Scotland’s Saorsa 1875 hotel has won National Geographic’s top award for its ‘style, sustainability, and exemplary community spirit’.

The UK’s first all-vegan hotel, Saorsa 1875 has been declared a winner at National Geographic’s ‘The Big Sleep Awards 2020’.

This luxuriously revamped, 11-room Victorian baronial pile in Highland Perthshire, Scotland has scooped the ‘GOOD EGG’ award – for acing on style, sustainability, and ‘exemplary community spirit’.

Also, listed as one of the top 48 new hotels in the world, Saorsa 1875 -founded by vegans Jack McLaren-Stewart and his parents Sandra and John, first opened its doors in June 2019 to offer patrons an all-vegan experience from the menu to wool-free bedding and furnishings, cruelty-free toiletries, and a dog-friendly policy.

National Geographic describing the hotel said: “[Saorsa 1875] goes far beyond just sustainable, plant-focused grub: everything here is vegan,” including the heating, which comes from 100% renewable energy.

The food is cooked by Australian chef Deborah Fleck, who “conjures up five-course dining extravaganzas using produce sourced locally or from the hotel’s gardens,” and the hotel also “plants a tree (via Green Earth Appeal) for every dinner served.”

View this post on Instagram

so excited to announce that we've won the 'good egg' award in the @natgeotraveluk big sleep awards. ⁠ ⁠ from exceptional service to cutting-edge design, the big sleep awards acknowledge the latest tastemakers, trendsetters and game-changers in the business.⁠ ⁠ #bigsleepawards2020 #NGTUK

A post shared by Saorsa 1875 | Vegan Hotel (@saorsa1875) on Sep 3, 2020 at 12:30am PDT

‘Smash veganism stereotypes’

Last year, Saorsa 1875 scooped Peta’s ‘Best Luxury Hotel’ ward for offering guests a  truly lavish hotel experience without harming the environment or animals.

Explaining the motive behind starting a vegan hotel, co-founder Sandra Mclaren told Boutique Hotelier: “We had two aims when we took over. The first was to create a cool, comfortable place where vegans could stay without feeling like they were compromising on their ethics.

“The second was to smash some of the stereotypes that still surround veganism—it’s not the hemp-clad, abstinent lifestyle that many still think but a vibrant, compassionate way of life and a hub of incredible innovation.”

• Read: Greece to open its first fully vegan hotel in Mykonos this summer

Share this story: UK’s first 100% vegan hotel wins prestigious National Geographic award.

Mohsina Dodhiya

See author's posts