GREEN HOLIDAY PARK CHAMPIONS

SCOTTISH TOURISM MINISTER Richard Lochhead MSP plants a commemorative hornbeam at the Findhorn park.

Eco-friendly tourism was on the agenda for Scotland’s Tourism Minister Richard Lochhead when he visited Findhorn Bay Holiday Park. The holiday park based near Forres is championing green getaways on the Moray Firth.

Mr Lochhead attended as a guest of the Scottish holiday park association (BH&HPA) in advance of his being the principal speaker at the body’s Edinburgh annual conference in November. The association said it was keen to show how many park businesses were helping to boost regional economies and create employment without damaging the environment.

The minister also made his contribution to a greener future by planting a commemorative hornbeam tree to mark what the park calls its “new series of eco-adventures”. The park, he heard, was based within the Findhorn Foundation Eco Village which, for over 50 years, has offered retreats, workshops and gatherings in its spectacular setting.

Electricity on the park is generated by wind turbines, supported by the grid using a green energy tariff, so reducing to a minimum Findhorn’s carbon footprint. Its holiday accommodation is fully powered by green energy and is connected to an ecological waste-water treatment plant which also serves the 500 people living in the Eco Village.

Mr Lochhead also discussed the park’s plans to convert holiday caravans from gas to electricity, to invest in more eco-friendly accommodation, and its flood alleviation projects.