Center Parcs lifts the lid on proposals for £350m debut Scottish resort and Aqua Sana Forest Spa
by Megan Whitby | 27 Nov 2024
If the project is successful, Center Parcs will be able to forge ahead and establish its seventh spa / Shutterstock/Mr Doomits
Center Parcs has announced it is developing proposals to create its first holiday village and spa in Scotland
Positioned within a two-hour drive of Edinburgh, Newcastle and Glasgow, the resort aims to attract both local and regional visitors
Plans for the 700-key holiday village feature a comprehensive Aqua Sana Forest Spa and extensive wellness facilities
Center Parcs is pursuing plans to develop its first-ever holiday village in Scotland. The proposed project will feature 700 lodges, a luxury spa and extensive leisure facilities, with a projected investment of £350-400 million (US$443-507 million, €418-480 million), pending planning approval.
Located in the Scottish Borders, north of Hawick and south of Selkirk, the site is approximately a 90-minute drive from both Edinburgh and Newcastle and two hours from Glasgow.
The new resort will follow the model of Center Parcs' six existing villages in England and Ireland, with a significant wellness focus anchored by one of its signature Aqua Sana Forest Spas.
Earlier this quarter, Center Parcs rebranded its award-winning Aqua Sana spa brand to better represent its forest-inspired wellness experience, now known as Aqua Sana Forest Spa.
Planning permission for the Scottish project is expected to be submitted in 2025 and Center Parcs anticipates it will take three years to complete the project after permission is granted.
The company has already conducted several site surveys for the proposed location but acknowledges that it is only at the beginning of a "long journey."
The next steps will involve further site evaluations, design development and a programme of pre-planning consultations and community engagement.
Colin McKinlay, company CEO, said: “Center Parcs is an exceptionally popular destination for families in the UK and Ireland and there is robust demand to support a seventh village.
“Many Scottish families already visit Center Parcs villages in England and this village will offer the chance for people to enjoy their holidays closer to home, which in turn will benefit the local economy.”
The site lies to the east of the A7 trunk road on land owned by the Buccleuch Group, which has signed an option agreement with Center Parcs.
The agreement covers approximately 1,000 acres of land, comprising open grassland and some woodland. It’s expected that development on the property will extend to 400 acres.
“Sustainability is core to our values,” McKinlay added. “In our three decades of operating in the UK and Ireland, we’ve transformed areas of commercial woodland into a rich tapestry of flora and fauna, considerably enhancing the biodiversity of each village. This site gives us the opportunity to take a bold, new approach and create a woodland ourselves, delivering significant biodiversity net gain and planting thousands of new trees.”
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Center Parcs is pursuing plans to develop its first-ever holiday village in Scotland. The proposed project will feature 700 lodges, a luxury spa and extensive leisure facilities, with a projected investment of £350-400 million (US$443-507 million, €418-480 million), pending planning approval. Located in the Scottish Borders, north of Hawick and south of Selkirk, the site is approximately a 90-minute drive from both Edinburgh and Newcastle and two hours from Glasgow.
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