How we Continue to be Sustainable at the Royal Highland Centre

It's vital for us to be a sustainable and environmentally responsible venue, as one of the biggest Scottish venues in the events landscape. Over the past 5 years we have implemented numerous initiatives to minimize our ecological footprint and promote sustainability in all our operations.

Renewable Energy

At the forefront of our sustainability efforts is our commitment to renewable energy. The Pavilion, completed in 2020 has seventy-five state –of-the-art 270w poly photovoltaic solar panels, harnessing the power of the sun to generate 1242kwh of renewable electricity every month. Additionally, we invested in energy-efficient lighting systems and appliances throughout our venue, further reducing our energy consumption and environmental impact.

We have innovative water-saving measures!

At large events such as the Royal Highland Show, our toilet blocks do an average of just over 360,000 toilet flushes – that requires A LOT of water!

So, we have systems to use ‘grey’ water to flush as well as a 1,000,000 litre rainwater tank which services our toilet blocks around the venue and in our indoor spaces. This means that we can conserve valuable freshwater resources and reduce our reliance on local water supplies.

Waste not want not

We are committed to minimizing the amount of waste sent to landfill and maximising recycling and using recyclable materials.

For our events, we provide attendees and exhibitors with clearly labeled bins for separating recyclables, organic waste, and general refuse working closely with Immediate Waste to deal with packaging waste and promote the use of eco-friendly materials and practices.

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In terms of transportation, we are very lucky to be located near public transportation hubs, making it easily accessible by bus, tram, air and bicycle.   We work closely with transport partners like Edinburgh buses and Edinburgh trams to provide additional or later running services for busy events.

Overall, we want to lead by example through our innovative practices, ensuring the Royal Highland Centre is setting a new standard for sustainable event venues and continuing our contributions towards the global fight against climate change.