Mountain Innovations

Environmental responsibility:
Transport & Guiding Operation: On all our holidays we have a 'leave nothing, take only photographs' policy. Our guides are asked to explain and encourage this policy. For Example, leaving an apple core or feeding a seagull on a mountain summit may seem innocuous but it detracts from the 'untouched wilderness' aspect and can have a detrimental knock-on effect on the indigenous wildlife.

Public Transport: We offer transfers between Inverness airport and Aviemore rail station which encourages guests to use public transport when coming on one of our guided walking holidays or courses.

Recycling/reuse: Non-woody Garden waste and waste kitchen vegetable matter All waste kitchen vegetable matter is composted, as is all 'soft' garden waste i.e. all weeds (incl. perennial ones), 'soft' cuttings, lawn cuttings, etc. We have 3 large compost bins, with a total capacity of over 4 cubic metres. This is an appropriate size for the quantity of waste vegetable matter produced. They're used in rotation and once full left for 2 years. Their size and construction allows adequate heat build up to result in the destruction of weed seeds - therefore reducing the need for herbicides. Soil is added to form good compost. This is then spread on the garden and vegetable patch and some is riddled to produce fine potting compost. This way the nutrients are returned and the fertility of the soil isn't degraded (as would be the case using the local authority 'recycling' facility). We're self-sufficient in compost and have been since opening at the beginning of 1999. We have no use for horticultural peat products - the use of peat by British gardeners has resulted in the destruction of a number of bog habitats in Ireland.

Homegrown Organic Vegetables and Herbs:
We grow as many of our own vegetables and herbs as we possibly can. These are all used in Rebecca's imaginative meals

Native Trees Encouraged: Trees native to the region are encouraged to grow in the grounds of Fraoch Lodge. One area of the garden has been over planted with non-indigenous forestry trees. These are in the process of being thinned to create more space and light for the native trees. Inappropriately placed self-sown native saplings are transplanted to more appropriate locations. Fuel for the open fire All woody garden cuttings resulting from tree and shrub pruning are cut up, dried and used as kindling or logs on our open fire. We've been self-sufficient in kindling since we opened and look to be for the foreseeable future as we are thinning an area of over crowded forestry trees from the grounds. We are replacing them with locally indigenous species. Wood resulting from property improvements/maintenance is either stored for reuse or processed for kindling or logs (excl. treated timber). The waste product of sawmill cutoffs are another source of wood fuel as is what we gather ourselves and that resulting from thinning.

Wood Burning Stove: We are planning to install a wood burning stove in the Lodge in the near future. The overall efficiency of these stoves is superb, particularly when you consider the energy used in production of other fuels. Wood is also a renewable fuel and doesn't introduce any further carbon into the carbon cycle as fossil fuels do

Ash and residue - this is riddled to separate the fine ash from the unburned coke, charcoal and coal. The ash goes on the garden to improve fertility (contains Potash) and the remainder is returned to the open fire. This way we reduce our consumption of coal and hence production of sulphur dioxide

Paper Our policy is firstly to reuse and then to recycle (incl. glossy paper) as much as we can. We reuse paper by printing on the reverse for internal company use. We minimise junk-mail buy returning it to the sender. This we find is the most effective way to be removed from mailing lists

Recycling of: cardboard, all cans (steel & aluminium), glass, clothing, footwear, books - We use the facilities provided by the local authority, recycling companies and various charities for these materials. We have notices in our accommodation encouraging guests to place their recyclable in the appropriate collection containers.

Economic responsibility:
Although the Highland scenery is stunning, it is one of the less affluent areas of Britain. Mountain Innovations is entirely Highland based, both as a company and whilst delivering the holidays. We source as much produce as we can locally and we support a number of local business'. This is both directly and indirectly through many of our guests spend money in the local shops and pubs thereby further helping to support employment. We employ only local guides. Their in-depth knowledge of the Highland mountains is invaluable, greatly increasing flexibility and enhancing the overall experience.

Social Responsibility:
Boat of Garten (our location) has an energetic and vibrant community putting on a good number of lively social events through the year including comedy plays, ceilidhs and festivals. We encourage our guests to support these by scheduling holidays to coincide with them.

Our guides are not only there for our clients safety & enjoyment but also to informally share their knowledge of the mountain environment - from its geological beginnings and natural history through to contemporary land management and its associated politics. We also like to convey an appreciation of the close interrelationship and intricacies between the geology, natural environment and the socioeconomic aspects, past and present.

Along with the history we also like to convey the contemporary opportunities and pressures facing the area both environmental & socioeconomic eg the detrimental effect of second home ownership. Through our clients patronage we very much support and applaud the work done by such organisations as the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, the John Muir Trust and the Scottish Wild Land Group.