Trust expresses concern over Taymouth Development

A US real estate firm plans to convert Taymouth Castle estate into an 8000-acre exclusive club for super-rich members. 

The Trust first became aware of the potential developments when work started on a track without planning permission on the estate adjoining the land in its care at East Schiehallion.

Over 80,000 people have signed a petition to put a halt to US firm Discovery Land Company (DLC) plans to convert Taymouth Castle, the neighbouring Glenlyon Estate, and properties in the nearby village of Kenmore into an 8000-acre private exclusive club for super-rich members.

Overview

Hotels International Limited purchased Taymouth Castle and received planning permission to redevelop it in 2003. The redevelopment never came to fruition but in the subsequent years Discovery Land Company (DLC) bought the castle, Glenlyon Estate and other parcels of land in the area.

DLC is a US-based real estate developer and operator of ‘private residential club communities and resorts’. They have over 30 self-contained communities across the globe which they describe as ‘worlds’, these worlds are intended to provide everything their residents might need. DLC’s world at Taymouth Castle will encompass a clubhouse; 208 residential units and club suites; a 40,000 square foot wellness facility; a reimagined golf course; and an outdoor pursuits programme. 

Trust involvement

We became aware of the development when we were contacted by a member of the public about significant work being done to a track in Glenlyon Estate, from Fortingall over into Gleann Mor, south of Schiehallion. We contacted Perth & Kinross Council (PKC) when it became apparent that there was no corresponding planning application for the development. The Council subsequently launched an enforcement case and we have been assisting them gather intelligence for their investigation.

Key concerns

It seems that the restoration of Taymouth Castle is generally welcomed by the community. However, the exclusivity of the development represents wider issues which have engaged people across Scotland. This is reflected in the massive response to a petition to halt all further development and the attendance of c.300 people at the recent community meeting arranged by John Swinney and Pete Wishart which the Trust attended.

‘It is difficult to see how DLC can achieve the kind of exclusivity they appear to be aiming for without restricting access. The potential for a precedent to be set on what is acceptable under our access legislation makes this development a nationally important issue.’  said Trust Wild Places Protection Officer, Fiona Baillie

Access rights

The Trust was founded in 1983 in part to maintain access to some of our wildest areas on the Knoydart peninsula, and when our access rights under the Land Reform Act 2003 are threatened we will work with others to defend them.

It’s not entirely clear how DLC intend to approach access to their development at Taymouth Castle but their focus on exclusivity, not simply in terms of a luxury hotel but a community for the ‘most successful people on earth’, suggests something which we haven’t seen before in Scotland. There is the potential for it to set a precedent for what is acceptable under access legislation in Scotland.

Land Reform

The concept of a gated community, which is how the DLC development is being described, could signal a regression in land ownership in Scotland and demonstrates the need for more ambitious land reform. We want to see the Scottish Government introduce a public interest test for large scale land transfers; a legal duty to comply with the Land Rights and Responsibilities principles; and the implementation of a Carbon Emissions Land Tax to incentivise land use change in favour of nature and the climate.

You can find our response to the consultation for the upcoming Land Reform Bill here.

Next steps

We are currently waiting for an update from the PKC on the enforcement case for the track near Glen Lyon. It may be that DLC will be required to submit a retrospective planning application in which case we will review the information provided and consider our position. 

We will continue to follow the local campaign and consider how the Trust is best placed to support the preservation of our access rights. 

Read more about the petition here.