Welcome to The Warren Forest Garden and Eco Cabins, Clive and Julie’s ecological household, garden and woodland on the beautiful Black Isle, 13km north of Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland. As well as being our home, we offer eco friendly accommodation, creative residencies and volunteering opportunities focused on regenerative living.
The household and gardens here are being nurtured using design and techniques to create a balanced ecosystem for people, plants and animals while also adapting to the unfolding climate and ecological crisis. We have a mosaic of meadows, forest gardens, mixed woodland, wildlife pond and bog garden, a kitchen garden growing vegetables, salads, herbs, fruit, polycultures of wild flowers for insects and pollinators, all on 2.5 acres (1 hectare). Organic and no dig methods create healthy soil and closed loop systems ensure nothing is wasted, for example composting, wormeries, mulching, reusing/upcycling materials, and wood processing for firewood and construction.
We’ve been a part of the network of Permaculture LAND (Learning Action Network Demonstration) Centre, under the name Black Isle Permaculture & Arts, since 2018. A LAND centre is a place where visitors can see how the ethics, principles, nature connection and design processes which make up ‘Permaculture’ have been applied to the physical site and how we try to live more lightly on the planet here.
OUR ACCOMMODATION
We invite you to stay in one of our unique woodland eco cabins. Combining environmentally friendly features, artistic touches and rustic charm, the Green Tourism Gold rated cabins are ideal for eco conscious travellers who want to experience simple living! We have two eco friendly cabins sited in our small woodland, called Siskin and Coll Cabin. The names are derived from the place and nature around them. Siskin is a small bird which is common around the woods. Coll is Hazel in the Ogham ancient medieval tree alphabet, and in Celtic mythology Hazel is associated with wisdom, creativity and knowledge.
SISKIN CABIN
Siskin Cabin sleeps two in a double bed, and is a compact, cosy space with a woodburner, dining/seating area, cooking facilties, a bucket shower and compost toilet, and a tranquil outdoor deck looking over the woods and fields.
Coll Cabin is our slightly larger space, also sleeping two in a comfortable double bed, with a bucket shower and compost toilet in the bathroom, but with a larger living space, woodburner and also a desk/workspace area if you are looking for a relaxing and creative space.
After some urban days, we arrived at Kilcoy, where we were welcomed by Clive, Julie and their beautiful cabin. It had all you needed, nicely surrounded by trees. Being aware of your water usage and getting around by public transport might seem like an obstacle, but has its charm and, for us, proved to be a very pleasant way of spending our days here. Having to choose between staying around the cabin and its adjacent "woodlands" and garden, or going to one of the various trips to natural scenery is hard - but that's a good thing.
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Sam
14 Jul 2022
My partner and I stayed for 2 nights and we had a fantastic relaxing time. The cabin was beautiful and immaculate inside, it is well stocked with everything you could need and the location is stunning and peaceful. We have never done the eco living experience so were a little apprehensive, but we had absolutely no issues and were pleasantly surprised with the experience. Clive is an absolute gentleman and his local knowledge and advice was next to none, he very clearly knows his stuff and he was always available with advice if/when needed, but equally not intrusive. The hamper was especially lovely, the homemade jam will be missed and I very much look forward to staying with Clive and Julie again.
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Steven
23 Jul 2023
Un lieu de séjour extraordinaire et des hôtes merveilleux
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Arnaud
26 Jun 2022
a lovely stay in a well built and supplied cabin in a tranquil little wood.
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Euan
10 Aug 2023
I highly recommend this Airbnb. You’ll be hard pressed to find a place with as much charm as here. The cabin itself is clean, beautiful and cozy. It is a very special experience to enjoy all the comforts of a modern house in a cabin that is completely off the grid and completely sustainable. Clive was very friendly and accommodating host. He was always available to help with whatever we needed and was always a pleasure to speak with. I highly recommend getting their breakfast hamper. Everything in it is delicious. You’ll be able to taste the difference from the processed foods common nowadays. It’s certainly worth the price as well, easily. The area was great too. Clive oriented us very well in the area of the Black Isle and Inverness. There is tons to do in the area. You have the beautiful peaceful country while at the same time a lively night life in Inverness with plenty of pubs and restaurants. I truly feel that renting Clive and Julie’s Cabin is a very special experience that I would recommend to anyone.
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Jaden
17 Jul 2022
Clive and Julie were great hosts, they thought of everything we would need and offered us recommendations of things to do and places to go. Very cost accommodation something a bit different to the usual air bnbs, would definitely recommend for a visit!
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Andy
04 Aug 2021
We had a great stay at the eco cabin. Wonderful wood fired stove and atmosphere. Easy access to Rosemarie, Inverness, Ben Wyvis, etc. Clive and Julie are great hosts!
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Ross
12 Jul 2021
We absolutely loved our stay at Siskin Eco Cabin - it was the perfect getaway for us. The site is located in a great location to explore the Black Isle. The cabin is full of charm and so cosy during the evenings, especially with the wood burning stove and radio on. Clive was very accommodating and gave us an excellent tour of the permaculture design incorporated within the site. The breakfast hamper was also a perfect treat, especially the strawberry and blackcurrant jam!
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Priya
25 Jun 2021
I had a brilliant mini retreat here, a chance to slow down and get back to basics, the cabin is small but perfect and crafted with love. Clive and Julie were so welcoming and friendly. I got the breakfast hamper which was absolutely delicious. The permaculture tour was fascinating and Clive was so generous with his knowledge. Highly recommend everything!
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Mairi
28 Mar 2022
A great experience staying in Clive's eco hut! comfortable bed and very cozy! they have designed the hut so well. Very inspiring and allowed us to be more mindful about our impact on the environment and take new ideas home with us. Would absolutely recommend 😊
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Natalie
05 Aug 2023
A little hidden gem on the Black Isle We loved every second of it The place is little but cozy and comforting . The best part is the fresh air and old style sustainable way of living It’s a must try if you visit this part of Scotland Close to Inverness and lots of small villages on the island make it a great place Clive was very kind to give us some information about how they built the place and about permaculture and it was amaaaaazing
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Andrada
24 Jul 2023
We loved our stay at the Siskin Cabin. Clive was a wonderful host and we would come back tomorrow if we could! We would 100% recommend a stay!
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Hannah
23 Aug 2023
We sometimes host volunteers through the seasons as part of the WWOOF scheme, if you are interested in volunteering please see our profile on the WWOOF UK site.
We also welcome visitors by appointment, and hold occasional open days and workshops, follow us on Facebook or Instagram to keep up to date.
Please contact us at [email protected] for more info or to find out more about a slow and sustainable Permaculture inspired holiday! You can also find us on sustainable holiday planner Holiable.com. Look out for details of events on our Facebook page @BIPASCOTLAND.
