Over the last couple of years, Edinburgh has come out on top as the UK’s greenest city. With large green spaces and low pollution levels, the city really is a beautiful place to visit! The City of Edinburgh Council is also taking concrete steps towards the sustainable development of the city.
So if you want to get involved in the sustainable revolution, here are a couple of tips on how to play your part and support local businesses!
1. Stay in eco-friendly accommodation
Many hotels and hostels are making the move to run more sustainable businesses; be it using energy saving lights, up-cycled furniture or providing responsibly-sourced products. Our partners High Street Hostel are a good example of this – they are 100% Carbon Neutral, have waste recycling system and electricity sourced from renewable non-nuclear supplies. A good list to check is the Green Business Directory when picking where you stay in Edinburgh.
2. Enjoy locally-sourced meals
Scotland is home to great seafood and fresh produce so it isn’t too hard to enjoy a meal made from local products. Café St Honoré is at the top of our list with 97% of their produce sourced locally and reasonable prices on dishes. If you happen to be visiting the Scottish National Gallery (it is definitely worth going to), stop by the restaurant for some lunch. For seafood lovers there is plenty of fresh fish and oysters to be eaten at Ondine, and if you want to take someone out for a special dinner then look no further than the Gardener’s Cottage.
3. Be mindful of the activities you join
Edinburgh is a very walkable city which makes joining a SANDEMANs walking tour very easy. See the best sites on your own two feet and learn about the history of this beautiful city. But we all know how the Scottish weather can be. So if you are looking for indoor alternatives, head over to the Dynamic Earth, an educational attraction that explores how the Earth was formed and how it continues to develop.
4. Take home handmade local products
We love bringing home souvenirs and picking up some treasures on our holidays – even better if they are locally made! Some great shops to find cool gifts made in Scotland are the Scottish Design Exchange and Dandelion and Ginger. Make sure you ask your reception desk or even a guide that works for SANDEMANs on where to get some great presents to take home!
5. Give back to the city
If you are spending a couple of days in Edinburgh why not to give back to the city, by joining the third edition of our Edinburgh clean up? In partnership with The City of Edinburgh Council, we will be collecting litter from the streets for an hour. To say thanks, all participants will get a free ticket to either our Pub Crawl or Dark Side tour and a beer or soft drink on us!
If you are interested in seeing what community events are happening in our cities check out our website here.
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