new build houses to full time …

Dream Island Home Nightmare

By Dougie Strang, published on 15th June in Bella Caledonia  When you visit a house that you hope to live in, you begin to imagine a future there. You’ll maybe even fall in love with it, convincing yourself that you’ve found ‘home’ and wilfully blinding yourself to its faults and flaws. My wife and I …

The Nature Library is coming to COAST

As part of COAST’s programme of summer events, The Nature Library will be visiting the Discovery centre over the weekend of 30th and 31st July. The Nature Library is a reference library and reading space connecting people to land, sky and sea. Popping up in public spaces across Scotland, its travelling shelves hold many branches …

Loch of the Lowes ospreys

By Bethany Walsh With dark brown plumage, a distinctive dark eye mask, and powerful blue-white talons, the osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is one of the most easily recognisable birds of prey found in the UK. It is the only member of the Pandionidae family and, unlike other raptors, feeds almost entirely on fish. Many are captivated …

Cuckoos in Glen Rosa

By Kate Sampson, Head Ranger at Brodick Castle, published on the NTS website 13th April 2022 Arran is a special place to live and work, often referred to as ‘Scotland in miniature’. Where else can you look out to sea and spot dolphins, porpoises and possibly even basking sharks, then turn around to face the …

Information about avian flu

There is a lot in the news at the moment about the outbreaks of avian flu in wild bird populations in Scotland, and recently Lucy Wallace, local wildlife guide and mountain leader, posted some information about what to do if you see any sick birds. Below is a response from the RSPB, and NTS are …

Carbon offsetting and the loss of Scottish land

By Sally Campbell. Featured image shows oak saplings in the Cairngorms planted in a corporate carbon offset partnership with Forestry and Land. Credit: Forestryandland.gov.scot I have written previously for “VoiceForArran” on Greenwashing (Greenwashing is all the Rage October 2021) and on the principles which are in The Green Claims Code explained in Chapter 3 of …