Auchrannie is a hotel and spa resort in Brodick on the isle of Arran. It comprises two four-star hotels, 30 self-catering lodges, 14 retreats, seven staff accommodation buildings, two restaurants and two leisure clubs with swimming pools and a spa.
“Like many businesses, we feel the pressures in terms of trying to hit net zero,” says projects director David Johnston. “Every business and every organisation has got to do that.”
Cutting emissions from such a large estate can seem a daunting task (Auchrannie sometimes has 450 guests on site at one time!). However, as energy costs have risen in recent years, David has seen immediate benefits from consuming less energy on site, measured in both tonnes of CO2 and pounds and pence.
“Anything that saves us money as a business is a good thing,” he says. “We're doing the saving money bit and obviously reducing the emissions bit as well. They usually go hand in hand.”
Energy-saving upgrade
For example, in January 2026, Auchrannie upgraded to a more energy-efficient Heatstar unit – the air and hot water management system for one of the swimming pools. It’s a large piece of equipment at around 6 metres wide and over 2 metres high.
David had noticed that their old unit was using a lot of energy. Besides, he was dealing with frequent problems and having to replace parts to keep it in working order.
“We were advised, you could get a new one and it will save you energy, it will save you on running costs.”
So, he contacted the pool servicing company and Heatstar, the manufacturer. Together they came up with a proposal for a replacement unit with an estimated price tag of around £90,000.
Funding hurdles
Even accounting for the savings made from lower energy use, that was going to be a difficult expense to justify, says David. “So, we approached Highlands and Islands Enterprise and said: ‘Would you help us fund that?’”
“They said, that sounds like something the green grant fund would help fund and support.” The fund aims to support businesses and social enterprises across the Highlands and Islands to transition to net zero.
Auchrannie's grant application was successful and HIE was able to cover 50% of the investment.
Getting this external funding made all the difference, says David: “It’s something that maybe we wouldn't have done at all. But the fact we're getting half of it funded was like, well, it’s no-brainer to do this, because the payback comes right down to something achievable.”
Installation timed to avoid disruption
To minimise the impact on guests, they planned the replacement of the heating unit for first week in January, when Auchrannie resort closes for five days every year.
“Disruption is always a big one for us because we're a 24-7 business, and our occupancy is high as well. Anything that affects the guest experience, whether that be in bedrooms or restaurants or kitchens or leisure facilities or the spa, potentially costs us money. So, the timing of these things is pretty key.”
Carbon and cash savings
While there may be some variation as visitor numbers change year to year, the new pool heater is predicted to use 45,595 fewer kilowatt hours of energy on average – around one third less – shrinking the business’ yearly CO2 footprint by 11 tonnes.
This is expected to cut running costs by at least £10,000 a year.
What next?
David’s net zero wish list is long. For example, he would like to install solar panels on the games hall, which “has massive roof and would be ideal.” However, the decades-old roof is due substantial repairs or even replacement in the coming years, which would need to go ahead before a solar array could be added.
The combined cost of these works is currently prohibitive, but David is optimistic that he can make progress elsewhere. His team are weighing up putting panels on the main spa building roof instead, though installing them would be more disruptive to guests.
In the meantime, he is making the most of free services offered by North Ayrshire Council.
“I've got two visits [by specialist consultants] next week, one to look at how we can improve energy use of our plant and equipment. And another one to look at where we can reduce our water use, because that's been quite high over the last year.”
He concludes: “In the grand scheme of things, it's probably not huge, but it's another step in the right direction.”