Green Visitor Charter

What is our Green Visitor Charter?

Our Green Visitor Charter is an initiative through which we endeavour to run our business operations in an environmentally friendly way. It’s our way of saying that we love and respect the incredible beauty of Orkney, and we want to preserve it for the future. We are wholly committed to doing everything within our power to operate a green business, and we’re asking for your help to achieve this. We understand that travelling often comes with environmental impact, but we believe there are many ways you can mitigate these during your stay with us. Let’s explore some of the ways you can enjoy all that Orkney has to offer and help us keep the environment pristine so future generations can enjoy it too.

Reuse and recycle

One of the most effective ways to protect our environment is to adopt a conscious consumption strategy. As a visitor, you can actively contribute to this by making mindful choices when purchasing goods. Try to avoid purchasing goods which are overly packaged and if possible carry a reusable bag to avoid collecting plastic bags. A small change like this can significantly reduce the waste generated from your purchases. Additionally, we provide a list of all the recycling centres available in Orkney, making it easy for you to properly dispose of your waste in an environmentally friendly way.

Use our bottled water

Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. To help tackle this problem, we encourage you not to buy plastic bottles of water. Instead, we provide our tour guests with free refreshments in reusable environmentally friendly bottles. These bottles can be refilled throughout your tour, significantly reducing your plastic consumption.

Support local businesses

Supporting local businesses is not only a great way to have an authentic travel experience, but it is also crucial for sustainable tourism. Across Orkney, there are many independent businesses which would greatly appreciate your support, ranging from quaint cafes and unique distilleries to vibrant craft shops and exciting activity centres. By choosing to patronise these businesses, you’re not only enjoying a unique local experience but also directly investing in the local economy, thereby fostering sustainable development. We are always at hand to help you plan a day out that will offer you maximum enjoyment with minimum travel. Importantly, we ensure to recommend suppliers that have a green policy in place or that primarily work with local produce.

Respect nature

We are incredibly fortunate to be located in an area of outstanding natural beauty. This privilege, however, comes with responsibility. As visitors, we implore you to respect this beauty and preserve it for future generations. Please ensure not to drop litter and to respect the ‘right to roam’ by sticking to designated paths. During your visit, we encourage you to help protect the local fauna by keeping dogs under control, especially during sensitive periods like the lambing season. Together, we can ensure that the beauty of Orkney remains undiminished for future generations to marvel at and enjoy.

Ready to join us?

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Spootlife - Woman looks out onto beautiful Orkney landscape from a zero emissions tour vehicle