PETA has sent a suggestion to Scotland's Dunvegan Castle this morning: become the world's first vegan castle, along with this- a name change to GoVegan Castle .
GoVegan Castle and Gardens?
In the letter, PETA - whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to eat" -it highlights that the change would be in-keeping with the growing number of people going vegan. According to stats- the interest in veganism is at a high in Scotland. PETA has seen a 223% increase in requests for their own vegan starter kit. Mintel has also found that 20% of 16-24 year olds are already enjoying the plant based diet.
"By offering vegan food at its café and famous ice-cream trike, GoVegan Castle would make a name for itself as a progressive international holiday destination", says PETA Manager of Special Projects Dawn Carr ."PETA stands ready to help Scotland's oldest continually occupied castle become a one-of-a-kind steward for animals, the environment, and human health."
Vegans have a reduced risk of heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Additionally, every person who goes vegan saves up to 100 animals every year from daily suffering and death in the meat, egg, and dairy industries.
Animal agriculture is the leading contributor to greenhouse-gas emissions so vegans are 'greener' too.
Just last year, Edinburgh was awarded with PETA's title of the UK's Most Vegan-Friendly City -which was won by Glasgow in 2013. Edinburgh has more than 20 vegan-friendly restaurants, many of which serve plant-based alternatives to traditional Scottish fare, including vegan haggis.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.
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9 August 2016
To: Chief Hugh Magnus MacLeod of MacLeod,
Dunvegan Castle
From: Dawn Carr, PETA
Dear Chief MacLeod,
I hope this letter finds you well. I'm writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) with an exciting proposal for Dunvegan Castle - we'd like to suggest you become the world's first vegan castle and change your name to GoVegan Castle!
From Al Gore and Bill Clinton to Beyoncé and Frankie Boyle, it seems everyone is going vegan these days. Google Trends shows that searches for "vegan" are at an all-time high in Scotland, and in the past year, requests for PETA's free vegan starter kit from people in Scotland are up by 233 per cent!
Embracing the vegan movement has never made more business sense, as an interest in vegan living is truly booming. Young people are leading the way - research from Mintel found that a whopping 20 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK have embraced plant-based eating.
A newly christened GoVegan Castle would help to usher the estate into a bright new future - one that celebrates the vibrant healthy vegan lifestyle.
Please consider the following points:
- Vegan foods are better for the planet than animal-derived foods. The United Nations concluded that a global shift towards a vegan lifestyle is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change.
- Vegans live longer. A 2015 World Health Organisation report confirmed that processed meats such as bacon and sausages (and probably red meat as well) cause cancer. And authorities such as the British Medical Association confirm that vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure.
- Vegans save lives. Cows, turkeys, sheep, and other animals experience joy, pain, and fear just as we do. By switching from eating the flesh, milk, and eggs of animals to eating delicious plant-based foods, we spare animals a miserable life and a violent death.
- Vegan foods are fun and delicious. Chefs often report that vegan cooking has enhanced their creativity as they explore new ingredients and ideas. For every food cut off or squeezed out of an animal, there is a vegan alternative. Vegan eggs? Vegan cheese? Vegan caviar? You bet! A switch to GoVegan would present exciting new opportunities for MacLeod Tables Cafe and your famous ice-cream trike. (We could point you in the direction of some heavenly dairy-free ice cream.) By offering a broad range of delicious vegan foods (including traditional Scottish fare like vegan haggis and porridge made with creamy oat-based milk), GoVegan Castle would undoubtedly make a name for itself as a progressive holiday destination for international travellers and win a spot on the top of every vegan's bucket list.
We understand that there may be some resistance to making a change, but we are confident that becoming the world's first vegan castle with a shiny new name to match would lead to increased tourism and international publicity for your ancestral seat as well as helping draw attention to the benefits to human health, the environment, and animals of embracing a vegan lifestyle.
We'd be very happy to provide you with a supply of our free vegan starter kits for your non-vegan visitors, and we've attached a picture of what the new logo might look like. We hope you like it as much as we do. Thank you so much for your consideration.
I look forward to your reply.
Kind regards,
Dawn Carr
Special Projects Manager
PS: If renaming the castle "GoVegan" permanently is too daunting, how about just for November to mark World Vegan Month?
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