ENEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Wonderful visit - so much to do! Stirling Castle a must and Jacobite Steam train journey from Fort William. New Lanark a highlight, too. Cabin beyond expectations and ducks/games room fulfilled childrens needs!
Arlene, Darren and Medi Coulson. Wales/Dudai. 6-13th August 2011.

We have had great fun here over the past few days. This is our tenth year we have been coming and the experience is still amazing. The ducks are like a comedy show, always there and making us laugh. And Arnie is still a pleasure to see and watch. We have enjoyed 10 years here and hope to enjoy many more.
Emily Pickup. Aged 12. January 2012.

Our Eco Aims

Lochend has extraordinary natural beauty and we want to help conserve that. And globally, we just want to do our bit, not to preach, but to consider how life might be for our children, Bunty, Cooper or Pippin's, future customers!

We're hoping that you might feel the same, and if you do, we're laying out some plans that will make us both a bit kinder to the environment.

OUR PARK

Lochend Chalets has been a member of the 'Our park' scheme for 2 years now. It helps support vital works to conserve and enhance the landscape and wildlife of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park for us all to enjoy.
You can make a donation whilst booking, we suggest £1 per person in the party or you can make a donation in the envelope provided in your chalet when you are here.
To find out more about the projects your donations support go to: www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk

Recycling

We employ a local company from Alloa, who pick up all plastics, tin, paper, aluminum, cardboard. Recycling bins are at back of reception and we've put some carrying bags in the chalets to help you sort out. If we stick to these 4 items they can be mixed. They also take our landfill waste and that can be put in your black bin at the back of the chalet. Another local company collects our glass. The Bottle Banks are over at the Cook School. Still in discussion with Stirling Council about a pilot scheme for composting.

Cleaning

'Ecover', arguable the best known of Eco cleaning products, and undoubtedly one of the most ethical companies, have brought out a 'professional' range. We 'trialled' them over a month and are now happily using them on a turn-around day and will provide them in your chalet for you to use.

The cleaning products provided in your chalet are all degradable, toxin free and phosphate free, with an ethical pedigree.
A 12 is a kitchen degreaser.
C 9 is a multisurface.
Techno San - a bathroom cleaner
Alcasan - a bathroom cleaner for limestone, in Pine Lodge and Coach House.
Ecover washing up liquid, washing powder and dishwashing tablets are proving just as efficient as their chemical counterparts.
All bottles are made from 'Plant-astic' - made from sugar cane! We refill and reuse all our bottles - so please leave them.
Toilet rolls are all from recycled materials and black bin bags and wastebin bags are both recycled and biodegradable too.
Tea, Coffee and sugar is fair trade, your milk comes from the local dairy, Graham's and the Shortbread is made in Callander - if you visit Callander, pop round the back of the Rob Roy visitors centre for a good whiff of the shortbread baking!!
Salt and Pepper are supplied in grinders for you to use.
For Local Shopping see 'Around Trossachs'.

Energy

We think that when you are coming on holiday, and have often travelled many miles to get here, that your welcome when you arrive is warm…and not just a smile! So we will have warmed the house and have a full tank of hot water for you arriving. Also you have chosen self catering, generally, for the freedom it offers you on your holiday - for you to make your own choices however if we would ask you to consider how you run the chalets heating while you're here, and let us know if we can help.

Eco bulbs are being introduced and we are now 70% there!
Switching lights off when not in use really helps too.
New thermostatic controls have been put into the 3 "A" Chalets and all central heating systems have timers.
We provide each lodge with a wind up torch as we have no street lighting.

Communal laundry

There are drying greens at the back of the "A" Chalets and Cedar Cabins, each chalet is provided with pegs, however as Scottish weather is, at best, unpredictable! And so there are 2 washing machines and 2 drying machines at the back of the Games room for customers without these facilities in their chalet to use. We also sponsor's a wee girl called Kutaifa, from Uganda, through the charity 'Action Aid', but really it is mainly our generous customers that provide the majority of her sponsorship monies, enough for us to be able to add to an emergency fund too.

