WHAT ARE PEOPLE DOING HERE TO BE GREEN?


Here in Sleat we are very aware of what a beautiful environment we enjoy – and we want to keep it that way for our future, our children’s future and of course, your next visit. These are some things we, as Sleat businesses, are doing to protect our environment:
  • Towels are not automatically changed daily, but done at guests’ request.
  • Low energy light bulbs are used
  • We make use of local food sourced through the Foodlink Van - Skye’s local produce distribution service  click here for further information (Their turnover this year was over £100k)
  • We are growing our own salads, herbs, beans and tomatoes with help from the free to hire community cultivator We produce our own estate reared venison – from hill-top to table with very low food miles!
  • We are looking after our Sites of Special Scientific Interest We recycle when we can, items such as toner cartridges, mobile phones, glass, printed paper and household batteries We encourage use of ECO friendly cleaning materials We use biomass and other renewables to heat and power some of our buildings We are looking to build and operate our own community wind development We encourage the use of public transport and cycling as alternatives to our cars.
  • We have a car share scheme and subsidised taxi project for those who would otherwise have no access to transport.
  • We use wind power – Sailing of course!
WHAT CAN YOU, AS VISITORS TO SLEAT, DO?
  • Stay local – use your car sparingly– keep your carbon footprint down, see our Perfect Day itineraries  for suggestions on how you can enjoy some brilliant days within a 15 mile radius. If you do need to top up your tank why not use the community owned filling station. As well as serving your petrol needs, and Post Office needs, Archie, who runs the shop, also gives out very helpful and friendly tourism advice.
  • Spend local – see all our wonderful art galleries and crafts producers for that perfect holiday souvenir.
  • Eat local and if you want to enjoy a glass of wine or two use our friendly taxi service
  • Cycle – there are lots of safe cycle routes on Sleat – see Perfect days itinerary for suggestions. Sleat Community Trust’s “Clean Sleat” project runs  a cycle week (including a free bike repair workshop) over the summer months – for more information see  
    www.cleansleat.co.uk
  • Leave nothing behind but your footprints.
  • Interact with the local community – we are very friendly, and you might learn something about the area that the guidebooks won’t tell you
WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY TRUST DO?

Sleat Community Trust supports sustainable development in the Sleat Peninsula of the Isle of Skye. The area, known as the 'Garden of Skye', has been one of the fastest growing rural areas of Scotland, with massive community and educational developments at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Scotland's Gaelic College, the two major estates at Armadale and Isleornsay, and a lively and growing population.

You might think that buying a petrol station and running the Post Office is an ambitious start for a small community organisation – but for Sleat Community Trust that is just the start. From 2004 the Trust have being working hard to create a Sustainable Sleat – which includes helping to retain necessary services in Sleat.

Over 70% of the Sleat community are members, supporting a wide variety of projects. Over 40 people are active in 9 groups; two limited companies have been formed and 5.5 jobs created.
Sleat Community Trading secured a house for rent, the local garage, fuel and visitor services, in 2007, with a £280,000 Big Lottery Grant, and has recently acquired the Post Office - community assets that could have been lost.

Sleat Renewables Ltd, a subsidiary of the Trust, has established a wood-chip supply chain for Sabhal Mòr Ostaig - the Gaelic College on Sleat. It is also investigating a community wind turbine and has created the ‘Clean Sleat’ project to reduce our collective carbon emissions. It also arranges events and offers advice on many climate change themes.

Sleat Community Trust now operates a subsidised community taxi service for those who would otherwise have no access to transport. 
Most excitingly, the Trust has now raised funds of more than £330,000 to buy 1,000 acres of forestry at Tormore, which will become an invaluable resource to the local community and, in due course, provide a  range of recreational opportunities for our visitors, and for the local residents. For more information on this ground-breaking project check the website by clicking here.

SCT also welcomes many private, public and other community organisations to the area to share its knowledge of the Trust’s many projects and to learn from others how it may develop in the future.
If you want to find out more about the work of Sleat Community Trust please see www.sleatcommunitytrust.co.uk.

If you’re in the area, particularly in the Filling Station at Armadale, please pick up a copy of our excellent Community Trust newsletter  An Slèiteach, which also has all the details of local services and a listings guide to what’s on in Sleat. The Filling Station is also now the hub of tourist information in Sleat – please come in and have a look, and pick some information and ideas on all the wonderful things you can do on Sleat.


The official site of Visit Sleat