Achieving our Green Tourism Silver Award
We are proud to have achieved a Green Tourism Silver Award at Orroland.
For us, sustainability is not something new. It has been part of how we care for the estate for decades. As custodians of this unique coastal environment, we have always worked to protect and enhance it for wildlife and for our guests.
That care is something many of our guests notice. Wildlife, the natural setting, and the sense of space are some of the most consistent themes in feedback. The award helps to formally recognise something that has long been part of everyday life here.
A natural fit for Orroland
Orroland is more than just a place to stay. It is a private coastal estate, shaped by woodland, meadow and seashore.
Guests come here to explore, to slow down, and to reconnect with nature. Red squirrels, deer and birdlife are part of the experience. So is the freedom to wander down to a quiet, private stretch of shoreline.
Looking after this environment is central to everything we do. The Green Tourism award reflects that ongoing commitment.
The Green Tourism process
The process began with a complimentary “GreenCheck” call.
This was a structured but relaxed video call with a Green Tourism advisor. They guided us through a series of questions to understand where we are on our sustainability journey. It was thoughtful, practical and genuinely useful.
The feedback from this call was then added to the GreenCheck online tool. This helped shape the next stage of the process and gave us a clear framework to work through.
Working towards our Silver award
After the initial call, we were already on track for a Bronze award. However, we felt we could aim higher.
Green Tourism provided detailed feedback on how we could reach Silver. What stood out was that much of the work involved recognising and evidencing what we were already doing.
The GreenCheck tool made this straightforward. We worked through each section, adding comments and uploading evidence to describe our approach across the different sustainability criteria.
From Bronze to Silver: what we did
Many of the steps we took were about making our existing practices more visible and consistent.
Some examples include:
Listening to our guests
We updated our guest feedback questionnaire to include a specific question about sustainability. The response has been clear. Guests value the environment here and want to see it protected.
Caring for our private seashore
We regularly clear litter from the shoreline at Orroland. This is something we have always done. For the assessment, we documented this work with photographs and shared it more widely.
Supporting red squirrel conservation
Red squirrels are a special part of Orroland. We have financially supported conservation efforts for many years. As part of the process, we formalised this by sponsoring our local Red Squirrel Group and are sharing this more clearly.
Reviewing cleaning products
We have long chosen eco-friendly cleaning products. The GreenCheck process encouraged us to review these choices again and make further improvements.
What the award means
We are delighted to have achieved Silver.
At the same time, this is not an end point. There is always more we can do to care for the estate and reduce our impact.
We will continue to review our practices, learn from the process, and build on what we have achieved so far.