About Outdoor Alternative

Outdoor Alternative was established by the owners, Ian & Margaret Wright, in 1985 and is now managed by their daughter and son-in-law Jacqui and Andy Short.

The Centre is based around an 18th Century farmhouse where the family have lived for over 30 years. The original Centre was built in 1985 and the farm outbuildings were converted in 1993. The Centre sits in seven acres of grazing land allowing space for camping and games playing.

Rhoscolyn is a superb place for people interested in the outdoors; our aim is to provide accommodation for people to enjoy the area with minimal impact on the local environment.

We are committed to environmental sustainability and have an environmental policy that includes a commitment to energy efficiency, reuse, recycling, waste management and composting. We ask our customers to support us in these activities. In 2004 we were awarded the ‘Green Dragon Award’ for environmentally aware businesses in Wales.

In recent years we have radically reduced our water consumption through the installation of aerated shower heads, flow restrictors on taps and vari-flush toilets. In Winter 2010/2011 we upgraded the insulation in the 'Centre' and added a porch to provide additional facilities and to reduce heat-loss - this is already beginning to show an impact in our heating bills. In Autumn of 2011 we installed solar panels with the aim of producing half of the electricity we require for the business. Early signs are that the panels will be a great success.

We have also worked hard to reduce our dependence on cleaning chemicals. In 2010 we adopted the Enjo cleaning system as an alternative to chemical cleaning and have been very pleased with the results, drastically cutting the introduction of harmful chemicals into the environment and reducing costs in the long run.

We support the local community and reduce environmental impact from transport by sourcing as much as we can locally.