Planners turn down holiday park bid for Culloden battlefield
Victory has been declared by campaigners after plans to build a holiday park within the historic boundary of Culloden Battlefield were refused.
Plans were lodged to build 13 lodges, a cafe and shop, reception, laundry and 100- seat restaurant at Treetop Stables in Faebuie on Culloden Moor.
The site sits around a mile north of the visitor attraction managed by National Trust for Scotland. But the location falls within the eastern edge of the greater battlefield and the Culloden Muir Conservation Area, which was drawn up in 2015 to protect the sensitive area.
More than 100 objections were lodged against the plans, wi t h a c a mpaign a g a i n s t development in the historic landscape attracting support from around the world.
Highland Council planning officers have now refused the plans, primarily given t he holiday park’s impact on surrounding woodland and the natural environment.
George Kempik, chair of the Group to Stop Development at Culloden, said the objections mounted by t he campaign were the group’s “first test” and thanked those involved.
In a statement, he said: “We got in on this from the very beginning and t he group’s a d min a n d members d i d great work in helping achieve this victory. It pays to get in at the beginning of the planning process. Believe it or not, preservation of the battlefield won’t be the most relevant reason for rejection of such planning applications.”
The rejection of the Treetops applications comes amid debate over the future integrity of the battlefield, where Jacobites clashed with the British Army in 1746.
Around t wo- thirds of the battlefield falls outwith the National Trust for Scotland site, making it vulnerable to the ambitions of private landowners. A 16- home development at Viewhill Farm, where significant contact between forces was recorded in 1746, is nearing completion despite huge controversy surrounding the plans for the site, which falls within the Culloden Muir Conservation Area.
Councillor Andrew Jar vie for Inverness South and member of the south planning committee, said the outcome of the holiday park application showed the conservation area status did have some impact.
National Trust for Scotland is considering several options to safeguard the future of Culloden Battlefield, including an attempt to secure Unesco World Heritage status for the site. Louise Macdonald, owner of the Treetops site, has been contacted for a comment.