The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Castle owners win fight against a ‘new village’
Welcome to Planning Ahead – our weekly round-up of the latest proposals lodged across the north-east.
Anyone who has travelled through rural Donside will have noticed its rich abundance of castles, with towering reminders of the region’s rich past around almost every corner.
While some are abandoned ruins, Balfluig Castle stands out as a home of the blue-blooded Tennant family – who are battling to protect its surroundings.
Elsewhere, we have proposals for a new Aberdeen fishmonger and a Fraserburgh beauty therapist aims to open her own business.
We start this week’s round-up by raising a glass to improvement plans at a Mearns malthouse.
Global whisky giant Whyte and Mackay owns Fettercairn Distillery, and has been given permission to extend the visitor centre to create a bigger store and new accessible toilets.
Earlier this month the same area took centre stage in our round-up, with plans to incorporate a brewery in a new Mearns wedding venue.
A modern extension is being planned at a fourbedroom property reckoned to be worth about £670,000 in Milltimber.
The AGD Duff and Partners seafood wholesalers want to open up a small fishmonger’s unit at its Bridge of Don building.
Plans submitted to Aberdeen City Council show how the Broadfold Road premises would be altered to include a retail element for the first time.
The business was established by Mary And Alexander Duff in 1973.
The new plans have been lodged by their son Paul Duff, who took over the firm with brother Zander in 1990.
It would be similar to the fish shop the company has been operating from its Stell Road base near the harbour, and right behind Union Square, for the past 10 years.
An Inverurie sensei has lodged plans to teach martial arts classes from a new unit at Blackhall Industrial Estate.
Head instructor Eric Birkett says his tuition helps instil youngsters with “confidence, discipline, humility and respect” as well as self-defence skills.
Black belt Mr Birkett runs the academy with wife Fiona, and is a former Double ICO European Champion.
The Burghmuir Circle unit was last occupied by the Magpie thrift store.
The Kingswellies Nursery group has signalled its intent to take over the closed Abacus centre on Queens Road in Aberdeen.
They hope to have it open again by the end of August. Keeping the royal theme alive, the outfit will name their Queens Road venue “Queenswellies Nursery”.
Broch beautician Ailidh Summers has formed plans to spruce up a former hairdresser in the heart of Fraserburgh.
Miss Summers currently works out of a beauty salon on Manse Road but now wants to transform the 69 Cross Street premises, formerly run as Maureen’s, into a place of her own.
Blueprints show how there would be a beauty treatment area, nail salon and spray tan booth.
Aberdeenshire Council’s environment team has already backed the idea.
The experts say the proposed replacement shopfront is to be welcomed as a positive development.
Balfluig Castle dates back to the 1550s, when it was built by Lord Forbes.
It remained in the clan for 200 years, before becoming a farmhouse and eventually being left to fall into ruin for decades.
Mark Tennant led its restoration after buying the crumbling landmark in 1966.
The A-listed asset became the first uninhabitable building in Scotland to be restored with a Historic Buildings Council grant.
Late last year, Fintraybased N & MLD Ltd lodged plans to build five new homes at the Meikle Endovie spot, while converting a bothy and stables into another property.
Forms submitted by architect Colin Thompson state: “The condition of the buildings appears to have since deteriorated considerably.”
He added: “The site in its current state is an increasingly dangerous eyesore.”
Mr Tennant’s daughter Sophia argued that the site, on higher land overlooking Balfluig Castle, would result in unwelcome light pollution.
She also said the setting of the A-listed landmark would be “adversely affected” if surrounded by the “suburban” sprawl.
And widow Harriot said the “new village” would have a dire impact on the tranquil spot.
Council planning officials took heed of the complaints from the aristocrats, but pointed out that the “new village” would be 700m away.
They therefore ruled out any impact on Balfluig Castle, due to the “sufficient distance”.
However, they still threw the plans out with planners saying the development, deemed “very suburban in appearance”, would be “completely out of character with the traditional rural vernacular of the area”.