New Day Old Chicks

We got a new batch of day-0ld chicks last Thursday. In about 20 weeks they will join our ISA Warrens supplying eggs for the bed and breakfast

Chickens Come To Norlaggan

Every year we use over 2,000 eggs in our Bed & Breakfast. We have been fortunate for a number of years to have local freerange eggs supplied by a friend. Unfortunately he has decided to stop keeping chickens (don't worry . . . . the chooks aren't being slaughtered . . they are being allowed to live out their lives, laying or not)


We know how much our guests appreciate real free range eggs so we are launching in to poultry keeping.


We have found a source for day-old chicks which would otherwise be sent to a battery farm. So 9 chicks are now being kept warm and cosy in preperation for moving into their lovely new home supplied by The Chicken House Company Ltd.

We are looking on this little girls, not just as egg producers but as pets and have given them names which we felt approriate for hens that are going to enjoy a happy, carefree and hopefully productive life on lower Speyside. So welcome to Cardhu, Aber(lour), Knock(andhu), (glen)Fiddich, Avon, Mortloch, (dallas)Dhu, Spey and (glen)Livet

We opted for a combined coop and run well over the size required and will also be building an attached larger run so that the hens can have lots of space to do hen things.

Hopefully by the beginning of April our guests will be enjoying fresh eggs from Norlaggan's Garden

Santa In Aberlour

SANTA was in Aberlour today to oversee the switching on of the Christmas Lights which are bigger and better this year. He will also be making an appearance at the Children's Party on Wednesday 10th December. The annual party is for all primary aged children and is totally free with all costs being met out of donations from individuals and the Visit Aberlour Group




Todays event was organised for Aberlour Community Association with Aberlour & Speyside Rotary Club putting up the tents, the Old Pantry Restaurant supplying hot tea & biscuits for Santa's little helpers and Visit Aberlour suuplying the tents, sound system and decorations for Santa's Grotto

WINTER REFURBISHMENT

http://visitaberlour.blogspot.com/ MORE THAN A LICK OF PAINT!

Like most Hotels and Guest Houses we use the winter to re-decorate and carry out routine maintenance. This year however we are doing more that just sprucing the place up


We are planning a total refurbishment of bedroom 1 with complete re-decoration, fitting of new carpet and new soft furnishings & beddingOur dining room is also being refurbished in a style more in keeping with the building which is over 200 years old.


Although Norlaggan currently complies in every way with Fire Regulations we are taking the opportunity to fit a new integrated fire system with wireless smoke and heat detectors which will cover both guest accommodation and private living area. In associating with Grampain Fire & Rescue we have identified other improvements which, although not required, will improve safety. All rooms will be fitted with automatic door closure systems, a new solid hardwood door (from sustainable source) will be fitted on the main escape route. We have already purchased and installed new fire extinguishers throughout the property.


Norlaggan isn't just a place of business, it is our family home. We are pleased to go beyond what is required in order to protect the property and our guests in the event of fire.


We also have plans for the garden to make it more user friendly.


Last year we purchased a gas Bar BQ for the patio and also purchased a new lock shed for canoeist, cyclist and and walkers to store equipment. In the spring we will be undertaking major landscaping and planting in the garden


All this is on-top of our normal "care and maintenance" program


We hope that these improvements will reassure our guests and also enhance their experience in Speyside

Tourism Should Be Environmentally Friendly

We have recently undertaken an "Environmental Audit" to determine what measures we could take to limit the impact our business has on the environment.




Norlaggan is situated in a designated "Site Of Special Scientific Interest" mainly because of the local wildlife in Speyside (including red squirrels, deer, pinemartins, fresh water mussels and of course salmon).




It seemed to us that we could do more to protect our local environment and reduce the carbon footprint of our business.

The following areas have been identified and acted upon

RECYCLING

ALL paper products are recycled

ALL vegetable waste is recycled

(we have installed two wormories and three compost bins in our garden)

ALL glass products are recycled

ALL cardboard is recycled

ALL metal waste is recycled

ALL plastic waste is recycled

Egg Boxes (about 350 per year) returned for reusing

REDUCTION OF CARBON EMISSIONS

Where possible we have installed low energy lighting

All rooms have been fitted with individual thermostats for heating

We now have an under cover drying areas which cuts down on Tumble Drying

Guests staying more than one night are given the option of new towels each day

All are now transported in reusable containers rather than plastic bags

Installation of additional chest freezer reduces number of shopping trips

Where possible we "grow our own" in the garden and two greenhouses

Guests have free use of bicycles for travelling locally

Where possible A5 paper used rather than A4

No Print advertising (no brochures, newspaper ads, magazine ads etc)

Where possible all consumables sourced locally to avoid transportation

New fire alarm system to eliminate the use of NicCad Batteries

Smaller vehicle acquired for business use

Greater thought given to reducing mileage by multi-tasking of vehicles

OTHER MEASURES

Where possible eliminated the use of aerosols

Where possible use natural cleaning materials rather than chemicals

Rain water is collected for use in garden and greenhouses

Use of Micro Fibre cleaning cloths to avoid use of chemical cleaners

Where possible electrical equipment fitting with automatic shut-down systems

Greater use made of electronic communication rather than postal services

THESE MEASURES HAVE REDUCED BY 73% THE AMOUNT OF WASTE GOING TO LAND-FILL

THESE MEASURES WILL REDUCE OUR CARBON EMISSIONS IN 2008/2009 SEASON BY 48%

Visit Scotland 2009

Norlaggan has once again passed the Visit Scotland Quality Assured Inspection with a 3 Star rating. We were commended for improvements made over the last year including the addition of a third letting room, the fitting of Satellite TV in all rooms, High Standard of Redecoration and (perhaps most importantly) a continued high standard of cleanliness throughout.

Norlaggan is currently the ONLY Quality Assured accommodation provider in Aberlour. Check out our website at http://www.norlaggan.co.uk/ for details of all our facilities and our present tarrif

Satellite Television Now In All Rooms

At Norlaggan we are always trying to improve the facilities we offer our guests. The latest addition is the installation of Satellite T.V. in all our bedrooms. Each room has its own control box with 200 TV and radio programs. Rooms also have T.V.s with audio & video imputs to allow guests to review there VideoCam shots of Aberlour and Speyside direct from their cameras to TV. Just in case you didn't bring the necessary leads for connecting your camera to the TV we have a collection of leads covering just about every possible combination od connections.

As well as our free Wifi system we also have a desktop P.C. and two laptops for the use of guests to allow them to transfer their DVD fottage and still shots from their cameras on to USB memory cards or sticks (and we keep a stock of cards and sticks for sale just in case you run out of space.