The Scotsman

A chance to buy your own wildlife park as owners sell up

- By ILONA AMOS iamos@scotsman.com

A rare opportunit­y has arisen to purchase an establishe­d wildlife park set among the hill and glens of picturesqu­e Perthshire.

Au chin gar rich Wildlife Centre is a well- establishe­d business located a short distance from the village of Comrie and around six miles from Crieff town centre.

The surroundin­g area is known for its unspoilt countrysid­e, with dramatic mountains, glens, lochs and rivers.

It is convenient­ly situated for access to the A85, a major tourist route linking Perthshire to the West Highlands.

The 131-acre park includes the Torlum Coffee Shop, two indoor play areas, an outdoor adventure playground, an array of exotic and farm animal enclosures, a hatcher y and animal feeding pens –including wildcats, meer - kats and otters.

There are also four bait and fly-fishing ponds, stocked with rainbow trout from Easter until October.

Loch Earn, a popular haven for watersport­s, is close by, while the city of Per this just 23 miles away.

Au chin garri chen joy san elevated but secluded position and benefits from excellent views to the north over the surroundin­g landscape.

The property, which includes the five-bedroom Auchingarr­ich Farmhouse, is accessed via a private road leading from the B827.

The park is well establishe­d and has been developed over a number of years with a network of internal roads and pathways leading to the animal enclosures and attr actions.

It benefits from year-round trade and has witnessed good levels of growth in recent years, with average visitor numbers in excess of 60,000 and a three-year average turnover of £585,000.

Owner Andrew Scott is now planning to retire after a decade running the “fun-filled family business”.

He said :“We used to visit the park with our own chil - dr en over the years when they were growing up, and having always been in the hospitalit­y industry we jumped at the chance of owning it when it came up for sale ten years ago.

“It represents the perfect work-life balance and fitted in with our outdoor lifestyle.

“Over the years we have invested much time and effort in creating a destinatio­n well-liked locally and enjoying many repeat vi sit ors as well as welcoming visitors from further a field.

"The time has now come for us to retire and pass on Auchingarr­ich to its next set of enthusiast­ic owners, who I’ m sure will enjoy living here as well as running this fun-filled family business as much as we did.”

The property is on the market with Galbraith for offers over £1,500,000.

 ??  ?? 0 Some of the animals at Auchingarr­ich Wildlife Centre are more exotic, including lemurs, above, and meerkats
0 Some of the animals at Auchingarr­ich Wildlife Centre are more exotic, including lemurs, above, and meerkats

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