Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
saucepan of stodgy porridge. Tents are pitched
only on tough vegetation (rather than fragile
turf, such as moss and lichen) and you are even
taught how to dig a toilet deep into the soil so
your waste won't pollute the ecosystem. But
perhaps the most important thing you learn
is how to build a “mound fire” that won't leave
a mark after you've left camp - typical of the
attention to detail that has won Wilderness
Scotland several awards for sustainable tourism.
On the final day, just before the approach to
land, Myles suggests that you lay down your
paddle and spend a few minutes drifting on the
water in quiet contemplation. It's an opportunity
to appreciate the silence and solitude of the
Summer Isles one last time and remember what
it has been like to experience true wilderness. A
sensitively managed pitch-and-paddle trip like
this helps keep it that way.
ten stylish, individually decorated
rooms, “Stalls” has lip-stick-patterned
pillowcases and a fluffy carpet, the
“Boudoir” has wallpaper splashed with
Renaissance art print and the theatrical
“Red Room” includes a four-poster bed
and fireplace.
Guests come as much for the award-
winning food as they do for the luxury
accommodation. It serves only local,
seasonal and organic food wherever
possible (which is genuine). For
dinner, there are local delicacies such
as smoked Narborough trout, cheese
from Swaffham's market and beer
from the Brecks; for breakfast, there
are kippers from Cley Smokehouse,
organic porridge and fruit juice from
nearby Ashill Fruit Farm.
Behind the scenes, the owners are
waging a private war on waste. Once
guests have checked out, staff swoop
in to rifle through the bins to see what
can be recycled, given to charity or
composted. Almost everything is given
a new home: magazines are sent off to
doctors' waiting rooms, carrier bags
are given to local market traders,
organic food waste is used to fertilize
the vegetable garden. What's left is
then weighed to assess how much
rubbish is produced. It may sound
obsessive, but it works. According to the owners,
just two percent of the hotel's total waste is sent
to landfill.
A country house, a boutique hotel, a green
escape. Strattons is all three. It's surprising how
well eco and chic blend together here, and it
leaves the lasting impression that being green
can be simple and stylish.
Need to know
Wilderness Scotland offers a
range of guided and non-guided activity holidays
across Scotland, including walking, sailing and
mountain biking. For details of these see
W
www.
wildernessscotland.com;
T
+44 (0) 131 625
6635. Kayaking trips to the Summer Isles run from
April to September.
047 eCo-ChiC at StRattoNS
hotel aNd ReStauRaNt,
NoRfolk
(From top) The grade
II-listed Queen Anne villa and
well-manicured gardens at
Strattons; a resident cockerel;
the grand entrance to one
of Norfolk's most opulent
guesthouses
The market town of Swaffham in Norfolk is
hardly cutting-edge, yet its most celebrated
hotel, Strattons, sets a worldwide standard for
green accommodation. Equally surprising is that
this family-run hotel is not your usual socks-
and-sandals eco-retreat. It's a smart country
house that's as much a Bohemian bolthole as it
is a green escape.
Strattons' owners have transformed a Grade
II-listed Queen Anne villa into an eclectic mix
of ostentatious art and modern living. There are
busts and statues along the walkways and murals
and paintings crammed on the walls. Among the
Need to know
Ten percent discount offered if you
arrive by public transport: take the train to King's
Lynn then the local X-1 bus to Swaffham Market
Place. Info on rooms, rates, availability and local
activities at
W
www.strattonshotel.com;
T
+44 (0)
1760 723 845.
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