Press Release Summary: Inverness-shire is set to receive an £8 million development to create a new destination offering luxury, eating, sleeping and shopping experience. Managing Director of Perthshire based Braemore estates wants to provide the Highlands with a distinctively Scottish development, which will increase jobs and tourism in the area.
Press Release Body: News Release News Release News Release LUXURY REFUGE COMING TO HIGHLAND ROUTE Ambitious plans to create a new destination offering a luxury eating, sleeping and shopping experience - showcasing the 'best of Scotland' - are being unveiled for the first time.showing The £8 million concept at Tomatin in Inverness-shire represents the first major development on the A9 since the early 1990s, bringing a significant boost to the local economy as well as creating around 70 jobs. The development, 14 miles south of Inverness on the site of a former Little Chef and the Freeburn Hotel, is expected to provide a welcome respite to the thousands of tourists, day trippers and business travellers who journey on the A9 from the central belt to the Highlands every year. The plans involve a stylish 42-bedroom hotel featuring Scottish-inspired interiors; a 160-seat restaurant using quality Scottish ingredients and a four-unit shopping quarter, which is likely to include an outdoor clothing store, whisky experience and an upmarket deli offering the cream of 'Scotland's larder'. The development is the vision of William Frame, managing director of Perthshire-based Braemore Estates. He said: "This part of the Highlands has been crying out for a quality development like this for a long time. "The journey to the Highlands can be an arduous one for travellers coming from England or the central belt. A warm and inviting place to stop for a meal, rest or for the whole night will add massive value to the Highland experience." Dundee-based Nicoll Russell Studios, the award-winning inspirational architects, are to lead the design of the development. The hotel's design will look to reflect the character of Scottish architecture, with features such as log fires and flagstones giving a classic Highland welcome. The designed rooms will be characterised by high quality linen, power showers and luxury details such as plasma TV's. The interiors will have a distinctive Highland feel - including fabrics by Scottish firm Anta. -More- Work is expected to begin in the autumn with opening likely in 2009. Mr Frame said: "Tomatin will be a far cry from the stereotypical, drab, accountant-designed travel hotels that business travellers so often encounter from Watford to Edinburgh - uninspiring on a good day - and downright depressing after a difficult one! "After many hours on the road, travellers are hungry for some creature comfort. That means delicious hot food, luxury rooms and a warm, homely, old fashioned Scottish welcome. We aim to create a place that will offer a relaxed atmosphere that feels like a 'home from home'." The restaurant will remain open 7am-10pm to cater for famished travellers stopping at all times of the day or night - a long-held complaint of people who use the A9 is that they cannot find places to eat after 6pm without having to go off route. There will also be a separate lounge area for those who simply want to relax with a drink at the end of a long day. Families are also to benefit from indoor and outdoor supervised play areas for children. The intimate shopping centre will provide a browsing opportunity for those stopping over, as well as offering a range of souvenirs and delights for tourists to take home. Negotiations to open a distillery shop and whisky visitor experience are continuing; meanwhile the hundreds of walkers, climbers, birdwatchers, field sports enthusiasts and such like who head to the Highlands every year are also likely to appreciate the outdoor clothing shop. A food court offering the best of Scotland's most exquisite produce, from locally made jams to Island cheeses and smoked venison, could prove phenomenally popular both for souvenir hunters and campers keen to stock up in style. Mr Frame said: "Our development at Tomatin will offer Scotland\'s finest experiences to the thousands of people who travel the A9 route each year. We want our development to embody all the best of Scotland. "Whether you\'re after a stopover bed, a hearty meal, souvenir shopping or just a chance to stop and get a coffee before hitting the road again, the Tomatin development will be all about having a pleasant experience that celebrates Scotland\'s produce, cuisine and warm hospitality." ENDS For further information contact Sarah Urquhart at Holyrood Partnership on 0131 561 2244 or info@holyroodpr.co.uk
Web Site: http://www.holyroodpr.co.uk
Contact Details: Holyrood Partnership Bonnington Bond 29 Breadalbane Street Edinburgh EH6 5JW Telephone: 0131 561 2244 Email: info@holyroodpr.co.uk
2022
