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.
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
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
We had a fantastic time at Clive and Julie’s! They were so sincere, kind, and welcoming. They took the time to point out amazing local wildlife and gave us great information about the unique space they have built together. They were extremely responsive and went above and beyond to make sure we had a wonderful stay, providing us with maps and guides for the Isle of Skye, which we drove to as part of our trip to the highlands. They offered to take us on a tour of the property but unfortunately we ran out of time. The cabin was very comfortable and thoughtfully designed. The bucket shower was a big highlight for us 🙂 Overall, this was an inspiring visit to a very special place.
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Katie
18 Aug 2023
Der Aufenthalt in der kleinen Hütte im Wald war super, um ein paar Tage abzuschalten. Einfach mal nichts machen und die Ruhe genießen konnte man dort sehr leicht. Mein Highlight war der kleine Kamin für den bereits Feuerholz bereitliegt, wenn man eincheckt. Insgesamt ein super tolles Airbnb.
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Eva
10 Aug 2023
This is a lovely quirky cabin in beautiful, peaceful surroundings. Great for a restful few days with plenty of wildlife on your doorstep and walks you can do without having to drive to a trailhead. Clive was very welcoming and gave us good local tips on how to get the best out of the area.
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Claire
04 Jul 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
Nous avons passé un excellent séjour dans l’éco-cabine de Clive. Je recommande !
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Louis
26 Aug 2024
Nice peaceful cottage
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Philipp
07 Jul 2024
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
An incredible location and a beautiful, well thought out, off grid cabin. The breakfast hamper is well worth the extra too! A great place to take stock of your environmental impact and re-evaluate your daily life.
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Matthew
05 Jun 2022
The term ‘Superhost’ has never been more fitting than for Julie and Clive. They live on a peaceful piece of land and welcomed us to share it with them. The lodge is full of thoughtful details, and everything works exactly as advertised. You can see, feel, and breathe in every aspect that they’ve created a place they’d love to be in themselves, rather than something meant for commercial gain. Clive and Julie are incredibly helpful, and we truly felt like we had our own home for a few days. Their garden is rich with fruits, vegetables, and herbs, which they kindly invited us to share. The area is close to all the natural beauty of the Black Isle and beyond, and all shopping needs are easily met with nearby farmers' markets, small shops, and supermarkets.
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Titus
20 Sep 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
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]
