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 and creative residencies. Our focus is Permaculture, gardening with nature, arts, crafts, creativity and living lightly on the planet..
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 ponds 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 guests and 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 cosy and comfortable woodland eco cabins, which we self built as we wanted to make them unique, sustainable and somewhere that we would love to stay ourselves! 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 self contained 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 in a small kitchenette, a bathroom with bucket shower and compost toilet, and a tranquil outdoor deck looking over the woods and fields. Siskin cabin opened in August 2020.
Coll Cabin is our slightly larger space, and was completed in March 2022. It also sleeps two in a comfortable double bed, with a bucket shower and compost toilet in the bathroom. This cabin has a larger living space and kitchen with fridge and cooker, a woodburner and also a desk/workspace area if you are looking for a relaxing and creative space.
Das Haus war wunderbar gelegen, nicht einmal 15 Minuten von einer Bushaltestelle, welche nach Inverness und tiefer in die Highlands führt, trotzdem ruhig und privat auf dem Grundstück in einem kleinen Waldstück. Die Ausstattung ist besser als beschrieben, so war zum Beispiel die Eimerdusche mit einer Pumpe ausgestattet und die Komposttoilette dank ihrer Bauweise quasi geruchsneutral. Die Küche ist bestens ausgestattet, auch der Rest der Hütte ist mit Decken, Spielen und Büchern und sogar einer Bluetooth Box und Radio. Der Kamin ist ein echtes Highlight und gerade nach Wanderungen im Regen ein wahrer Genuss. Die Gastgeber waren super freundlich, hilfsbereit und konnten zu fast allen Fragen zur Umgebung direkt Auskunft geben. Sie haben sich regelmäßig über die App nach Wünschen und Bedürfnissen erkundigt, uns aber in der Unterkunft selber nie gestartet. Diese Unterkunft ist jedem ans Herz zu legen, UK runterzukommen und von hier aus die Black Isle zu erforschen!
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Caro
17 Jul 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed our stay! All the tips that Clive and Julie suggested were great to explore too. The best part however was staying cosy in the cabin. Loved the book selection and games provided. The breakfast hamper was delicious too! Makes you ponder on how you can live your life more sustainably, so thank you for sparking some creative ideas!
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Georgia
07 Jul 2024
The location is absolutely a one of a kind experience. On one hand we came to recharge our batteries and rest, which was perfect at this location. The cabin is at a very quiet location and has a very idyllic look and feel to it. On the other we explored the nearby city of Inverness and other sights. Our host Clive was kind enough to leave instructions on things to do around the towns and city: walks, sights, restaurants, ... We had a wonderful time and definitely recommend this place to others.
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Annabel
15 Jul 2023
What a lovely little cottage to escape to. Beautiful and clean with a lovely space to rest.
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Retha
11 Sep 2020
Possibly my favourite AirBnB that I've stayed in! Couldn't fault the accomodation or our host. Extremely clean, has all the amenities that you need and a beautiful location. Every detail was thought about. Made for a very relaxing few days away.
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Alice
30 May 2024
Beautiful and perfect experience that exceeded all our expectations. The cabin was impeccably clean and well-maintained, with cozy furnishings and equipped kitchen. Tranquil and romantic, what a gem! The host was incredibly welcoming and attentive, providing great recommendations and many thoughtful touches throughout. Can't wait to stay again!
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Joya
04 Oct 2024
In dieser wunderschönen Unterkunft lässt sich mitten im Wald ein Stück Ruhe finden. Das Haus bietet alles, was man braucht und Clive und Julie sind wundervolle Gastgeber:innen!
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Aischa
29 Aug 2024
The cabin and the surrounding area was lovely! Lots of personal touches. We really enjoyed our stay. The only thing I would say is that the bucket shower takes quite awhile since you have to boil your own water, and is quite short and not the most comfortable. I know this is partially to encourage water saving practices but also for the price point of the Airbnb we did miss out on a real shower!
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Alia
25 Jul 2024
Clive and Julies cabin is set in a beautiful permaculture full of thriving forestry and gardens! This place is serene and magical. They are amazing hosts who come with AMAZING breakfasts, hope to visit again some time!
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Melissa
28 Jul 2021
Such a beautiful cabin, with thoughtful touches. Perfect place to explore from, our use as a cosy cabin to hide away and relax. The woodburner keeps you lovely and toasty. Close to Inverness, we used as a stop off on our NC 500 trip. Clive was so accommodating and helped us out. We cannot recommend enough!
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Faye
27 Oct 2020
Absolutely stunning location in the woods. There’s just something really special about waking up to the sound of sheep and a forest view. Clive and Julie are lovely hosts and have made us feel very welcomed. Highöy recommend staying at the cabin!
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Lara-Marie
29 May 2022
Clive had excellent tips on local activities. We took his recommendation to walk the ridge above Strathpeffer which was lovely! Gorgeous and peaceful cabin tucked away in the world’s most charming garden. Instructions on how to navigate the eco cabin amenities were clear and easy to follow. Would definitely recommend!
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Catalina
28 Jul 2024
We also welcome visitors by appointment, drop us an email if you are interested in visiting [email protected]