Sustainability at Elderburn Lodges

When guests come to Elderburn Lodges for a luxurious holiday near St Andrews, they may not notice our sustainability efforts at first. They have become a way of life for us, and as such we don’t often shout about them – but perhaps we should! The environment is as important to us as it is to our guests, so we wanted to highlight what we do to make your eco holidays in Scotland as environmentally friendly as possible.

Powered by the planet

We use solar PV panels on-site to help with our power. Lodges 1 and 3 have solar panels on their roofs and these are used to power lodges’ appliances. They generate power even on cloudy days, so are working all year round. 

When it comes to insulation, we have that covered too. Each lodge has independent temperature controls using digital thermostats. All doors and windows are double glazed, which keeps them warm in winter and cool in summer. Additionally, using rigid insulation boards behind our plasterboard lining, and adding extra insulation to loft spaces, we have made sure that our lodges are as insulated as possible. 

However one of the main ways we work to be eco-friendly is by how we power our lodges. We have a biomass boiler on site which is fed with wood pellets. From the central tank, hot water is piped through a heat exchange system and ultimately heats everything including the radiators, showers and sinks. It’s an extremely efficient way to heat water, especially on such a large scale.

Water usage

Speaking of water, we’ve also put a lot of thought into how much water is used in our lodges. You might think that we get enough rain in Scotland to not worry about water wastage, but this isn’t the case. We don’t always get rain when we need it, and not always where we need it either. It takes a lot of energy to move water about the country, and a lot to clean waste water too. So by avoiding wastage, we can cut down on unnecessary carbon emissions. 

Our showers are fitted with eco settings which make sure the experience is still luxurious, but not wasteful. Our towels are replaced every three to four days, unless guests request otherwise. This cuts down on the amount of washes we need to further saving energy. 

We also have a soakaway system for our site which reduces flood risk whilst keeping water near to where it falls. This is a large hole filled with rubble and rocks, letting water drain away naturally without overflowing the sewer system. It also created an area great for nature too.

Eco-holidays near St Andrews

These are just the major environmental actions we take here at Elderburn. We also recycle our waste, encourage the use of public transport or bicycles to get around and use local tradespeople whenever possible to ensure out lodges stay in perfect condition. There’s also our EV charging stations for electric vehicles. And that’s not to mention our green spaces which guests are free to enjoy and log any wildlife they see. Read more about our eco credentials on our green policy statement.

So enjoy eco holidays in Scotland with Elderburn Lodges near St Andrews. Take a look at our special offers and book your stay today.