The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust scoops gold

Two sites managed by The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust have scooped a gold level National Award for Environmental Excellence^®

The accolade – which enables organisations to benchmark their environmental achievements and improvements - recognises the steps which the visitor attraction, The Royal Yacht Britannia, has put in place to minimise its impact on the environment.   A gold accreditation was also given to Fingal, a former Lighthouse Board tender acquired by the Trust in 2014 and converted into a luxury floating hotel with 22 cabins, stunning ballroom and stylish restaurant and bar.

Both ships, each with their own unique histories, which achieved a silver accreditation in 2022, were re-audited by our trained assessors this year.  Following this, a report detailing findings was shared highlighting the high standard maintenance of both public and staff areas onboard both ships, the collaborative approach to improving sustainability with cross-departmental green teams, and the partnerships between the Trust, local charities and businesses to reduce waste and promote sustainability across the city.

The Trust, in collaboration with Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, has also managed to create spaces for nature by transforming an area of derelict land next to Fingal into a wildflower meadow hosting a variety of native coastal plants.  Seeds have been collected and planted throughout the outdoor public areas at the Royal Yacht Britannia improving biodiversity across both sites.

Jamie Ormiston, our Senior Awards Officer, said: “It is wonderful to celebrate the achievements of The Royal Yacht Britannia Trust. Their efforts to build on environmental and sustainable practices deserve to be recognised with this gold accreditation and we look forward to continuing our support of their long-term efforts.

“We’ve been working closely with businesses and organisations across Scotland, helping them to take direct action to improve their local environment. National Award for Environmental Excellence^® provides an exciting opportunity to assess and recognise their efforts and support those who are starting to make meaningful environmental commitments.”

Charlie Granleese, Fingal's Guest Experience & Environmental Manager said, “We are extremely proud to receive this prestigious accreditation from Keep Scotland Beautiful. The Gold accreditation highlights our passion to address the environmental challenges we all face. We recognise our responsibility to do business in a manner that protects and improves the community and environment for our future generations."

National Award for Environmental Excellence^® is open to businesses and organisations throughout Scotland and acts as a benchmark for environmental performance. All entrants are assessed by the trained auditors and can be awarded Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum level. In 2021 the award was updated to include a new element on carbon management to support businesses and organisations to achieve carbon reduction goals as Scotland moves towards a net-zero nation.

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