We are absolutely delighted to announce we have been awarded the Green Tourism Gold award with flying colours! Our report accompanying the award stated:
“Overall you have done exceptionally well throughout the three columns People, Places and Planet. As to be expected you have done really well in the Health & wellbeing (100%), Destination (98%), Chemicals, Communication, and Travel (93%), Food & Drink (92%), and Experiences, (90%), criteria. This not only shows that you provide first class experiences but also care about your guests comfort and wellbeing whilst aboard. You also had high scores in Energy (84%), Water (83%) and Biodiversity (80%).”
Although we are reassured that we are doing well in terms of our green credentials, we are already planning more improvements, to be as sustainable as we possibly can be.
Coming soon:
- Our Plant a Tree initiative in connection with Trees for Life
- Our green initiative crew member, to monitor waste, energy and carbon on each vessel
- Influencing the installation of EV charging points with our parking partner,
Further work we are planning to undertake includes:
- Improving our carbon score. This requires collating our energy, water and fuel usage and Identifying emission sources
- Supporting a more socially-based charity or campaign
We would highly recommend any organisation to work with Green Tourism. Their technical experts offer excellent practical advice and lots of support. With their help, we were able to identify where we were doing well and what we still needed to do to be a truly sustainable tourism business.
The whole experience was amazing from start to finish, and that’s even though we never managed to reach the Outer Hebrides, like we'd been hoping (too much wind/swell in the Minch, thanks to hurricane remnants from across the Atlantic, so the Captain advised we turn back to Skye). We chartered the Emma Jane for 8 days, and there were three generations of us from 11 to 65 (including two kids). Most amazing was Chef Louis, who did the impossible, and served food to suit us all, despite our varied and complicated dietary issues. (Very, very tasty food too.) He was ably assisted by Jenny, our Steward, who kept everything running smoothly. And now everyone misses having their breakfast toast served to them in a Harris Tweed toast cosy. The scenery and wildlife were just as amazing, ably interpreted by our naturalist guide Lynsey. We had several pods of dolphins come surf the bow wave, much to everyone’s delight. As well as eagles and many other bird and mammal sightings, as well as rainbows, castles, perfect beachcombing beaches, and so much more. Lynsey led our rambles ashore, with options for the less energetic among us to still enjoy a stroll while those with younger knees tackled the hills. James, our captain, did a fine job of avoiding the worst of the swells, and he consulted with us each step of the way, so even though we were disappointed not to get to Lewis/Harris, we knew it was for the best. James and Lynsey also made for excellent hosts at dinner. This trip was to celebrate our 30th anniversary, and James managed to surprise us by having his daughter pipe in our cake while we were docked in Tobermory, in fine Scottish style. I’ll keep overusing the word “amazing” as it’s the only word which just about manages to capture the experience. Highly recommended. If you are thinking about doing a Hebrides cruise, do it, and do it with these people. You will not be disappointed. Thank you James, Lynsey, Jenny, and Louis; you made our trip extraordinary.
Barry Twycross: 15 August 2024Private Charter 8 Nights