Southside Data Centre

The Southside Data Centre is a proposed sustainable digital infrastructure hub in the Scottish Borders, designed to harness local renewable energy to drive Scotland’s digital future while prioritising landscape integration, environmental stewardship, and long-term economic growth for the region.

A proposed data centre development in the Scottish Borders, open to community views and feedback

Sunlaws Development Company Limited, an entity of the Roxburghe Estate, is bringing forward a proposal for a data centre on land near Duns in the Scottish Borders.

This website provides information on the concept and outlines how the project is being developed in consultation with the local community.

In the Lammermuir Hills, wind turbines generate clean electricity from one of Scotland’s most consistent renewable resources. At times, not all of this power can be fully used by the national grid, meaning some energy is curtailed.

Southside Data Centre is a proposal that considers how that energy, alongside other infrastructure benefits, could support a new digital facility in the Scottish Borders.

This is a proposal for a sustainably designed data centre that seeks to make use of local renewable energy, support regional investment, and contribute to long-term economic activity in the area, while being designed with careful consideration of its rural setting.

We recognise that developments of this kind raise questions. The Lammermuir Hills are valued by the people who live in, work in, and visit the area. This website sets out the proposal and provides information on the design approach and key considerations that have informed it.

Southside Data Centre - digital view 1

This image does not represent the final design, but indicates the design ethos: prioritising landscape, community and environment to produce a sustainable development that sits harmoniously within its surroundings. Our aim is to deliver a final design and build a centre that is even better than the current image depicts. Please also note that all visualisations show a white outline for the roofs of buildings, this colour has been chosen for visualisation purposes to show the shape of the building, in green it proved impossible to see the shape in the visualisations.

01
A sustainable 225 MW data centre powered principally by Borders renewables
02
A closed loop cooling system, not connected to interrupt local water supplies
03
Designed to blend into the moorland landscape with a living roof and sculpted surrounding landscape
04
The location gives it ideal access to wind energy to reduce curtailment
05
Significant biodiversity enhancements
06
Unprecedented economic investment and skilled job creation in the rural Borders

About the Southside Data Centre

The proposed Southside Data Centre is uniquely positioned in the Scottish Borders to play a key role in the area's 21st Century economy.

By harnessing local renewable energy, providing energy security and delivering high-speed data connectivity, Southside can set new standards for Scotland's digital future.

With its innovative design, the data centre can ensure the splendour of the surrounding Lammermuir Hills is respected and preserved.

Discover the full vision behind the project

Have questions or concerns about the project?

The project is at an early stage, and your input genuinely matters. We encourage you to read through the details, then tell us what you think. Every response submitted through the consultation process is read and considered by the project team.

Scroll to Top