If you're visiting Scotland, however, you'll want to make sure that you're leaving it in a respectable state. That means being responsible for your impact on the countryside.
Tips
Let's consider a few tips that will help you to be a sustainable tourist during your stay in Scotland.
First, if you're going to be walking through national parks like the Cairngorms (or, indeed, anywhere else in the country), you'll want to make sure that you're not leaving any litter behind. If you're going to stop for an energy bar, make sure that you pick it up before you get going again.
You might also forgo the use of disposable plastics entirely. Look for natural products, and shop with retailers that provide them. Bear in mind, however, that just because an item is biodegradable doesn't mean that you can dispose of it irresponsibly. Don't leave a banana skin on the side of a hill.
Finally, you might consider something called voluntourism. This sees visitors to the country to agree to a little bit of extra work maintaining paths, cleaning beaches, planting trees and surveying wildlife. For those of an environmental disposition, it's a satisfying way to go.
If you want to minimise your emissions while you're travelling, you might also ensure that your vehicle is up to the job. Look at investing in new car tyres, or at least inflating the existing ones. You can buy tyres online and fit them yourself, if you have the right skillset.
Stay in eco-friendly accommodation.
You'll find that certain kinds of accommodation are designed specifically to work alongside nature, rather than to do battle with it. You can stay in a Cairngorm Bothy, an eco-lodge, or at a campsite: there are many excellent camping and caravaning sites spread across the country.
Support green businesses
By staying in green accommodation, you'll be supporting green business. But you might also extend this philosophy to your entire stay in Scotland. Look for businesses that share your values, and that seek to promote sustainable causes. Don't just be fooled by packaging and marketing: investigate which practices really make a difference to the natural world, and favour businesses that deal with them.
By staying in green accommodation, you'll be supporting green business. But you might also extend this philosophy to your entire stay in Scotland. Look for businesses that share your values, and that seek to promote sustainable causes. Don't just be fooled by packaging and marketing: investigate which practices really make a difference to the natural world, and favour businesses that deal with them.
Eat veggie
Of course, one of the most effective things you can do to reduce your environmental impact is to eat a plant-based diet – or, at the very least, cut down on your meat intake. Think about the available vegetarian restaurants near to where you're staying, or at least consider the vegetarian options on a conventional menu!
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