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.
Nous avons passé un excellent séjour au cœur d’un bois dans un logement très joli et fonctionnel où tout a été très bien pensé. La région est magnifique et c’était un vrai plus de profiter d’un lieu aussi atypique avec des hôtes aussi charmants.
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Caroline
02 Aug 2023
We had a really great stay. The host was very welcoming and made our check in and stay easy, stress free and very enjoyable. We are excited to come back again!
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Finley
16 Aug 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
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
I could not imagine a more perfect eco cabin. Within the lovely woodland the accommodation is cosy with lots of beautiful and quirky details, some interesting books (also about permaculture), pictures, a whole folder with friendly information, the place is interesting and calm. Clive could not have been more friendly and helpful.
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Kerstin
18 Mar 2024
A delightful place to stay with helpful hosts . Well thought out cabin with luxury features. Exceeded all expectations !
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Jenny
09 Jun 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
Better than expected. Great experience
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Maria
10 Jul 2022
We absolutely loved our stay at Clive and Julie’s. The cabin is beautifully designed, decorated and a great place to base yourself as you explore the highlands. We really appreciated the eco friendly aspects of the stay. Clive was friendly and gave some great tips.
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Jordan
21 Aug 2024
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
Wirklich tolle Unterkunft in ruhiger, schöner Lage. Die Ausstattung ist mit tollen Details bestückt und super nachhaltige Umsetzung. Tolles Badezimmer, schöne und saubere Küche. Wir haben uns rundum wohl gefühlt.
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Nadja
15 Aug 2024
Such an incredible stay in this very unique place. Hosts were amazing, very personable, helpful and thoughtful throughout. Whole stay so comfortable and very relaxing and looks even better than pictures! Will be back
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Emily
29 Aug 2020
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]