An Inverness hotel and on-site brewstillery has been recognised on the world stage after securing a prestigious sustainability accolade for its innovative £7.5 million river source Energy Centre.
The Glen Mhor Hotel and its Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery have been named a global exemplar at the World Green Apple Environment Awards, following their earlier success as Scotland’s national champion for Environmental Best Practice 2025.
Entered into the international awards by independent judges, the Highland business has now been honoured as a Green Ambassador, joining projects from countries including Brazil, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Sweden.
Co-owner of Glen Mhor Hotel, Victoria Erasmus, who also serves as Sustainability Director for Turas Hotels Group, collected the award at a ceremony held in St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Just 29 awards were presented globally, with the hotel’s sustainability journey now set to be featured in a publication distributed to governments, regional authorities, universities and libraries.
The £7.5 million Energy Centre, developed in 2022, was designed to decarbonise the hotel’s heating and hot water systems while also powering low-carbon whisky and beer production at Uile-bheist. Supported by solar energy, the system has enabled the 110-bedroom hotel on Ness Bank to come off the gas grid entirely.
Reflecting on the project, Erasmus said: “When we started on this journey six years ago, we were doing it in a historic conservation area. We effectively had to write our own blueprint because it hadn’t been done before.
“We were basically left to our own devices so most of it has been intuitive. Some things worked, others not so much but, thankfully, most things did. To win this award is lovely because we were recognised amongst global people we look up to, who are doing amazing things.
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“There was a project from Brazil carrying out tropical marine environmental work and it was nice to think that we were being seen in that company too, as a family business from the Highlands.
“What I am most proud of is that we have managed to embed sustainability into the culture of our business. It has taken six years, but I am looking forward to seeing where we go in the next six years. It’s also been a lot of fun.”
Alongside the Energy Centre, the business has implemented wider Climate Action Plans with measurable targets across the property. The system, combined with solar power, is estimated to remove around 250 tonnes of carbon annually from whisky and craft beer production at Uile-bheist, positioning it among the most environmentally sustainable operations in the UK.
