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.
This was an unforgettable stay and we loved every minute especially having a tour of the site and an insight into permaculture. The eco hut is comfortable and well designed and there were so many little touches that made us feel welcome and at home.
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Georgia
24 Aug 2021
Perfect for a peaceful and remote get away where you feel at one with your surroundings. Everything was exactly as detailed and to an impressive standard. You truly feel like the place you are staying has had a lot of care and thoughtfulness put into it. The host was extremely welcoming and helpful. Would definitely consider returning.
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Mark
22 Jul 2023
Die selbstgebaute Hütte von Clive ist eine Reise wert. Ein gemütlicher Rückzugsort im kleinen Waldstück auf seinem eigenen Grund. Die Hütte ist sehr liebevoll eingerichtet, vor allem die Liebe zum Detail. Blumenschmuck auf dem Tisch. Der Ofen macht sehr warm und sorgt für eine gemütliche Stimmung. Und die Dusche aus einem Whiskeyfass und einem Eimer macht das Abenteuer perfekt. Die Küche ist komplett mit allem was benötigt wird ausgestattet. Clive hat auch super Tipps zum erkunden der Umgebung. Es war ein rundum perfekter Aufenthalt.
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Felix
11 Sep 2024
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
Clive was extremely accommodating. I’d recommend purchasing the farm basket as his produce was delicious. He was also kind, friendly and funny. The Eco cabin was beautiful—woke up at dawn one day and walked around to hear the birds calling. So peaceful.
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Kathleen
14 Aug 2024
Me and my fiancé loved our stay in the eco cabin! The forest and natural indoor interiors of the cabin made for a perfect peaceful weekend retreat. The vegan breakfast hamper had amazing homemade bread and some of the best jam we have ever had. Clive and Julie also kindly gave us an inspiring tour of their permaculture garden. Lots of great options for local walks and things to do. We will definitely be back for our next trip to the Black Isle!
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Sofie
22 Apr 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
A lovely eco cabin tucked away in a peaceful forest. Clive and Julie were so accommodating and made us feel right at home. Can’t wait to return!
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Calum
01 Sep 2024
We had a lovely stay at Siskin Cabin. Clive was so friendly and quick to respond to any queries we had. It's in a perfect location to explore the Highlands. We would definitely recommend anyone to stay here 🙂
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Paul
23 Mar 2024
Clive and Julie provided us with not just an opportunity to recharge, but a chance to learn and think, and completely on our own terms. A beautiful space, exactly as advertised, which I would highly recommend.
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Kenny
18 Jul 2022
Our stay at Coll cabin was excellent, The perfect weekend relaxation retreat. We had the best weekend ever. Thanks Clive & Julie.
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Aidan
15 Oct 2023
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
If you are interested in learning more and getting some hands on experience, then get in touch about our occasional day volunteering opportunities. We also welcome visitors by appointment, drop us an email if you are interested in visiting or volunteering [email protected]
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