Kintaline Sustainability - DRAFT 

Kintaline House is situated on a 24 acre regenerative / permaculture smallholding where being hyperfocused on our footprint on this earth is an essential part of every day living. 

Permaculture teaches us the fundamentals of Earth Care, Fair Share and People Care. 

The modern Regenerative approach teaches us that “sustainable” was fine in the 1980s when I was doing my Ecology and Animal Behaviour degree at Southampton University, but now we have to REPAIR the damage we have done - regenerate the soils, be active in how we live, begin to halt and mend the damage we have created locally, nationally, globally, step by step. Each small action is powerful and positive. 

Tourism is very much part of this just as is supporting our community, growing and accessing our food, and being highly conscious of everything we buy and use. 

Being Nature Powered underlines everything here. The land is being managed to build soil and take advantage of solar power to grow plants, strengthen the mycorrhizal network and constantly develop the biodiversity above and below the ground.

The ethos of the farm is creating Living Larders for wildlife and livestock alike - food, fodder, farmaceuticals, shade, shelter, materials, habitat and more.

I am the custodian of this land that has had a human influence since the recolonization of the land after the last Ice age the UK saw, some 2000 or more years after the main part of Scotland. My focus is to look after the land to the best of my ability and to take care of my very special guests who are the most vital part of making that happen.

Being careful with the choices in the house means that guests are part of helping with this aim, gently encouraging the greener options and making our green credentials stronger together.

For Kintaline being eco-friendly is second nature so writing this took some concentration. What is a real success is that mostly Kintaline Guests do not realise just how big a part they play in creating such a positively sustainable space, when they are having such an enjoying stay with friends, family and embracing the amazing experiences all around us

Sustainable tourism is an essential part of our local economy, we rely on visitors each year to support our vulnerable rural communities. 

• There are no chemicals used on the land either as fertilizers, pesticides etc. and have not been for decades. 

• It is the long term aim to be more and more self sufficient in our food and other resources. And to have a very light touch in everything in life. 

• I do not take holidays myself; I buy local food, second hand clothes, and buy very little else new unless absolutely necessary. 

• The house is highly insulated, triple glazed, with a heat recovery system. It is heated by electricity from a Green tariff provider, with Economy 10 rate making the best use of supplies. The firewood stove is supplied by local firewood and kindling with eco wood wool firelighters, bought in bulk. The ash is used to condition the soils on the farm. Cleaning the stove glass is done with ash, newspaper and water.

• I do all the work here myself, with some help from local people, including LGBTQI community members. My fibromyalgia does mean my capacity is limited, I only have one property. Kintaline House was built here for my mother, I managed the building project and we ensured we factored in green features as we could.
  Unfortunately I have not yet been able to afford Solar panels

• Kintaline has been a place of immense natural power for millenia - there is a burial cist in the corner of the field and road, the stone wall alongside the road would have been the large mound covering it, maybe 3m high and 6m across.
  This energy is felt by so many guests who describe the house “hugging” them and being more relaxed than they have experienced before. A sense of being able to Breathe deeply is enveloping. In the past that same sense of safety was felt by the hundreds of pets I rehabilitated through the county wide rescue charity I set up and ran.

• The whole North Argyll area is an extension of this where our natural surroundings impose their beauty on us around every turn : a castle, a cairn, standing stones, creative artists, highland coos, soaring eagles, mountains, lochs and islands. 

• The carefully curated and constantly updated map of local attractions and local events calendar aims to encourage guests to take their time here, to take advantage of so much to see and do in our very local area; there is no need to drive miles away every day to have memorable experiences.

• These attractions depend on our visitors, are highly significant in our community employment, many are of national / international importance so every bit of support is vital. It is far better to spread ourselves out gently around the area, then cause damage by over populating “hot spot” locations. 

• At the most hyperlocal level the natural history of Kintaline is constantly being recorded and diversity increased. Guests can gain a feel of what species they are sharing the place with at the Kintaline Farm Inaturalist project - Tinyurl.com/KintalineFarmNature which has over 1200 species recorded to date, and over 15000 observations. Jill often has the Moth trap out which is really helping to inform the National Biodiversity Network database with local species. This includes a growing number of rare and important species that are on the at risk registers : Burdock Pug moth had not been recorded north west of Dumfries and Galloway until summer 2025, Marsh Fritillary butterflies are amongst a wide range of butterflies around the farm, a number of orchids include the Butterfly orchid, the lawn at the house has both Marsh and early spotted orchids because of the light touch of the mowing regime. 

