Whiteburnshank Activity Centre is Enviromentally Friendly

We are trying to make the cottage as sustainable as possible.

Water is fed to the cottage via a nearby spring and stream through two storage / filter chambers. It is then gravity fed through pipes to the cottage where it supplies toilets, wash basins, a shower and the newly fitted kitchen. Cold water to the kitchen is further filtered and ultra violet light sterilized for safe consumption

Electricity is adequately taken care of most of the time by a bank of  24 volt batteries and inverter maintained by both a wind turbine and an array of photo-voltaic panels. As we are not connected to the National Grid, excess electricity is diverted automatically to oil filled radiators throughout the house; this provides background heating when the house is unoccupied.

A cast iron multifuel burner provides radiant heat to the large lounge, but also provides hot water to radiators in the upstairs rooms.

Butane / propane gas is used to provide hot water to the kitchen, hand basins in the washroom and a shower cubicle via a multipoint heater in the kitchen.

When electricity demand exceeds supply, a diesel generator cuts in and switches off automatically when the batteries have recharged.

There is no telephone or mobile phone signal. However, a strong mobile signal can be found 400 metres up the hill at the five bar wooden gate which crosses the road.  A good fm radio signal is present.  There is no television signal. We have provided a TV / video player for entertainment / training purposes. A small selection of videos is for your use. Please feel free to donate more.

The three upstairs rooms have sleeping for nine, eight and two with a variety of bunk and single beds. An adjacent barn could sleep several more, but less comfortably on a sleeping platform, bothy style. The barn also has a wood burning stove.