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Carlowrie Castle has become the first castle in the world to be awarded B Corp Certification this week, at the same time as it celebrates its 10th anniversary.
B Corp Certification is awarded to businesses that are able to demonstrate and maintain exceptionally high standards of socially and environmentally conscious practices.
The castle, which is located just outside of Edinburgh and is part of Carlowrie Group and owned by entrepreneur Andrew Marshall, joins other companies such as Patagonia, TOMS and Aesop who have also received B Corp status.
To attain B Corp Certification, Carlowrie Castle underwent a “comprehensive and rigorous” process to measure the company’s entire social and environmental performance.
Carlowrie Castle showed that it operates its own charity, which provides meals and support to people experiencing homelessness; has installed electric vehicle charging points at the castle for guest and staff use; hosted free community events, such as Picnic and Praise and Carols at Carlowrie; and regenerated unused land through extensive tree planting.
All B Corp businesses are manually assessed and audited every three years to ensure they maintain these high standards.
Marshall said: “In an age where businesses and consumers are seeing the importance of putting social and environmental issues above everything else, becoming B Corp Certified this month after 10 years of trading is an excellent way to show our customers our lasting commitment to doing good by people and planet.
“When our guests come to Carlowrie Castle, whether that be for a business conference, a wedding, an exclusive-use party, a community event, or a private stay, they know that they are supporting us on our mission for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.”
Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, added: “Welcoming Carlowrie Castle to the B Corp community is hugely exciting. Its commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and will help spread the notion that success in business is as much about people and planet as it is profit.”
