| Cliftonhill is now an organic farm doing many things in order to improve and maintain the high quality surroundings for future generations of people and wildlife. The Countryside Premium Scheme/Stewardship/organic scheme has come in to offer farmers grants in order to improve the quality of the land for wildlife which may have suffered due to intensive methods which are common to industrialised agriculture. There is a beetle bank running up the field between Plumbraes Barn and Edmonston House, offering a safe haven for colonies of beetles to become established. Hedges, wildflower seed and bird cover have been planted on set aside to encourage the populations of partridge, pheasant and songbirds. The river has been fenced off in order to allow regeneration of natural vegetation. The water has already improved - the fish are monitored by the Tweed Foundation and there has been a significant increase in Salmon parr, due to the protection offered by the leafy banks from marauding heron and kingfishers. |  |  | . | | The holiday cottages have been awarded a silver Green Tourism Business Scheme certification. We are trying to use eco-friendly detergents and cleaning products where possible to reduce the amount of abrasive chemicals released into the Eden watershed. We use energy efficient products like steamers and light bulbs. There are water saving devices in the bathrooms. Tea and coffee are sourced from fair trade, premium locations, and other products are locally produced therefore have travelled few miles. We have set up recycling facilities at Plum Braes Barn and Edmonston House, allowing guests to recycle glass, paper and tins. More information on this is found in the folders in each cottage. |  |
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