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Environment
Islay is within the county of Argyll. Argyll & Bute Council have a very good recycling programme. Every household has recycling bins, and there are numerous public areas with recycling bins. We recycle plastic, paper, glass, tins, cans. Also, I have a compost heap in my garden. I do not use disposable cups or plates on the picnics. The cups are china cups from old fashioned tea sets and I bought them from Re-Jig the charity shop of Islay.
The travel and events company is run from my home. I get my electricity from Scottish Hydro Electric, this is a renewable source of power. The five star farmhouse accommodation at Kilmeny, is powered by their own windmill. The Oystercatcher B&B in Port Ellen practise water saving, guest are able to make their own toast so only what is needed is made, they buy local produce for their breakfasts, their power is from Scottish Hydro.
When we are out on adventures and excursions I ensure no litter is left around, and no damage is done to anywhere we go. By living close to the earth a respect is inherent, I feel I am belong to this land and as such I want to take care of it. I believe we are not separate from the land or the birds or animals. We are part of the whole. ‘You didn’t come into this world, you came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger, here’ Alan Watts. This is the way I see it.
Community
The company is run by myself, Rachel MacNeill. I am originally from Colonsay, but was brought up on Islay, spending my childhood on Daill Farm, Bridgend in the heart of the island. All the people involved with your holiday are people living on Islay. I know all the people you will be staying with during your time on Islay. I know the people in the hotels and cafes. I know the people in the distilleries. Looking after visitors is the way we make our living. We take you to the cultural establishments that protect and promote our heritage. The committee of The Finlaggan Trust are entirely voluntary. By visiting Finlaggan, not only are you learning the history of the Lords of the Isles, you are supporting the voluntary committee who have worked tirelessly for years preserving and sharing this rich cultural heritage of Islay and Scotland and indeed, Britain.
My whole concept of the travel and events company is eco-friendly and ethical. All the food provided for the picnics is made by either myself, or by people I know. I use locally made jam, organic homemade bread. I make the scones myself, Maria Bruce makes the Shearer’s cake. The beef in the sandwiches is from Billy MacFarlane, Butcher, Bowmore. The eggs are supplied by Babs, Babs and Babs, my friend Norma’s hens. Only 4 people can come on a tour, because after that it stops feeling like friends and starts to feel like business – and three hens can only lay so many eggs! I wanted to create tours and do things on them the same as I do with my friends when they come from the mainland to stay with me – go picnics, walk along the shore, take them on a distillery tour. Show them something special about Islay.
I use the local newspaper office The Ileach to get all my printing done. My costs are dearer because I don’t buy in bulk from the mainland, or get cheap items. I buy local, and quality. As part of our tour we visit the Museum of Islay life – this is another community project, also the MacTaggart Leisure Centre, it took years for us to generate enough money and power to make the leisure centre. It is heated with waste heat from the Bowmore Distillery. This is a great project – community run AND eco friendly. All the heritage and leisure establishments we visit (except the distilleries) are community run, they have charitable status. We get work from the distilleries and they bring people from all over the world to Islay. Islay wouldn’t be Islay without the distilleries. They are part of our history, we have so many distilleries because the Campbells of Islay were the Kings men, and when everywhere else was over seen by external authority in relation to their distilling - Islay initially could oversee its distilling itself. Hence our distilleries were able to establish early and not be forced to close due to overpayment of taxes.
We visit the Round Church in Bowmore, which is run by volunteers and donations, so I factor in a donation for every person to the cost of the trip and give it to the Church. Whither we believe in the religion of this church is not so important, but this church has been here for generations offering a physical and emotional support to people at times of extreme need during bereavement, or in times of happiness by marrying them. I like to support it. We also visit the RSPB reserve at Aoradh, this is free, but I factor in a donation for them too. By coming on this tour you are helping to support many of the social and historical and natural organisations or establishments of the island. It is all a web of life, and by coming on this tour you are part of it. So we can live and work here we need people to come and visit, but so people can come and visit they need people who live here. It is an harmonic relationship.
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