Welsh Eco Friendly B&B

Beili Helyg Guest House, Cwm Cadlan, Penderyn

Relax in front of the log fire in the guest lounge, enjoy stunning views over the ancient and beautiful Cwm Cadlan Valley, and recharge your batteries with a good nights sleep.

This beautifully refurbished 18th century Welsh longhouse has won a GTBS Gold Award for its eco-credentials, but never compromises on comfort. The perfect place to escape from it all.

Three ensuite bedrooms, delicious, high quality breakfasts using own produce and fresh local ingredients.

Find out more on Wild & Green Escapes

Explore New Woodland Path At Benarty

Ramblers and hikers in Fife will now able to take advantage of a new woodland footpath and beautiful views from Benarty Hill, thanks to a project by the Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS).

After months of careful planning and community consultation, work has taken place over the last three weeks to create a new forest path connecting Ballingry to Benarty, which is now open for local people to enjoy.

The project, funded by FCS, aims to improve access to Benarty Hill and encourage people to explore their local woodland safely as part of the organisation’s commitment to enhancing community engagement within the area.

Jenny Ventham, community ranger at Forestry Commission Scotland, said: “After consultation with the residents’ forum of Benarty, the creation of the path was seen as an excellent investment, not only for the community but for the large number of visitors that visit the woodland each year.

“Encouraging local communities into their local woodland by providing easy access to doorstep facilities is a top priority for Forestry Commission Scotland. We hope that creating this fantastic new path will inspire more people to get out and explore the beauty of Benarty Hill and enjoy the great outdoors that Scotland has to offer.”

National Tree Week

It's National Tree Week from 26th  November until 4th December!

Organised by the Tree Council this event has been running since 1975 and there's lots going on across the country.

To find out how you can get involved and to find events near you, visit:

http://www.treecouncil.org.uk/community-action/national-tree-week

Sheep Set For Upland Forest Mission

A local farmer is set to send his sheep on a mission to improve the environment high in the hills above mid-Wales.Forestry Commission Wales hope Joe Phillips’s flock will play a key role in improving the upland habitat of Plynlimon in Hafren Forest.

Already, Forestry Commission Wales has felled 120,000 conifers across a 40-hectare area over the past three years and planted 10,000 broadleaved trees such as birch and rowan in their place.

Now, it has received £2,800 funding from Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust to maintain peatland areas adjacent to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as part of an ongoing programme to improve the upland habitats in mid-Wales.

Conservation At Work

Glencoe Lochan - Protecting and Enhancing its Future  

As part of their long term management plan for the site, Forestry Commission Scotland will be carrying out further upgrade work at Glencoe Lochan over the next few months.

Craig Millar, for the commission’s Lochaber team, said:“The woodland is a great amenity for the local community and for visitors to the area, and the planned upgrades will help deliver even more benefits. We’re planning to clear out invasive species  which includes removing the Rhododendron from the Lochan islands because it is currently acting as seed source, which only helps it spread.

“Combined with ongoing thinning and woodland improvement work over the next few years, this will allow light into the forest floor and encourage the establishment of a layer of diverse ground vegetation which has been ‘smothered’ by dense rhododendron and will also help to improve the existing trees."

Other work includes upgrading the path network around the Lochan. This will include working with the Fieldfare Trust, which works to improve access to the countryside for people with disabilities.

Craig added: “Once this is completed, there will be scope to plant new trees and introduce some non-invasive varieties of rhododendron, which will help enhance the visitor experience and help realise Lord Strathcona’s original vision for the Lochan."

The work is due to start in the next few weeks and be completed in March ahead of next year’s tourist season.
Access to the Lochan will still be possible as work progresses but visitors are urged to pay attention to information signage and follow any diversions.

Wildlife Events Coming Up

The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust runs events all year round and forthcoming events include:

Beeston Wildlife Group Walk

Saturday 26th November - guided walk around the picturesque Attenborough Nature Reserve. 10am – 1pm.

Monitoring Owls and Birds of Prey in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire

Thursday 1st December

Come along to this Retford Local Group meeting and listen to Trust member Adrian Blackburn talk about his work in this important field.   

Find out more on the website of the  Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

Eco Cafe, Garden Centre & Camping In Wales

Creation Gardens - café, garden centre and wigwams, Nantmel, Nr Llandrindod Wells, Powys

Creation Gardens is a plant centre set in the midst of the beautiful mid-Wales countryside. With a Tea Room that uses organic and locally sourced produce where possible, creation gardens make wildlife friendly gardening a speciality.

If you are an avid birdwatcher, it is worth bringing your binoculars as you may be fortunate enough to spot a Red Kite circling above.

Come and stay in beautiful mid-Wales in one of their very own camping cabins - wooden wigwams! Creation Gardens is the first tourist site in Wales to open wooden wigwams, built with the unpredicatble British weather in mind, they offer an easy alternative to year-round camping. Two Wigwams are currently available for hire.

Eco Friendly Perthshire B&B

Burnbank B & B,  Kinross, Perth and Kinross

A welcoming, luxurious B&B, situated in the charming small town of Kinross, close to Loch Leven and the beautiful Perth and Kinross countryside.

