News from Floors Castle
Floors Farming
SRDP Conservation Award
Floors Farming, the farming business on Roxburghe Estates, has received approval under the Scottish Rural Development Plan for support for a major conservation programme on the upland farming unit at Byrecleugh and Rawburn near Longformacus covering an area of 4,500ha.
Roddy Jackson, Factor of the Roxburghe Estates said: “This 5 year programme will enhance the bio-diversity on a large area of moorland and Floors Farming welcomes the significant contribution towards the conservation programme available through SRDP.”
SRDP provides targeted support on a competitive basis with priority given to those measures which will deliver the greatest public benefits. This is an important component of funding under the CAP with resources redirected towards environmental improvements.
Mr Jackson added: “The habitat enhancement at Rawburn and Byrecleugh will deliver considerable long term benefits to wildlife and help maintain one of the unique moorland landscapes of the Borders”
The moorland improvements will bring about benefits to upland wildlife in particular Black Grouse, one of the most rapidly declining birds in Britain and on the red list of birds of conservation concern.
Extensive areas of wet grassland will have sympathetic stocking levels applied which will help ground nesting birds such as Curlew, Lapwing and Snipe. These birds require lightly stocked fields in which to nest and raise their young.
Areas of wildbird cover will be sown, which will help feed overwintering flocks of once common birds such as: Goldfinches, Linnets, Tree sparrows and Chaffinches.
Native woodland is to be encouraged to spread by fencing off areas of Downy birch, Rowan and Hazel, from grazing sheep. Replanting areas of conifer woodland with a mixture of native broadleaved trees will improve the landscape value and make it more attractive for Black Grouse. A large hedge planting programme will be undertaken which will provide much needed shelter around the hill enclosures. In turn this new habitat will be utilised by all manner of wildlife such as Yellowhammer and Song Thrush. The hedges will help form wildlife corridors connecting habitats such as watercourses with woodlands.
Some funding is being set-aside to help employ and retain local people who know how to manage these sensitive upland habitats.
Floors' Fortnight of Glory with the BBC
Castle in the Country - On air from 20th July 2009
Floors Castle was in the spotlight during July as the subject of BBC1 series, Castle in the Country.
In 10 daily shows from Floor Castle and the Roxburghe Estate, presenters John Craven and Gloria Hunniford took a close look at the Castle's architecture, paintings, furnishings and ornaments, and introduced viewers to its gardens and the surrounding area.
Inside the Castle, which is home to the 10th Duke of Roxburghe, Antiques Roadshow experts Paul Atterbury, Rupert Maas and Lars Tharp were on hand to discuss the historic artefacts on display. Reporter Christine Bleakley presented a series of "one minute history" items to tell viewers a little more about the Castle, its history and the surrounding area..
The shows also featured Chef, Rachel Allen, who created a dish each day based on a local produce, and a series of local antique car enthusiasts visit the Castled to show off their vehicles, including a Bentley Mark 6, an Austin 10 and a Rolls Royce 2025. Gardening expert Chris Collins toured the grounds and paid a visit to the nearby home of Michael Ancram, MP.
Floors' guide, Mairi Campbell, also had a regular slot where she told viewers a little more about her unusual workplace.
2 July 2008 - PRESS RELEASE
SWINNEY OPENS PIONEERING RENEWABLE ENERGY SCHEME AT ROXBURGHE ESTATES
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth John Swinney today (Wednesday July 2) opened a pioneering renewable energy scheme at Floors Castle.
Roxburghe Estates will be able to significantly reduce the carbon emissions from the castle - one of the leading tourist attractions in the Borders - with the installation of a specialised woodfuel heating system.
The district heating system will provide enough energy to heat the castle, which attracts over 35,000 visitors per year, the estate nursery and garden centre and when the next phase is completed 15 houses and other commercial buildings.
The heating system is powered by woodchips from trees felled on estate woodland and processed at the estate's local sawmill business in Kelso. The project will generate the equivalent of two extra jobs and secure existing employment at the sawmill.
Welcoming the Cabinet Secretary to Floors Castle today, the Duke of Roxburghe said: "The estate has chosen to invest in this scheme as it will reduce significantly the carbon emissions, contribute greatly to sustainable forestry and provide sustainable energy use.
"At Roxburghe, we are committed to playing our part in energy efficiency and support a mix of renewable energy sources.
"We are also involved in a joint venture to establish a 144MW windfarm, which, if approved, will deliver significant, sustainable benefits with an estimated saving of 300,000 tonnes of CO2 a year."
John Swinney said: "This is exactly the type of project I want to see in communities across Scotland - innovative renewable energy generation which tackles climate change and promotes sustainable forest management. Biomass can play an important part in the renewables mix, creating good quality rural jobs and promoting sustainable local solutions to global challenges."
Roxburghe's Woodfuel Heating systems, which cost £580,000 to install, will save about 500,000 kg of CO2 per year, the equivalent of heating 10,000 houses for a day.
The Roxburghe Woodfuel Heating Scheme is based around the Kob Pyrtec boiler, which was installed by a local Kelso firm, 3G Energy. Woodchip consumption is expected to be between 400 -600 tonnes.
Grant funding for part of the project was available from the Scottish Biomass Support Scheme.
Further information: Gordon Robertson of Media House on 0131 555 1015/07887 542 124
