Hotel and estate’s owners plan £15m upgrade

A BID to regenerate a Perthshire estate will create up to 250 jobs and inject millions into the local economy, it is claimed.

The owners of Scone hotel the Murrayshall Country House have taken the wraps off a £15 million investment plan.

Murrayshall already has two 18-hole golf courses, but the proposals would add a range of leisure facilities, holiday lodges and glamping pods.

Owners London-based Stellar Asset Management – who took over in 2015 – want to double the size of the 40-bedroom venue and create a hub for outdoor pursuits.

The project will be supported by three pockets of housing on the edges of the 365-acre estate.

Already £2.5 million has been invested in the hotel and estate, despite the pandemic.

General manager Gary Silcock, who was formerly at Gleneagles Hotel, said: “When you look at everything we are trying to achieve here, we would be looking at bringing in between 200 and 250 staff.

“In this world of Covid, it’s great that we have an owner that can see the positives and take forward a plan which could really help reignite Perth and this part of Perthshire.”

A planning application is expected to be submitted to Perth and Kinross Council in the new year and, if approved, construction could begin within 12 months.

Jonathan Gain, chief executive of Stellar Asset Management, said: “I have no doubt that Murrayshall will become one of Scotland’s finest countryside leisure destinations.”

Lead consultant Fergus Purdie was “delighted to be part of such an exciting and significant project that will bring huge benefits across the board for Perth and Kinross”.

In paperwork lodged with local planners, Mr Purdie accepts that the “enabling” housing will be the most challenging aspect of the proposal, given that the site is not zoned for mainstream homes.

The number of properties has still to be finalised.