• The garden is mature and well established with trees, shrubs, cottage planting and a large lawn area, with a number of seating areas, to find some solitude in the bird song, enjoy a book in the sun, or have a fun al fresco meal together. The BBQ has sustainable charcoal supplied in the kitchen. There are even edible plants, like the farm food forest varieties, if you know what is safe to eat. Be kind as the Permaculture principles teach us - Fair Share, Earth Care, People Care. There are many perennials for the birds, bees and other insects, you might even meet the resident fallow deer who visit regularly.
  There is a light touch in the garden to provide the most habitat, crop and drop weeding, mulching and absolutely no chemicals. 

• The bird feeders attract a lovely variety of wild birds that guests can also watch from the conservatory. This large glazed space also provides a very effective passive heat source to the timber clad living space 

• Each season here in North Argyll is unique and very special including the winters which may bring more wet days and fewer centres open, but they make up for it in time to unwind, come together - the house is filled with books, jigsaws, games, art materials, space, woodstove with unlimited supplies, superfast wifi, smart TV for streaming and binge watching, quiet, and a kitchen you can really cook in. 

• Local produce is a particular passion here - in the past the farm has been very productive, with anything up to 12 different meats in the home freezers, breeding and raising chickens, ducks, turkeys, quail, sheep, pigs as well a a wide range of fruit and vegetables. Whilst the pastures are mostly fallow and feral currently, the abundance is all around me. And in years to come I hope to return to greater productivity.

• It is always a joy when guests acknowledge and appreciate the subtle ways that the management of the house is helping our planet to recover, regenerate and repair .. even if it is with the smallest of actions. It is just as perfect when all these pass everyone by as they enjoy each others company and their day trips around the area. The benefits remain active and on going. 

• The cleaning materials used to maintain the highest standards throughout the house are all eco friendly, Paraben free etc. And there are supplies left throughout the house so guests do not have to bring any toxic chemicals in. This includes cleaners in each bathroom, laundry liquids, dishwasher tabs, hand soaps at each basin and body wash for each bath. Cloths are washed or reused in other parts of the farm, then passed on to friends to use in even more mucky situations, before being dealt with according to their materials.  I am constantly reviewing my decisions and looking for better solutions that maintain the highest possible standards for my guests, as well as caring for the environment

• EVERYTHING that can be composted here, IS .. Making soils is one of the most important drivers of my life here, however small a contribution is. 

• The toilet rolls are also sustainable, and constantly reviewed for best options. Each bin is made from recycled plastic, and uses a compostable liner 

• The septic tank thanks all efforts to maintain a productive microorganic system, so guests are provided with bags for any waste items. 

• There is as complete a set up of recycling system as our council will support - plus added composting, cardboard, ash and glass extra. 

• Throughout the house is my grandfathers and parents vintage furniture, this is not only beautiful, practical, has stories to tell, but also is timeless and guards against the mentality of constantly throwing away to replace with new .. There simply is NO AWAY .. it is all a pollution somewhere. 

• All the towels and bedding is quality cotton, that finds a new home once it completes its service in the house. All the laundry is done in house, maintaining the cleanliness standards for guests welfare whilst also using professional eco friendly laundry cleaners .. and ALL Air DRIED ! in the summer the polytunnel by the house becomes a perfect bird free drying area, and in the winter the old 1700sFarmhouse resembles Mrs Tiggywinkles home ! 

• Light in Kintaline has always been a real feature - the windows flood the rooms throughout the day. Once dark sets in - very late in our summers - the lights are all LED low energy and there are motion sensors in the landing, stairs and hallway to provide safe and secure wanderings at night, without the necessity of full lights to wake the rest of the household. 

• Eco friendly materials are used throughout, eg the bags in the bins are all compostable, as are the ones in the bathrooms as our septic tank