Please let us know at the end of your stay if you have any unused towels or bed linen so we don't do unnecessary laundry.

Wildlife

2013 Year of Natural Scotland and we'll be celebrating in many ways for example there will be a new board in the games room for weekly wildlife spotted! Of course there is an abundance of wildlife here to spot, but we are especially honored to be able to watch the Osprey's fishing in the Lake. Early morning a family of Deer can often be seen in the cooler months when the eating in the forest gets short, along with the odd hedgehog. The ducks are wild, although you'd hardly know it and prefer to eat grains rather than the standard bread...although you can now purchase specially formulated duck food (along with bird seed) from reception, incase you were thinking of feeding them when you come!! A Pine Martin has also been seen lolloping around which is a real wheeze! We ask our customers not to feed the swans, when they get friendly and come out of the water they can be very intimidating for wee people and some big ones too!

We have books in each chalet to help you identify both Scottish birds, lots of them on or around the lake, and Scottish wild flowers, many of which can be seen up the drive way.
Bird Box and bat boxes are dotted all over the place. Handmade recycled feeders - chalet style - have been made by Chris and each property has one at the front.

Buying Locally

Butcher. The Aberfoyle Butcher. Tel. No. 01877 382473.
An award winning butcher as used by Nick Nairn! It is on the 'Main Street' on the left if your travelling from here, before the fire station.
http://www.aberfoylebutcher.co.uk/

Baker. Mhor Bread. Tel. No. 01877 339518.
8, Main Street, Callander. Formerly the Scotch Oven, now in the Lewis family's hands. Nice tearoom too.
http://mhor.net/bread/

Fish. Mhor Fish. Tel No. 01877 330213.
55-57, Main Street, Callander. Attached to the chip shop and in the good hands of the Lewis too!
http://mhor.net/bread/

Farmers Markets.
Stirling has a regular market in Port Street, every 2nd Saturday of each month from 9am-3pm.
Call Contact No. 01877330151 or go online to http://www.scottishfarmersmarkets.co.uk/

Village/Craft Markets

More information on 'buying locally' under 'What to Do' pages.
There are village markets with local crafts and produce available in Thornhill, Community Hall, South Common March - Christmas, Every Wednesday 10am-1pm Contact Belinda MacMillan 01786 850692. And in Dunblane there is the Craft Market with Café the first Sunday of every month at the Victoria Hall, Stirling Road, Dunblane, 11am-4pm Contact Sue Faulkner 01786 823768.

Graham Stewart
http://www.grahamstewartsilversmith.co.uk/ Silver and goldsmith
Long established and very highly collected pieces but much more interesting has a workshop you can visit and a gallery.

Galleria Luti.
http://www.gallerialuti.co.uk
This great wee gallery stocks Chris Carroll's work! But lots more besides; paintings, ceramics, jewelry, mixed media work and cards. Family run, Marsha and Sandie are very welcoming and well known Scottish artist dad, Peter, often exhibits his new work here.

Our Local Saturday Staff:

All the girls and boys that work with us on a Saturday attend the 2 local high schools. McLaren High in Callander and Balfron High in Balfron! We operate by word of mouth and often have 2 or 3 siblings working together or over a few years. Car sharing is important too and the Mum's and Dad's are very helpful and patient. They're between the ages of 14-18 and when they start have a 3-weekend training period followed by a probationary 6 week period when they can decide whether they like the job and we can decide if they have enough energy and understand the importance of cleaning and leaving the properties as we want them for your arrival. An important part of that training is an awareness of our eco aims and the best practice that we can offer the environment. We have been enormously lucky with our staff over the last 15 years of running this programme, with tweaks every year to keep us all on our toes and to keep up with our customers expectation. They work hard and are a pleasure to be around and we are grateful for their input.

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