An Angus farmer hopes his latest diversification will really ‘take off’ after landing a private jet as a holiday hideaway.
Iain Gall bagged the Hawker 700 when he chanced upon it on Ebay.
It’s now been installed on the family’s Glenskinno Farm, overlooking Montrose, as a quirky addition to a thriving holiday accommodation business.
And Iain hopes that by late summer the first arrivals will be welcomed on board for an Angus getaway.
Plane was a TV star
In its heyday, the twin-engined British Aerospace aircraft was a £10million Russian oligarch’s toy.
And its high-flying history after being saved from the scrapyard sparked Iain’s interest in the plane.
In 2020, the Hawker featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces when an English aviation enthusiast spent £20,000 converting it into a luxury crash pad.
Iain, 35, said: “I’d been looking for a railway carriage to covert and put on a site here at the farm.
“Last October I was sitting out on the farm waiting for a lorry which had been delayed.
“I went looking on Ebay on my phone under glamping, came upon the jet and thought that looks really familiar.
“I’d previously seen the George Clark programme, googled it and it was the same plane.
“So the next day we set off for Selby in Yorkshire and a deal was done with the owner.”
Glamping in style
The 6.7 tonne fuselage has long since lost its wings so it was a road trip on a low loader back to Angus.
Iain, who is also a Scottish Conservative councillor for Montrose, has propelled himself into the project.
It’s set to be one of Scotland’s most unusual glamping pods for two people.
“The interior is all original, with the captain’s chairs, leather and mood lighting in the roof,” said Iain.
“It was all boxed up so it’s still in amazing condition.”
The previous owner converted the rear of the plane into a full-size shower room.
And the cosy cockpit houses the plane’s double bed.
Window seat views will be spectacular when the venture is cleared for take off.
Visitors will enjoy southerly views of Montrose Basin and the town, and the Angus glens and Cairngorms to the north.
Jet set status will carry over into a hot tub beside the plane.
It also remains turbine powered since electricity is generated by the farm’s own wind turbine.
“It’s a really exciting project and I’m looking forward to getting it up and running,” said Iain.
“It’s something a little bit unusual and we’re hoping people will see it as ideal for a night or two away.”
Conversation