Solar boost for high-up hostel
Thanks to funds from the Lake District Sustainable Development Fund, Britain’s highest youth hostel is getting a solar power makeover. 100 year old Skiddaw House is located three miles from the nearest road, at 1550 feet above sea level. Remote and exposed, it currently asks guests to ‘bring a torch’ – making it an ideal candidate for solar power. The £26,000 grant means the hostel – six miles from Keswick and once a refuge for shepherds – can now install solar electric panels on its roof and natural fleece insulation on its inner walls. Sustainable Development Fund co-ordinator, Clive Wickham, said the scheme would ultimately have a big impact on heating bills and help secure the future of a much loved and well-used hostel.
For more on the scheme, including how to apply, visit www.lakedistrict.gov.uk
