Call for progress at‘eyesore’ hotel site

Owners of the site of a former Perthshire magnet for tourism gutted by a fire five years ago have said efforts to sell it are still ongoing.

A community group and politicians recently hit out at the state of the former Spittal of Glenshee Hotel, which was struck by the blaze in August, 2014, and has since been dubbed an “eyesore”.

Some 3.45 acres of the site – just off the A93 north of Bridge of Cally near the border of the Cairngorms National Park – is owned by Yorsipp (Trustees) Ltd on behalf of the Waller family and is up for sale.

In principle planning permission is in place to develop 18 holiday cabins, what is described as a “hub” building and associated car parking on the land, although locals claim progress appears to have stalled.

But Lisa Caywood, an administration manager for the firm, said: “We have engaged a property agency practice to sell the site following receipt of outline planning consent for [its] redevelopment.

“The marketing process is under way, with several leads received to date.”

Darrel Townsend, chair of Mount Blair Community Development Trust, said a planned buy-out of the site by the group has hit the buffers as it is thought the amount required, estimated to be a minimum of £150,000, would be too difficult to source.

And, as a result, the group now wants to raise awareness of the state of the vandalism hot spot and pressure the owners into taking action.

Mr Townsend, who has been involved with the trust for about four years, said:

“The fact is the site is dangerous – particularly because there are families, some with young children, staying across the road.

“People have started dumping stuff there and others were caught burning rubbish.

“It has also been broken into a number of times and vandalised on a regular basis – old televisions in the hotel have all been smashed, for example.”

Yorsipp has tasked property consultant Wildman Global with selling the site.