Zero Carbon Glamping

Sustainability and glamping usually go hand-in-hand, but Off Grid Travel has taken it to a whole new level. At a time when guests are growing more conscious of their carbon footprint, how do you cater for both them and the environment? International Glamping Business’ Annie Hilton spoke with Fiona van Aswegen, Scotlandbased member of Off Grid Travel, to find out.

Fiona van Aswegen

What is Off Grid Travel?

Off Grid Travel is an eco travel company which offers zero carbon holidays set in beautiful and remote places.

We design and build our own accommodation, which is completely off-grid and is imaginatively designed to bring our guests closer to nature.

Our aim was to combine new design technologies with natural settings, always putting conservation and a connection to nature at our core. You should step into our buildings and immediately feel more relaxed – these are “healthy buildings” built from sustainable timber and insulation from recycled newspapers. Heating is from a wood burning stove and there are no mains connections at all – and yet it’s still luxurious with power, heating, lighting, a flushing toilet, fridge, and hot shower.

As a company, we recognised that people wanted to spend more time connecting and having more immersive experiences. Holidays set in healthy buildings deep in nature have a positive and meaningful impact on mental health and wellbeing.

Who are the people behind the brand?

We are a really small team with backgrounds in nature and adventure tourism, hospitality and wildlife conservation, low carbon manufacturing, interior design and alternative energy. Each member is passionate about what they do and has brought complementary experience, expertise and energy to developing new ways of exploring nature.

How important is sustainability to the company?

Sustainability is, quite simply, at the heart of everything we do. From the way we build and how we bring our buildings to site, to the technologies we use, as well as every single detail you find on the inside. Our linens are organic and locally sourced, our duvets and pillows are Scottish-made from recycled plastic bottles that were collected from ocean waste, our towels are British and made from recycled plastic. We don’t tumble dry or iron anything during the laundry process, reducing our power consumption.

We source everything as locally as possible and tell guests the story behind everything we use and do because this helps them to feel involved in the process. We hope that, after staying with us and seeing just how comfortable they can be using some alternative solutions, they might feel inspired to make a few changes when they get back home.

Tell me a bit more about your destination – how did it come to fruition?

Our first destination is Cambo Estate, near St Andrews in Scotland. What serendipity brought us into contact with this wonderful place! Not only is the location simply breathtaking, right on the sea with amazing beaches forming one whole boundary, it is also run with an ethos completely committed to sustainability, the local community and having a positive impact.

Off Grid Travel

The mobile phone signal there is intermittent at best and there is no wifi… We love that! Guests also have complete privacy as our buildings never sit next to one another – or even visible to each other. Guests can cook on the fire pit or on the BBQ, they can laze on the deck and gaze up at the stars or they can simply enjoy watching deer, squirrels and all the native birdlife. On the inside, we wanted to show just how luxurious an off-the-grid experience could be. Huge windows draw your eyes to the incredible views, and every last detail has been sourced for quality and sustainability.

Since the initial talks we have loved the partnership we have with this destination. They have been completely behind us and supportive of our mission to create genuinely off-grid, luxury accommodation.

How could land owners use Off Grid Travel to diversify?

Off Grid Travel is one avenue to diversify into tourism. We offer financing options for the buildings themselves and then, once onsite, we manage all the marketing and reservations whilst the landowner manages day-to-day operations.

We are a brilliant solution if someone has land that has beauty but no power, sewage or other infrastructure – because that’s exactly what we have based our designs around. Our buildings don’t need those things, especially when our guest experience is all about disconnecting from busy lives, taking a step back and letting yourself be immersed in nature. The structures will last 80+ years and are designed in such a way to be moved and/or repurposed – so if your business changes, these assets can move and change with you.

Can you tell me more about the accommodation and the manufacturing process?

We have two designs in production currently: our Bothy and our HideAway. Both are rated carbon zero and are built from sustainable, home-grown Scottish timber. We build offsite in a factory near Inverness, operated by our sister company. They use advanced techniques to design out waste – when our first Bothy was created there was just one black bucket of waste!

Our designs conform to caravan regulations and our buildings sit on recycled pads, so there are no permanent foundations. This means our buildings can be brought to site by tractor and trailer and removed just as easily, leaving no lasting impact on the ground at all.

What green technology do you utilise?

We use many alternative energy sources and innovative waste treatment solutions. It always depends on the location. Solar with a backup generator is one reliable way to generate power, but wind and hydro are never ruled out.

We survey each site together with the landowner and assess which off-grid technologies are best suited for that location. We use natural water sources and rainwater harvesting if required. We continually research and innovate. If better solutions become available, we test them, assess them and adopt them.

What else do you offer for the glamping industry?

We are a team of highly experienced travel and building design professionals who offer a tailored support package for our landowner partners. We work with them to plan their tourism objectives; we take care of the planning permission process and support them through the implementation and growth of their new business.

Our partnership model involves taking care of everything a landowner needs to get started and is inclusive of all interiors, soft furnishings, appliances, energy solutions, kitchen, bathroom and furniture.

Off Grid Travel’s designs are ideal for couples, solo travellers, families or groups. We offer private experiences set deep in nature, but with all the creature comforts. Let guests listen to the log fire crackle, watch the stars, soak up some silence and feel the positive impact of nature.

What are your plans, and goals, for the future?

We have many! But we really look forward to seeing new Off Grid sites across the UK in inspiring locations. We are also working behind the scenes to extend our product range, and it’s safe to say that our imagination knows no limits in our ambition to design creative accommodation that enhances the natural experience. Things in trees, things that float, things made of glass – who knows what our team will come up with!

It is safe to say that we are committed to staying at the forefront of green technologies. It is an incredibly exciting time in the arena of alternative energy, with so many new solutions coming to market that will be game-changers. We will be right there at the forefront, trialing them, assessing them and using them wherever we can.

Find out more at offgrid-travel.com.