Case Study

Dunrobin Castle

Supporting a long-standing customer in a remote Highland location with the right machine, thoughtful logistics, and an evolving coffee offer designed around how visitors actually use the site.

Location Remote Scottish Highlands
Latest machine CREM EX3 2 Group
Customer relationship Long-standing customer
Ongoing supply Crema beans, coffee bags & decaf
Dunrobin Castle exterior view
Dunrobin Castle with daffodils in the foreground
Front view of Dunrobin Castle during an earlier visit
Photo note: This case study combines photos from different visits over the last 3 years. The pictures of the CREM machine are from March this year and show the new machine installation.

A relationship built over time, not a one-off install

Dunrobin Castle has been a long-standing Caffia customer, and this latest installation reflects an ongoing relationship rather than a single project. This was the second machine they have had from us, and alongside equipment supply they also continue to take our Crema coffee beans, coffee bags and decaf.

For a venue like this, coffee service needs to work within the realities of the site. Remote locations require more forethought around delivery, access, installation and aftercare, particularly when visitor expectations are high and downtime can have a greater operational impact.

That is where experience matters. Understanding the site, the setting and how the customer actually serves guests helps shape a better solution from the outset.

The new machine: CREM EX3 2 Group traditional espresso machine

The latest phase of the project saw the installation of a CREM EX3 2 Group, giving Dunrobin Castle a professional traditional espresso set-up suited to a hospitality environment where reliability, consistency and presentation all matter.

The machine sits comfortably within the castle setting while giving the team the capability to serve quality espresso-based drinks day to day. For Caffia, the value was not just in supplying the machine itself, but in making sure the planning around the installation matched the realities of a more remote destination.

When sites are further afield, service planning matters more, not less. That means choosing equipment with confidence, coordinating the install carefully, and supporting the customer with a solution that is practical for the long term.

CREM EX3 2 Group traditional espresso machine installed at Dunrobin Castle
Remote location should never mean compromised support. With the right planning and the right supplier relationship, even logistically demanding sites can have a dependable, high-quality coffee set-up.

Extending service beyond the main coffee shop

Coffee trailer unit at Dunrobin Castle
Exprezzi machine installed inside the Dunrobin Castle trailer unit
Close-up of coffee being served from the trailer unit

One of the most interesting parts of the wider project was the Coffee Trailer Unit, created to help cater for bus tours and visitors who did not want to come inside the coffee shop. With limited space inside the castle, the trailer gave the team a practical way to handle a larger number of customers and improve flow during busy periods.

For this set-up, Dunrobin Castle took one of our Exprezzi machines, creating a compact and effective coffee point that could support visitor demand in a more flexible way.

Dunrobin Castle is also featured on Traitors-inspired Scottish Highlands tours, which makes that kind of additional service capacity all the more valuable. It is a good example of coffee provision being shaped around the visitor journey, not just the available room inside the building.

A practical coffee set-up for a remarkable visitor destination

This project shows how the right coffee solution is rarely just about the equipment alone. At Dunrobin Castle, it was about supporting a valued customer over time, installing the right machine for the current requirement, and helping shape additional service points where demand called for them.

From the latest CREM EX3 2 Group installation through to the trailer unit and ongoing supply of coffee products, the project reflects a more joined-up approach: equipment, coffee, logistics and support working together.

For customers looking at commercial coffee machines for hospitality venues, visitor attractions and remote sites, this is exactly the kind of project where practical thinking and long-term support make the difference.