East Lochhead, Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire

Sailors, walkers and eco-warriors will love it here - in this solid, comfortable farmhouse where the welcome is genuine and the owners come showered with plaudits for their work with green tourism and Slow Food. Large, light bedrooms have traditional furniture and floral covers, the guests' sitting room is warmly cheerful with armchairs, paintings, grand piano and log burner, and amazing views stretch over garden, hills and loch beyond. Make the most of impeccably sourced breakfasts, delectable home-grown beef or lamb at dinner, and veg from an immaculate garden.

Ross and Janet are strong supporters of the Slow Food movement, raise Highland attle and Jacob sheep and avoid the use of pesticides on their land. They have also planted hedges, dug a new pond and manage meadows to encourage bird and animal life. Building materials and other produce are sourced locally, thus cutting down on carbon emissions and food miles; their energy and conservation initiatives are constantly evolving. A National Cycle route passes right by the house and you can hire bikes.

Information: www.eastlochhead.co.uk - doubles from £70, singles from £45.


Higher Lank Farm, St Breward, Bodmin, Cornwall

From January to October you may only come if you have a child under five! This is a marvellous, unpretentious haven for families. Children adore playing in the roofed sandpit and miniature farmyard, there are piglets and chicks, a pony to groom and eggs to collect. Nursery teas begin at 5pm (and don't miss cream teas in the garden) and Lucy will babysit while you slink off later to the local pub - the highest in Cornwall. One bedroom is modern with new pine; the other two are more traditional. Celtic crosses in the garden and original panelling hint at the house's 500 year history. A rare family treat.

Leave the nappies at home. Lucy can lend you re-usable nappies free of charge for your baby's holiday; she promotes them to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill sites. Bio-degradable nappies are also composted. There's a laundry service, too. Recycling is taken seriously here, with special bins provided. The new 'nursery rhyme' barns are being completed using the highest-spec insulation available, underfloor heating saves on oil consumption and woodburning stoves use logs from their woods.

Information: www.higherlankfarm.co.uk - three rooms, all with bath/shower, from £70. Singles by arrangement.

Lyndale House, Edinbane, Isle of Skye, IV51 9PX
01470 582329
The sky envelops you, sea, lochs and views surround you and Linda has created a quiet, delightful retreat. The 300-year-old tacksman's house is hidden down a private drive - and with what energy and enthusiasm it has been renovated. Marcus is restoring the walled garden, too, which produces certified organic fruit and veg. Lovely views from your bedroom and the drawing room, both bathed in an explosion of golden light at sunset; fresh flowers, bathrobes, peace and seclusion. Wander down to the shore through an avenue of trees, explore the island by pony from the local stables.

Delicious wholesome breakfasts are prepared using fresh produce from Lyndale's 1.5 acre, Soil Association-certified, walled garden. So, no pesticides are involved in the growing of fruit, free-range chickens or veg; they are also members of the Slow Food movement. Rare breeds, indigenous to the islands - Hebridean sheep and a Highland pony - also live here. Inside the house chemicals are avoided, eco-friendly cleaning products are used and organic soaps are yours to enjoy in the bathrooms.

Information: www.lyndale.net - one double with shower, one with separate bath, one twin sharing bath (let to same party only). From £80. Singles £50.


Trericket Mill Vegetarian Guesthouse, Erwood, Builth Wells, Powys

Part guest house, part bunk house, part youth hostel - all Grade II*-listed. The dining room has been created amid a jumble of corn-milling machinery: B&B guests, campers and bunkers pile in together to fill hungry bellies with Nicky and Alistair's delicious and plentiful veggie food from a chalkboard menu. Stoves throw out the heat in the flagstoned living rooms with their comfy chairs; the bedrooms are simple pine affairs. Set out to explore from here on foot, horseback, bicycle or canoe; lovers of the outdoors looking for good value and a planet-friendly bias will be in heaven.

Energy consumption has been reduced by installing efficient lighting systems inside and dusk-to-dawn switches out; there are thermostats on the hot-water systems and loft insulation keeps the heat in. Recycling bins are available for guests and as much waste as possible is composted. Delicious vegetarian dinners include fair-trade, wholefood and free-range produce. The house is set on an SSSI and the garden goes down to the river - the biodiversity of flora, fauna and wildlife here is a joy.

Information: www.trericket.co.uk - one twin, one double, both with continental bath/shower; one double with shower. £50-£60. Singles from £35.

Grey Lodge, Summer Lane, Combe Down, Bath

You are in a conservation area, yet only a short drive from the centre of Bath - the views are breathtaking from wherever you stand. The steep valley rolls out ahead of you from most of the rooms, and from the garden comes a confusion and a profusion of scents and colours - a glory in its own right. The friendly and likeable Sticklands are conservationists as well as gardeners and have a Green Certificate to prove it. Breakfasts are a feast: bacon and eggs, cereals, home-grown jam, kedgeree and much more. Jane will tell you all about wonderful local gardens to visit.

A real effort is made here to source food and materials locally - normally within a 40-mile radius - and reduce carbon emissions. So, rather than using items that have had to travel across continents by plane, alternatives are found. As with many of our B&B owners, responsible waste control is important, thus recycling, reusing or composting waste as much as possible is also given serious thought. A solar heating system helps to ensure that energy loss is kept to a minimum.

Information: www.greylodge.co.uk - two twins/doubles, one family, all with shower.£65-£75. Singles £40-£45. Self-catering available.

The Hall, Milden, Lavenham, Suffolk

When you find somewhere so alive with familial love, you've struck gold. Over five generations of Hawkins have filled this seemingly grand 16th-century hall farmhouse with splendid period furniture and odds and ends that weave together in 'country' style. Some of the rooms are vast, all are old-fashioned and spared from the sometimes homogenising hand of interior design. Juliet is a passionate conservationist, full of ideas for making the most of the surrounding countryside, on foot or by bicycle. Expect delicious home-grown bacon, sausages, bantam eggs or fruit compotes for breakfast.

Christopher farms and Juliet is a conservation advisor and they manage their land as sustainably as possible. Chemical use is kept to an absolute minimum. Families can enjoy wildlife activities - scavenger hunts and pond dipping - or venture out on planned, car-free trips from Milden by boat, bus, bicycle or on foot. Heating is by woodburner, the wood is coppiced from the hedgerows, much of the waste is imaginatively recycled and local produce is promoted.

Information: www.thehall-milden.co.uk - one family room, two twins, all sharing bath. £60-£80. Singles from £40.


British Bed & Breakfast is published by Alistair Sawday on September 21. Information: www.specialplacestostay.com

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