The B&B is proud to hold the Green Tourism Gold award and be Cittaslow supporters, implementing simple, practical ideas to reduce its carbon footprint and help the environment, without compromising on comfort and quality.

Burnbank harvests rainwater to water indoor plants, garden and greenhouse; has installed additional insulation so that the property requires less heating; and the en-suites all have water saving devices installed.

The B&B provides an extensive breakfast menu, using the finest local, seasonal produce wherever possible, including eggs from its own free range chickens. All bread and preserves are home made. Dinners, following the same criteria can be provided on request, if pre ordered.

Attention to detail makes your visit to Burnbank a special experience.

Find out more on the Wild & Green Escapes website
 

Eco Friendly Welsh Cottage and B&B

Cwmbiga Farm, Staylittle, Powys

High quality, eco friendly, accommodation on a farm set in its own beautiful valley in Mid-Wales.

Whether you wish to stay in one of the 4 star, Gold Award winning, eco friendly cottages or opt for bed and breakfast in the comfortable, fully modernised, Grade II listed farmhouse, Cwmbiga is an ideal rural retreat and a great base for an outdoor activity holiday, a quiet or romantic break or a get together with friends and family.

Cwmbiga is a 60 acre smallholding and wildlife haven set in its own valley in the Hafren Forest and the Cambrian Mountains.  Cwmbiga is also on a national cycle path (Sustrans Route 8).

For more details visit the Wild & Green Escapes website

 

Looking for an eco friendly holiday in the UK?

Dolphin watching

Go Wild & Green

If you're looking for eco friendly holiday accommodation, from a rural retreat in a farmhouse B&B to green-award-winning self catering cottages in spectacular settings, then visit the Wild & Green Escapes website for lots of ideas and information.

What's on the website?

• eco friendly holiday accommodation, much of it enjoying spectacular wildlife pretty much on the doorstep!
• wildlife operators, experts who know the best places to spot the best wildlife - from dolphins to eagles and much, much more
• our seasonal nature watch - what's happening in nature and the countryside now, what to look out for, from birds and animals to flowers and trees
• wildlife events information - check out our Wildlife Calender for year round info on top wildlife events in the UK, plus you'll find details on upcoming wildlife events via this blog!



Holiday cottages in amazing locations!

• ideas and inspiration for wildlife watching and eco friendly holidays - from How To Be Green On Holiday to our top spots to wildlife watch

Want to plan a wild and green holiday for you and your family?

So did we, that's why we created Wild & Green Escapes!

Scottish Beaver Trial Footage

The Scottish Beaver Trial is a five year trial re-introduction of Beavers to the Knapdale Forest in Argyll in Scotland and if you visit their official blog page then you can enjoy some great footage of the beavers going about their activities....

Visit the Scottish Beavers Blog

Find out all about beavers and this project on its website

Eco Award Winning B&B in Yorkshire

Low Penhowe, Burythorpe, Malton, North Yorkshire

It's always reassuring to stay at a B&B that has a good profile and has received fabulous reviews on TripAdvisor.


Low Penhowe, a Yorkshire bed and breakfast has won many awards for quality, service and its naturally friendly eco approach. The award winning Yorkshire Breakfast which will all be home-grown, home baked, or sourced locally within Yorkshire!

Eco friendly credentials include the Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold Award and various Alastair Sawdays awards.
Find out more on the Wild & Green Escapes website

Wildlife Watching On Mull

Mull Charters, Isle of Mull 

Mull Charters aim to provide you with the ultimate wildlife experience, taking small groups of people to see the magnificent White Tailed Sea Eagle in its natural environment around the coast of Mull.

Most trips result in amazing views of these spectacular birds taking fish from the surface of the sea, also look out for other species at different times of the year eg Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier etc. Sometimes you can encounter the local pod of Bottlenose Dolphins or harbour Porpoise en route.

Every trip has stunning scenery, a helpful crew and a taste of the wild, usually a hot drink and a biscuit as well! They also offer specialist trips for photographers, sea angling trips and visits to the historical Isle of Inch Kenneth.

Find out more on Wild & Green Escapes

Check out Mull Charters  youtube link for more wildlife watching experiences www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKVp6l0-99g

Woolly Thinking Helps Protect Fruit Trees

From the Forestry Commission - calling all Knitters!

The Forestry Commission is calling on nimble-fingered folk young and old to help knit a massive woollen duvet to protect young fruit trees from icy weather.

Forest chiefs, North York Moors National Park Authority volunteers and the Friends of Dalby Forest are working on a new forest garden and have planted 200 shrubs, trees and herbs near the visitor centre in 3,440 hectare (8,600 acre) Dalby Forest, near Pickering.

To protect the vulnerable plants as temperatures plunge a unique knit-a-thon is being organised to make a giant woollen blanket to cover the 100 metre square plot and keep the soil toasty. 

The amazing effort will culminate in a public “Stitch Up’ up event in Dalby on 20 November (1pm – 4pm) to link all the knitted individual panels together to make the ultimate blanket. 

