Scottish Garden Adds EV Chargers Powered by Its Own Solar

Visitors to Archerfield Walled Garden near Gullane, Scotland, can now charge their electric vehicles while enjoying the café and gardens, thanks to four new charging stations powered partly by solar energy installed on site.

The charging bays represent the first time the popular East Lothian destination has offered vehicle charging since opening to the public. More importantly, they showcase how tourism sites can integrate clean energy solutions that serve both business needs and environmental goals.

Musselburgh-based company Gensource designed and installed the chargers specifically around the garden's existing electrical infrastructure and visitor patterns. The firm also installed solar panels at Archerfield last year, which now directly contribute electricity to power the charging stations.

This integrated approach sets the project apart from typical charging installations. Rather than simply adding chargers, Gensource developed a whole-site energy strategy that makes the garden more sustainable while enhancing the visitor experience.

Funding came through Scotland's Rural and Island Infrastructure Fund, administered by the Energy Saving Trust. Invest East Lothian helped connect stakeholders and promote the project as a model for sustainable infrastructure in the region.

The Ripple Effect

This project demonstrates how destination sites across rural Scotland and beyond can make electric vehicle travel more practical while advancing their own sustainability goals. By combining solar generation with charging infrastructure, Archerfield created a closed loop where visitors' transportation becomes part of the site's clean energy ecosystem.

The model proves especially valuable for rural attractions that want to welcome EV drivers without straining local electrical grids. Other gardens, heritage sites, and tourism destinations now have a working example of how integrated energy planning can turn charging stations from an expensive add-on into a strategic asset.

Operations manager Gavin Hoskins emphasized that the charging installation supports both the garden's sustainability ambitions and what they can offer visitors. For Gensource, the project opens a new business line focused on developing, delivering, and managing charging networks as part of comprehensive energy partnerships.

Archerfield Walled Garden now offers a glimpse of sustainable tourism's future, where visiting beautiful places and protecting them go hand in hand.