Aviation businessman airs Mull glamping plan
An aviation expert hopes his glamping site on the Isle of Mull will take off after planners gave it the go ahead.
Aerospace engineer Mike Roche, 60, has been based in Malaysia since the mid-1990s but is heading back to the UK to run the new development on the Ross of Mull.
Pennycross Mill will cover 1.5 acres on the peninsula and feature five luxury en-suite timber units all coming complete with under-floor heating, wifi and contemporary kitchens.
Designed by Edinburghbased Glampitect, the site will also have a pod specifically adapted for guests with disabilities. If all goes smoothly, the site could be open for business by Easter 2022.
‘The reason I have the land is my parents bought a place there 30 years ago and, of course, fell in love with the place. My sister and I still own the bungalow above the site we’re looking to develop.
‘When my parents were still living there we were regular visitors to Mull and spent quite a bit of time there with them. It basically became my home in the UK for nearly 20 years as I had nowhere else to go back to, until my father passed away in 2016,’ said Mike, who is originally from Coventry.
When the pandemic struck, he began to think of life outside the aerospace industry and that started the glamping site idea.
Mike continued: ‘The pandemic has shown nowhere is remote any more, so I don’t see a problem of basing myself in Mull for long periods, if I have to, and working on projects in Malaysia as well.
‘The idea of developing the piece of land on the isle of Mull has always been in the back of my mind with various ideas. The high cost of developing housing meant I downgraded my ideas to something like a campsite, or a place where motor homes could set up. ‘Having waited for seven or eight months for planning to come through, it was great to finally get the green light.’ Mike says he will be looking to partner up with business owners in the area, the likes of linen and cleaning services, electricians and the local construction trade.