We've connected our borehole!

Our borehole has been a story-in-the-making since it was first drilled back in lockdown times. AN amazing water-source 12m below our feet. It is just one of the stepping stones on our path to Carbon Zero.

In the rubbish weather of March, we were so excited to see the groundworks finally happening for our borehole connection in the Distillery Garden. Then at the end of the month the Black Shed arrived! This was built over the actual borehole to protect the equipment that we need to draw the water out of the ground and the filtration required to be able to use the water in making our gin. Finally on April 12th the borehole was connected and the site is completely detached from the Mains. We may be biased but we think it tastes better than Evian!

As a Distillery, we use a great amount of water to produce our gin and the energy used by the water industry in the UK accounts for up to 6% of carbon emissions. Our goal was to reduce our water footprint without depleting the local water sources in Scotland, and this is where our Borehole comes in by providing a sustainable and self-sufficient source of water using natural resources held below the ground. This will improve our gins too because using a natural source of water that hasn't been chlorinated or had any chemicals added will improve the taste.

Now, our stills and our 7.5-acre garden are run using the water pumped in this very shed. Due to the high quality of water, a borehole requires a less extensive cleaning and filtration system. So, compared to using mains water, our carbon emissions will be reduced by 9% each year. Woohoo!

This project is just one initiative we have as part of our plan to become Carbon Zero by 2026 and Carbon-Negative by 2030. We would like to thank Midlothian Council's LACER fund for helping us develop this project.