Our Green Appeal
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The owners of Three Glens (Neil and Mary Gourlay) enjoy a deep-rooted love of the land. A fourth generation local farmer, Neil has achieved his lifetime’s ambition: developing an organic building that’s free from future utility bills and blends seamlessly into the landscape.
In fact, Three Glens is virtually invisible from across the Cairn Valley. The slope of the roof is the same angle as the slope of the valley and is covered with the same turf that was scooped off the land to build on. Furthermore, the oak cladding is fading to a weathered silver tone, complementing the surrounding dry-stone walls.
The ‘Four R’s philosophy’ of Reduce - Re-use - Recycle – Recover lies at the heart of Three Glens’ vision. Working towards off-grid status, Three Glens’ fascinating eco-features include:
- Electricity from the 100kW turbine on the hill.
- Electric Vehicle Charging
- Ground-source heating (dug vertically to a depth of 100m)
- A biomass stove - the Austrian Kachelofen
- Water from a bore hole
- Solar Thermal water heating
- Underfloor heating
- Triple Glazing
- Heat recovery system cleans air and redistributes it around the house
- Oak cladding from wind-felled trees on the surrounding land
- Sheeps' wool insulation - from the sheep on the farm
- Cow hide seats - from our cows!
- The turf roof
- Delightful, reclaimed fittings that are over 80 years old, such as cast-iron baths and the porcelain sinks and loos
- Old disused railway sleepers are used outside and inside for furniture
- Reclaimed slate flag stones upcycled from a Victorian Greenhouse
The owners are happy to share all invaluable information they can to guests embarking on a similar eco-project. A kind of ‘try before you buy’, they’ll disclose build costs, running costs, hiccups and challenges if you choose to stay here. And Three Glens will demonstrate that sustainability without carbon-burning is about more than just installing the latest bit of renewable technology.
