Highland castle unveils green energy plans
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Bosses at Aldourie Castle near Dores want to install a biomass energy centre to serve a walled garden area.
Part of an ongoing programme of improvements to the historic property plans for the scheme have been submitted to Highland Council and are currently under consideration.
The proposed site, described as currently vacant land, covers an area of 140 square metres and previously housed ancillary buildings which supported the garden’s operation.
The agent, Ptolemy Dean Architects Ltd, has submitted the application on behalf of the estate and a design statement was included to support the proposals.
According to the document there has been a substantive programme of improvements to the estate in recent years.
The walled garden was completed in 2017-18, with boundary walls being reconstructed and significant landscaping and planting undertaken.
The agent added: “The new walled garden has now been planted up and its glasshouses brought back into production. The estate has been looking carefully at how it is serviced in a way to minimise its environmental impact.
“It has become apparent that the servicing of the new walled garden area of the estate could be very much better achieved with a more ecological system based on biomass fuel, rather than sole dependence on LPG, as at present.
“Such a system has already been successfully added to a number of neighbouring estates elsewhere to the north, and is already planned for the servicing of the historic steadings and Home Farm
as well as the main castle itself.”
The walled garden lies to the north-east of the estate and organisers are planning to use the area to grow increased quantities of produce on site.
The agent added: “There are three substantial glasshouses that require heating and an existing estate cottage.
“Two new buildings have been added to the site to support garden staff, with a further working glasshouse in a new gardeners’ work area, together with a new greenhouse and potting shed which is also currently under construction to the north of the newly regained garden walls.”
The Aldourie Castle Estate dates back to 1626.
It now operates as a luxury holiday and events venue offering exclusive use for guests.
It also has its own pier and marina.
