Being Green: How Glenuig Inn Leads the Way in Sustainable Hospitality

Photo Credit: Michael Broderick

Long before “going green” became a hospitality trend, Glenuig Inn was quietly setting the standard for how a business can operate in harmony with its surroundings.

Our home is a remote bay on the Sound of Arisaig, in the West Highlands of Scotland. The building itself predates the Jacobite Rising of 1745 and has welcomed travellers for centuries. When it was fully renovated in 2008, sustainability wasn’t an afterthought - it was the guiding principle.

Every decision, from heating systems to supply chains, was made with one goal in mind: to create a thriving business that treads lightly on the land and sea that sustain it.

Much of that vision, dedication, and hard work is thanks to Rona Yard, current owner of Glenuig Inn. Over the years, Rona, and previous owners have invested in and championed a wide range of environmental initiatives, earning the Inn a well-deserved reputation - for sustainable hospitality. The Inn is currently leased to the community, and our aim is to build on this legacy and continue to do so once the community buyout has been completed over the coming months, ensuring that sustainability remains at the heart of its future.

Photo Credit: Malcolm Fraser

Renewable Energy at the Core

The Inn operates on 100% renewable energy. Biomass heating and hot water are powered by locally sourced wood pellets, and our electricity comes from hydro schemes wherever possible. The building is wrapped externally in breathable wood fibre insulation - like a giant duvet - creating stable indoor temperatures, reducing heat loss, and acting as a carbon sink.

Closing the Loop on Food Waste

Our Food Waste Dryer, affectionately nicknamed Dougall the Digester, transforms every scrap of food waste into something useful. Some of it is mixed with wood pellets to help power our biomass boiler. The rest is used as organic fertiliser in the community garden. Even the ash from the biomass boiler contains valuable minerals and calcium, which return to the soil. Nothing is wasted.

Reducing Single-Use Plastics

You won’t find plastic bathroom miniatures here. Instead, we provide natural, organic soap and shower gel in refillable dispensers, along with a flask of fresh milk for teas and coffees in the rooms. Straws are compostable, and plastic bottled drinks aren’t stocked in the bar.

Local and Sustainable Supply Chains

We actively work with suppliers to minimise delivery miles and packaging waste. That means ordering in bulk where possible, choosing local, natural, and healthy products, and prioritising small independent suppliers with green credentials. From Highlands & Islands gins and whiskies to locally brewed real ales, our bar reflects both the flavour and the ethos of the region.

Minimising Landfill Waste

Recycling, reusing, and repairing are second nature here. From repurposing packaging to working with suppliers on take-back schemes, we aim to keep our landfill waste to an absolute minimum.

Laundry and Water Use

Our on-site laundry reduces the environmental cost of transportation, and when the West Highland weather allows, we dry our laundry outside. Every load we wash here is another step away from unnecessary energy use.

Protecting Our Natural Environment

We’re not just reducing our footprint - we’re protecting what’s around us. Encouraging biodiversity and looking after the unspoilt coastline and waters of Glenuig Bay is central to what we do. After all, the beauty of this place is one of the main reasons people come here, and we intend to keep it that way.

Award-Winning Commitment

The Inn has received multiple environmental awards, including the VIBES Award for environmental excellence. But the real reward is knowing that we’re doing right by our environment, our community, and our visitors.

Looking Ahead

Leasing the Inn as a community has allowed us to continue these sustainable practices and plan for how we’ll protect and enhance them in the years to come. Once the community buyout is completed over the coming months, this green ethos will remain at the core of everything we do - not as a project with an end date, but as part of the Inn’s identity.

When you visit Glenuig Inn, you’re not just enjoying a drink in Scotland’s most beautiful beer garden or tucking into a plate of locally sourced food. You’re supporting a way of doing business that proves small, remote communities can lead the way in sustainable tourism, building on the strong foundation laid by those who came before us.

If you share our belief that the Glenuig Inn should remain a shining example of sustainable hospitality, you can still help us make the community buyout a reality. Find out how to get involved.

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