A tourism expert predicts that Highland Perthshire could enjoy a £30 million economic boost and 300 new jobs as a spin-off from the proposed Taymouth Castle Estate redevelopment.
The latest incarnation of plans to turn the A-listed Kenmore castle into a hotel and build holiday homes in the grounds will be weighed up by councillors in the coming months. Central to the new application is a proposal to build a further 71 luxury holiday homes on the estate, in addition to the 26 which already have permission.
Breathing new life into the castle and golf course enjoys widespread local support, thanks mainly to the economic benefits such a development would undoubtedly bring. This has been reinforced in a report by tourism professor John Lennon, submitted in the planning application, which reveals the major economic impact Meteor Property Fund’s redevelopment of the castle estate would have.
He states that the completed development could have a direct economic impact of £13.1 million per year, while an additional £18.4 million would be created indirectly in the local and regional economy through increased tourism.
The professor’s report gives evidence of benefits in terms of employment, emphasising that the development would generate a minimum of 139 full-time equivalent jobs. It is also predicted that 167 full-time jobs will be created in the community as the number of visitors to the area increases.
Mr Lennon is director of the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development the UK’s largest university market research and business development consultancy. He is also an advisor for a number of Scottish Government bodies including VisitScotland and Historic Scotland, and was principal advisor to the Scottish Parliament’s recent tourism inquiry.
Meteor development manager Martin Mortimer said the impact of the development, if granted permission by Perth and Kinross Council, would be immense.
“Scotland has a thriving tourist industry and a development such as Taymouth Castle Estate will add to the attractive array of existing destinations,” he said.
“A survey by the Nation Brands Index (2010) found that both national and international tourists put spending a night in a Scottish castle in the top three holiday activities. In addition, VisitScotland recently highlighted that there is a shortage of high-quality developments of the five-star level.
“Once restored, Taymouth Castle… will be quite unique and will appeal to a vast range of tourists, delivering a fantastic new destination in a section of the industry which is currently under-provided.
“We have always felt that the scheme would provide a boost to the wider local area. The research highlights the uplift to the local economy and employment opportunities, ensuring the development benefits Kenmore and the surrounding area, both during construction and into the future.
“We believe that the positive effect of the development on the local area is reflected by the wide support we received for our proposals at the public exhibition.”