Flamingo Land Limited could be about to add a second resort destination to its portfolio after Scottish Enterprise named the operator as preferred developer for a 200,000sq m (2.1 million sq ft) family-oriented leisure resort in Loch Lomond.
The £30m (US$38.9m, €34.9m) investment would be the first of its kind for the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, with the tourist resort dubbed ‘The Iconic Leisure Resort Loch Lomond’.
The Flamingo Land proposal calls for a comprehensive masterplan for the site including lodges, a boutique hotel, hostel and glamping pods together with a range of family-based attractions and restaurants that are “fitting with the aims of the National Park” in which the land sits.
Flamingo Land Limited – a Scottish-owned and registered company – currently operates the highly-successful Flamingo Land theme park and resort in North Yorkshire, welcoming more than 1.5 million visitors a year.
In a statement, the operator said that it is looking to build on the existing success of Loch Lomond Shores which has seen visitor levels steadily increase over the last five years to 1.25 million visitors annually. The popular tourism destination has also received several tourism accolades, including being awarded five star status by Visit Scotland and recently winning ‘The Best Day Out’ award at the 2016 Scottish Hospitality Awards.
“We are excited by the prospect of creating a resort in the National Park that recognises the importance and sensitivity of the site,” said Gordon Gibb, chief executive of Flamingo Land.
“Loch Lomond is internationally recognised and opportunities like West Riverside are rare. We look forward to working with Scottish Enterprise, the National Park Authority and the local community of Balloch as we work up our detailed proposals for the site.”
The move to develop the resort has come up against some opposition, with a petition to 'Save Loch Lomond' from commercial developments gaining more than 8,000 signatures, with people calling for the Scottish Government to keep the National Park a 'gem for future generations'.