People can help by knitting small panels themselves in any colour or design, measuring 30 centimetres square or more, and dropping them off at Dalby Forest Visitor Centre, Pickering Library or the Forestry Commission’s Pickering office on Outgang Road. Donations of wool and knitting needles are also needed as well as clean old blankets or towels which can be cut up into squares and stitched together.

Amongst the plants being nurtured are shrubs like raspberry and bilberry, apple and pear trees and many herbs.  The project is supported by the North York Moors Authority Sustainable Development Fund. 

For more information contact Petra Young on 01751 472771          
   . 
Get knitting!

Eco Friendly Lodge In Scottish Highlands

Fearnag Lodge, Milton of Farr, Strathnairn, Inverness

Substantial eco-friendly 3-bedroom log cabin (sleeps 5) nestling in the foothills of the beautiful Monadhliath Mountains in the Scottish Highlands.

Peaceful location on a hill farm 9 miles south of Inverness - only a short distance from Loch Ness, Culloden Battlefield and the Cairngorms. Ideally located for walking and touring with tremendous opportunities to explore this fascinating part of Northern Scotland. You can even bring your own horse (paddock and stable provided) to explore the extensive network of forest tracks nearby.

More details on the Wild & Green Escapes website

Find a Wildlife Event Near You

Looking for the opportunity to get outdoors and discover and enjoy some British wildlife this month?

The RSPB run events all over the UK, all year round, and there's usually something for everyone - with some events aimed at beginners or families with children, and other workshops and trips aimed at the keen wildlife enthusiast.

If you're in Cambridgeshire you might want to try the Autumn On Berry Fen tour with a wildlife warden on Saturday 19th November or the Early Winter Bird Walk on Wednesday 23rd November.

In Merseyside? How about the Wirral's Wonderful Waders event at Hoylake Shore on Saturday 26th November?

Visit http://www.rspb.org.uk/events/ and select what type of event you are looking for and in what county... it's as simple as that

Holiday Cottage Offers True Country Escape

Blaenglanhanog Holiday Cottage, Carno, Powys

Blaenglanhanog (pronounced Bline-glan-hanog in English), is set 1000 feet up in the beauty of the Cambrian Mountains. Situated at the end of a gated no through road, this 250 year old Welsh stone drover’s cottage is the ideal base for a holiday in stunning mid Wales.

This luxury three-bedroomed cottage will sleep 2 – 6 people in comfort.The cosy sitting room has an original beamed ceiling, inglenook fireplace with a state of the art log burner and is equipped with an LCD flat screen television, satellite receiver, DVD player & CD radio.

If peace and quiet is your thing, the nearest neighbour is about a quarter of a mile away and above the cottage is farmland and extensive forestry.

Find out more on the Wild & Green Escapes website

New Birdfair Announced For 2012

Scotland has announced there will be a first, annual Scottish Birdfair event in 2012. The 2 day event will be held in the delightful surroundings of Hopetoun House near Edinburgh and will run from 19-20 May.

The birdfair promises to 'have something for everyone' from knowledgable enthusiast to garden birdwatcher, and attractions include:

* 60 wildlife related trade stands
* informative talks
* guided walks and workshops
* famous faces and book signings

Tickets are due to go on sale soon and offer great value with a one-day-adult ticket priced at £12.

More details from:

http://www.scottishbirdfair.org.uk/

How To Be A Responsible Tourist

Like the idea of having a green eco-aware holiday? If you want to help protect and support the places you visit when on your holidays then you might want to consider these ideas:

·   Shop local – help support the local people and the economy by purchasing food from local butchers, bakers, farmers markets and delis rather than chain supermarkets where possible

·   Visit local events – craft fairs and local shows are a great opportunity to meet the people of the area, learn about rural crafts and traditions and help rural communities to thrive

·   Consider visiting areas at quieter times of the year away from the busy peak times, helping to ease things like congestion and pressures on the local environment

·    Think about leaving the car behind for one day of your holiday and plan an adventure instead – get the bus, the train, hire cycles or walk to and from your door

·   Treat your accommodation the same as you would your home in terms of turning off appliances, not leaving things on standby, and switching off lights when not in rooms, remember to still recycle items such as plastic bottles and packaging, cardboard, papers and magazines

·   When eating out look for establishments that are part of a town, county or regional ‘eat local’ campaign – they should display stickers in windows

·   When exploring the great outdoors remember to respect local flora and fauna, and observe any wildlife in such a way as not to disturb it

Discover loads of eco friendly holiday ideas on the Wild & Green Escapes website

National Park Photo Gallery



Lake District



There are 15 national parks in the UK and they all offer stunning landscapes to discover, explore and enjoy - from walking and wildlife spotting to horse riding or fishing, there's lots to see and do.




Wild & Green Escapes has discovered that the National Parks website hosts an impressive photo gallery where you can savour top class photos of the gorgeous landscapes in each and every one of the parks.

Visit the Photo Gallery, sit back and enjoy!