Sustainability
The Buccleuch family’s restoration of Dabton House has prioritised sustainability as a core value for their much loved home.
Buccleuch Values
Buccleuch views the breath-taking landscape around its estates as a precious natural resource, entrusted to its stewardship for the benefit of future generations. This requires a strong commitment to protecting the environment.
Our impact on the environment is actively managed across the enterprise to make sure business decisions are sustainable for the long term, where possible reducing and offsetting our carbon footprint whilst enhancing the land and its wider eco-systems.
We strive to manage the land and our properties as sustainably as possible, and to continue the stewardship of previous generations.
Sustainability and Restoration
Sustainability considerations have been central to the extensive refurbishment of Dabton House. The choice of materials to improve the building’s fabric and provide better insulation, the disposal of waste materials and incorporation of alternative low carbon heating systems have all been managed sensitively within the constraints of a listed building.
Our focus on sustainable energy sources includes the installation of 44 Solar panels in the grounds nearby. These are capable of generating 17,000 KWh per year and can provide up to 95% of the power needed for the house electrics and lighting, with the surplus used to heat hot water.
The heating system has been designed to enable a future switch from the existing oil boiler to a Ground Source Heat Pump.
The existing timber sash and case windows have been carefully refurbished and fitted with draft proof seals to improve energy performance.
All timber construction waste from the project was collected by A.W Jenkinson of Lockerbie and used as fuel for Steven’s Croft Biomass Power station.
Local Companies
Wherever possible building materials and furnishings have been sourced from companies close to Dabton House, and local contractors have been employed for the building works.
Examples include:
- Principal Contractor, Ashleigh, from Dumfries.
- A1 Curtain Design – Curtains, blinds, and window cushions – Thornhill
- A&H Flooring – Carpets and rugs – Dumfries
- D & S Little Stonemasons – External and internal stonework repairs – Dumfries
- James Wylie & Son – Electrical subcontractor – Tarbolton, South Ayrshire
- Lotus Electrical – Solar Panel installation – Dumfries
- James Frew – Mechanical subcontractor – Stevenston, North Ayrshire
- Solway Sandin Solutions – Refinishing of existing timber floors – Kirkcudbright
- Ross Holllis Engineering – Steel work – Annan
- CS Plastering – Dumfries
- Dead Cert pest Control – Honey bee colony relocation – Dumfries
- Character Joinery – bespoke dining table – Kilmarnock
- Richardson & Starling – Rot treatment – Dumfries
It can also be noted that any new stone for the project was sourced from our own Queensberry Estate quarry, the ‘King’s Quarry’, located about half a mile away.
From Garden to Plate
Dabton House has an ongoing commitment to sustainability, including the operational detail of guest catering. We follow a strong ‘garden to plate’ ethos, whenever possible making use of the numerous excellent local food suppliers, which include:
- Dabton House kitchen garden.
- Barony Foods, Lockerbie
- Beans Greens Microfarm, Moniaive
- Kilnford Farmshop, Dumfries
- Houstons Butchers, Dumfries
- Kedar Cheese Co, Mouswald
- Fower Coffee – Strathhaven
Scottish Suppliers
Our focus on Scottish suppliers extends beyond the kitchen.
Dabton House provides a range of beauty and wellness products throughout the property designed and produced in the UK by Restoration Yard as part of a sustainable lifestyle collection.
Restoration Yard is located at our sister estate, Dalkeith Palace and Country Park, close to Edinburgh. The collection provides natural products for chemical-free living and personal wellbeing, which are also kind to our planet.
Solway Print, based in Dumfries, have created many of the stationery items in Dabton House, from business cards to gift wrap.
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From seasonal sporting trips to summer holidays and cosy winter retreats, Dabton House has much to offer all year round.
