IT IS built with "green" timber, uses water heated by a canal and its waste is treated naturally – welcome to Scotland's first "eco pub".
The Boathouse, which is to be opened by British Waterways, will be the first in a string of environmentally-friendly canalside pubs across the country.
The pub, at Auchinstarry, near Kilsyth on the Forth and Clyde Canal, is claimed to be Scotland
's first sustainable bar. It forms part of a marina on the Bowling-Grangemouth waterway, with its green credentials expected to cut energy costs by a quarter.
A similar approach is proposed for a new pub on the Caledonian Canal in Inverness, while three others are planned, one of which could be at the old Rosebank distillery in Falkirk, also on the Forth and Clyde Canal.
The Boathouse, which is expected to open in two weeks, has been built using timber from a sustainable source, complete with higher than required levels of insulation. Hot water and heating are provided by a geothermal system, using residual heat from water in the canal, which remains at 8-12C all year round.
This heat is captured by a 7ft-long "radiator" at the foot of the canal, through which water is pumped. Hot water is topped up by a gas boiler. Waste water from the pub is treated by reed beds on the other side of the marina, after solids have been removed. The series of beds, which have watertight liners, develop bacteria, which break down soluble material in the effluent.
Inside the Boathouse, which has ten bedrooms, water use is minimised, with features such waterless urinals and low-flush loos in the toilets. Energy efficient lighting and refrigeration have also been installed, with sensors automatically switching off lights in unoccupied areas.
Paul Waterson, the chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said it was a sign of things to come."This is the first of its type in Scotland, and there is a realisation by our business that we have got to look for green alternatives," he said.
Stuart Hay, the head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "Leisure is an energy-intensive business, and we welcome all attempts to reduce the environmental impact of venues."
The Boathouse is being developed by the Waterside Pub Partnership, a joint venture between British Waterways and Scottish & Newcastle, which runs 45 pubs beside Britain's canals.
Steve Dunlop, the director for Scotland at British Waterways, said: "Regeneration of much of the waterside depends on developing and enhancing tourism opportunities as much as maintaining the existing facilities."
The full article contains 443 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
