Tourist accommodation projects gain planning approval

Development projects that offer both luxury and budget options for visitors to the Cairngorms National Park have been given the go ahead today (Friday 22 September).

Members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Planning Committee have given the go ahead for the redevelopment of the Invercauld Arms in Braemar to create serviced apartments and various leisure facilities, while a community owned campsite has been approved in Tomintoul.

The Invercauld Arms – a C-listed building owned by the same owners as the nearby Fife Arms – is set to undergo a major transformation. The former hotel will become serviced apartments, with ground floor events space, cinema room and other leisure facilities. Other works within the project include the conversion of a dwelling house within the grounds to offices, an old dairy is set to become staff accommodation, the creation of an artists studio, a new footbridge and other associated works.

In recommending the application for approval, Cairngorms National Park Authority Planning Officer Emma Bryce said: “This application, which will bring a vacant building back into productive use, is to be welcomed and the nature of the conversion will be complimentary to the character and appearance of the listed buildings and their settings. The rejuvenation of the wider site will also be of benefit of the local community.”

Also at today’s meeting, members approved an application from the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Development Trust who want to create a new campsite, with associated infrastructure, on the site of the old mart on Tomintoul’s Conglass Lane.

The development will create a new site for caravans and campervans on a busy through route in this special area of the National Park.

Gavin Miles, Head of Strategic Planning at the Park Authority explained: “The application is being made by the community development trust to create a revenue raising social enterprise that also attracts more overnight stays in Tomintoul with a wider economic benefit in terms of customers for other existing or new businesses. The proposal is on a site allocated for business use – and subject to some conditions to manage the proposal – it should prove to be a long term asset to Tomintoul and the wider area.”

Chairing her last meeting, Planning Committee Convener Gaener Rodger commented: “The Cairngorms National Park attracts all kinds of visitors on a wide range of budgets so it’s important that we support projects that offer a good variety of accommodation options like these two developments before us today. What I am particularly pleased about, is that one application involves bringing redundant buildings back into productive use for the benefit of the local economy, while the other is led by the local community development trust to benefit the local community.”

To read the planning papers in full please go here.