Culbin Edge

eco cabin

Five ways we’re being more eco

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Photo: Laura Blaikie

As the COP26 Climate Change Conference comes to an end, the global climate crisis has never been so prevalent. Each one of us can help tackle climate change and do our bit to protect the planet.

At Culbin Edge, we aim to be as eco-friendly as possible. So, what are we doing?

Built to be efficient

Culbin Edge was built with energy efficiency in mind. As a modular build, it was designed to generate less waste than other forms of construction, and also built using as many sustainable materials as possible.

The walls and ceilings are lined with Fermacell, which is made using recycled material and offers improved fire resistance and insulation. The efficient insulation helps Culbin Edge stay toasty in the winter and cool in the summer.

A+ electric

The appliances in Culbin Edge’s kitchen have an A+ energy rating. We choose the most energy-efficient appliances we can, and we would always encourage guests to be mindful of their energy usage during their stay.

Sustainable products

During your stay at Culbin Edge you can enjoy a bit of sustainable luxury. We stock hand wash, body wash and body lotion from Laura Thomas Co. Each product comes in a refillable glass bottle, including the diffuser which we also stock, and we love them! We even have some Laura Thomas Co. towels too.

Positive impact products

Even the toilet paper at Culbin Edge does good for the world! We stock Who Gives a Crap toilet paper. 50% of the profits from each roll of toilet paper goes to helping build toilets for people who do not have access to one (that’s currently 2 billion people or roughly 40% of the world’s population). And there is no nasty plastic packaging – even better!

Going solar

Next in our plan to continue improving energy efficient is solar panels. These will be installed at Culbin Edge soon and we’ll let you know on Facebook when they are up and running.

Here’s to being green!

Northern lights season hits Moray

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Image courtesy of Northern Nights Moray

The season for spotting the beautiful aurora borealis is here and where better to enjoy it than the Moray coast

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are a spectacular sight to behold and the north of Scotland is lucky enough to enjoy stunning views of them.

Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei first named the light phenomenon aurora borealis in 1619 after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas. It wasn’t until the 20th century that Norwegian scientist Kristian Birkeland proposed the theory behind the northern lights, saying that electrons emitted from sunspots produced the atmospheric lights after striking the earth’s magnetic field.

For centuries, people have marvelled at the beauty of the northern lights and headed to places like the north of Scotland to try to catch a glimpse. North West Scotland, Shetland, the Outer Hebrides, the Isle of Skye, Cairngorm National Park and our very own Moray are among the best places to try. Here, you could see them from mid-October until mid-March.

Top tips for catching the northern lights

It can be hard to predict when the northern lights will appear so, to increase our chances, here are a few tips.

  • Avoid times when there is a full moon – we need as dark a sky as possible
  • The best times are usually on cold nights with clear skies and no clouds or light pollution
  • You are more likely to catch a sighting in the evening but be prepared to wait

If you’re planning a trip to Culbin Edge, you’ll be spoiled for choice with places to northern lights spot! Take your pick of the many beaches along the Moray Coast but choose somewhere along the coast away from streetlights and other light pollution.

Burghead is a popular spot and is located around a 20 minute drive from Culbin Edge. Other options include Findhorn, Hopeman, Roseisle and Lossiemouth beaches.

To help take out some of the guesswork, a local photographer has set up the Northern Nights Moray Facebook page to keep you updated on when you might spot the lights – a great resource if you’re staying at Culbin Edge.

Visit Forres has just published this great blog post on catching the northern lights in the area too.

AuroraWatch UK is another useful website to keep track and you can even set up alerts directly to your phone.

Good luck and happy aurora borealis spotting!

Have you spotted the northern lights in Moray? Share your photos with us on Facebook and Instagram. Or why not book your northern lights spotting trip with us? To book, contact us here or phone 07789 404794.