East Lothian's Archerfield Walled Garden invests £50,000 on 200 solar panels and adds EV charging points
Hospitality, retail and leisure destination Archerfield Walled Garden in East Lothian, has invested £50,000 on 200 solar panels, which will save 14 tonnes in annual Co2 emissions.
In 2022 the company commissioned the eco-management consultancy, Green Element, to develop a bespoke programme, which is delivered by their ‘Green Team’, made up of six members of staff across all areas of the business, with a focus on making environmental changes in areas including energy, waste and training.
The Green Team will continue to drive forward the programme this year and incorporate their plans into the proposed play trail, Eldbotle Wood. The woodland adventure, elements-themed trail has been designed by CAP.CO, who received a Royal Warrant of Appointment from King Charles in 2025, in recognition of their strong commitment to sustainability.
Elly Douglas-Hamilton, chief executive of Archerfield Estates Limited said: “Our very passionate and dedicated Green Team have made some fantastic progress in our mission be even more sustainable which will continue for the long-term across all areas of the business.
“It has been great to be able to partner with eco companies like Green Element and Gensource to help us to achieve our green goals, with even more initiatives and partnerships in the pipeline.”
Robert Wilson, Gensource commercial and operations director said: "It has been great to partner with such a local, motivated and supportive client.
“It is clear Archerfield Walled Garden is committed to operating sustainably through its investment and eagerness to develop multiple phases of sustainable energy projects.
“We look forward to supporting Archerfield Walled Garden as they continue on their sustainability journey."
In addition to installing 200 solar panels, carried out by Gensource, Archerfield Walled Garden also partnered with the energy specialists to install four EV chargers, following funding secured through the Rural and Island Infrastructure Fund, administered by the Energy Saving Trust on behalf of Scottish Ministers and Transport Scotland.
Now fully installed and operational, it is the first time Archerfield Walled Garden has been able to offer EV charging to visitors as part of the site’s facilities.
Robert Wilson added: “We have delivered many commercial EV installations but this one is such a significant milestone for us as it’s the first commercial EV charging project developed, designed, delivered and then fully managed by us as part of our expansion as a charge point operator.
“It is a major addition to the business and allows us to move beyond installation into the long-term, operation and optimisation of EV charging assets.
“Our key differentiator against other charge point operators is that we develop, deliver and operate chargers not just to have a charging network but to be an energy partner to develop, design and deliver EV charging as part of a whole-site energy strategy.”
Gavin Hoskins, operations manager at Archerfield Walled Garden, said: “Gensource have been a trusted partner for us, and this latest project builds on the strong relationship established through earlier work. The EV charging installation supports our sustainability ambitions while enhancing what we can offer to visitors.
“Their approach has been collaborative, professional and focused on delivering a solution that works for our site now and into the future.”
Various other initiatives at Archerfield Walled Garden include regeneratively farming all 30 hectares of the surrounding fields to help improve soil health and increase biodiversity and running the building on biomass using locally sourced wood pellets, which provides all heating, including underfloor, and hot water.
In addition, self-closing taps have been installed in washrooms to reduce water waste, motion-sensitive lights are used indoors, external lights run on a timer that adjusts with the seasons and coffee grounds from the café are combined with garden clippings to make compost, which is then used in the gardens. All compost which is sold is also peat-free.