HOW WE DO THINGS
Sustainable Stays
For us, sustainability isn't just a tick-box exercise. Braeview has been our family's working farm since 1964, so caring for this land and our beautiful coastline is something we take personally. This is our home, and the decisions we make here matter.
Below is an honest account of the steps we're taking. Some are small, some have been a learning curve, but all of them are genuine efforts to do things right.
THE PRACTICAL STUFF
What we do at Braeview.
A wind turbine on the farm provides nearly all the electricity for the site and pods. Everything else follows the same logic: reduce the waste, reduce the impact, don't cut corners on quality.
Recycling in all pods.
Clearly marked bins make it straightforward for guests.
No single-use plastic.
All toiletries in the pods are refillable dispensers. Nothing that gets thrown away after one use.
Bamboo toilet roll.
Tree-free, supplied as standard in every pod.
Plastic-free tea bags.
A small thing, but the right one.
Ground coffee from a local supplier.
Better coffee, shorter supply chain.
Scottish Fine Soaps Sea Kelp range.
The luxury toiletries in the pods come from a sustainable Scottish range. Quality and conscience aren't mutually exclusive.
Eco-friendly cleaning products.
Better for the people doing the cleaning and better for the treatment plant downstream. Currently trialling Method cleaning products and laundry sheets.
Hot tub minimum stays.
Each hot tub is drained, cleaned, refilled, and reheated between guests. Capping at two changeovers per week significantly reduces water and energy use, as well as being better for guests.
EV charging on site.
For guests who arrive by electric vehicle.
Reduced site lighting.
Keeping light pollution low protects the dark skies and the wildlife. Both benefit.
No-mow banking and continued planting.
Trees, hedges, and shrubs have been planted steadily since opening. The no-mow policy on the banking gives wildlife somewhere to actually live. The difference in birds, butterflies, and insects since 2021 is noticeable.
Electricity and water monitoring.
Meters now in place so usage can be tracked accurately. You can't manage what you can't measure.
LOOKING OUTWARD
The wider community.
Braeview sits close to one of the most ecologically important stretches of coastline in Scotland. Supporting the people and organisations working to protect it feels like the obvious thing to do.
The Berwickshire Marine Reserve
The Bothy has brochures, a QR code, and a donation tin for the Berwickshire Marine Reserve. It's a working conservation area on our doorstep, and it deserves more attention than it gets.
St Abbs Lifeboat
We collect the small Tiptree jam jars from the pods and donate them to St Abbs Lifeboat, who use them for fundraising. Small jars, good cause.
The Coldingham Brave Bayers
Old towels from the pods are recycled with the Berwickshire Marine Reserve or the Coldingham Brave Bayers rather than going to landfill.
ALWAYS IMPROVING
What we're working on.
These are the things we haven't quite finished, or that are actively in progress. We'd rather say what's honest than claim everything is sorted.
New bird boxes
Installing bird boxes around the site and farm as part of a local community project, ideally with a local school or charity.
Sustainable Stays Visitor Charter
A simple, plain-speaking charter for guests in each pod, setting out what we ask of people when they stay here.
Continuing to improve
We're always looking at what can be done better. If you have a suggestion, we're genuinely interested.
Come and rest. Leave nothing behind.
Braeview is a place people come to properly switch off. The way it's run should be part of that, not something that sits at odds with it.