FUTURE PLANS
Looking ahead at Taymouth Marina
Taymouth Marina is an award-winning spa and five-star holiday destination run by a local family.
In 2010, the family purchased the failing water sports & activity centre, Croft-Na-Caber, and began a £20m development project 10 years on and the resort currently offers:
- 34 x 5* holiday accommodation
- Sheltered Marina Berthing for 40 boats with new electric charging stations
- A café/restaurant – The Ferryman’s Inn
- An award-winning outdoor wellness spa
- Water sports centre
To date, this has resulted in:
- Full time employment for up to 20 full time and 12 part time staff
- Significant economic benefits to the area including attracting visitors (17,000 : 2018) and reducing tourism seasonality by creating a spa experience and restaurant which are open throughout the year
- The development of symbiotic partnerships with local suppliers including local butcher and bakers and produce suppliers
- Employment of local contractors to develop and maintain Taymouth Marina including builders, cleaners and decorators
- Providing high quality facilities, including a spa and restaurant, for residents and visitors staying with other accommodation providers
the vision
An award-winning architect, Eric’s vision is around creating a world-class tourism destination with sustainability at its core … from the building materials used, its commitment to using local produce and the installation of a biomass boiler to heat the HotBox sauna and new HotPool.
A keen water sports enthusiast, Eric, Naomi and their two daughters share a deep-rooted love for the area and are driven by a vision to create a world-class spa and wellbeing destination that is authentic, inspiring and truly special.
For Eric, Taymouth Marina is about creating a destination that is sustainable that will allow him to continue to invest in what will ultimately be Scotland’s most desirable spa and water sports locations.
The next stage of the creation of a world-class outdoor wellness and water sports centre has been granted planning permission.
This will include:
- The development of a new ‘second’ breakwater built to the west the existing breakwater
- The addition of 40 floating pontoons to provide berthing for additional sail hire boats, visitor berthing and sheltered berthing for proposed boat trips
- Additional water base inflatable obstacles with an above water ropes course supported on timber piles
- Further parking provision
CGI artists impression of new second breakwater
Job creation
- 5 full time jobs in the operation of the water park activities
- 2 full time instructor positions for sailing and maintenance activities on the loch.
- It is hoped that by year three of complete development, establishment of reputation and marketing the site will employ circa 30 full time positions.
Increased economic benefits
An independent report estimate that in excess of 100,000 people will visit Taymouth Marina each year generating £2.8 million annually.
Furthermore, the total direct and indirect impact of the development will be worth in the region of £3.64 million to the local and regional economy.
A full transcript of the independent report can be downloaded here.
Taymouth Marina values the role it plays in the community and is committed to ensuring that any future development continues to enhance the area.
It has worked collaboratively with local people, interests groups and the local council to achieve a careful balance between the creation of a thriving visitor destination bringing significant benefits to the community, while maintaining the area’s unique appeal.
Eric and Naomi understand however, that development is often met with trepidation and is therefore committed to being fully transparent in responding to any concerns.
We have taken some of the most frequently asked questions and provided the answers below, however if you have any further, please contact us and we will respond.
Why have you applied for an amendment to the planning application?
The wording of the condition states “no power boating or jet skiing is permitted as part of the development”. This is due to the noise associated with such vehicles, so we have worked with the Council to include a stipulation which means that all vessels must be fitted with silencers to prevent a noise disturbance.
Additionally, we are confident that more boats, along with cars will become fully electric which is why we’ve invested in new shore power facilities for charging boats at their pontoons.
Finally, in response to residents’ feedback, we have taken the decision not to allow the berthing or launching of Jet Bikes at Taymouth Marina.
“All vessels, including personal watercraft, that are propelled by an internal combustion engine, entering and/or berthing at the Taymouth Marina, shall be fitted with a silencer expansion chamber or other contrivance suitable and sufficient to prevent the occurrence of any unnecessary, intense, or prolonged noise in the operation or management of the vessel, to the satisfaction of the Council as Planning Authority.”
will a second breakwater result in too many people visiting the area without sufficient infrastructure?
The Council accessed and approved Taymouth Marina’s planning proposal which included a traffic impact assessment.
Our ambition is to make Taymouth Marina an outstanding wellness spa resort destination so its crucially important to us that the beauty and tranquillity of our area is maintained.
how can you ensure that boat users will use the loch sensibly?
We are confident that Taymouth Marina can make a positive impact through educating our boat users on the importance of using the Loch responsibly and the necessity to be respectful of other users, including open water swimmers, paddle boarders, sailors and canoeists. This is something we do already with our current berth holders to great success
why is this expansion taking place – isn’t the Marina big enough?
A second marina will create additional secure jobs and long term employment for the area. This is important to us as parents that we create career opportunities for more of our young people to stay in the area and, where possible, ensure there are facilities all year around so we are not reliant on the summer season. Our outdoor spa and restaurant will give more reason for people to come all year around and the second Marina will bult a scale which can ensure that the destination remains financially sustainable to allow continued investment.
will loch tay suffer the same fate as loch lomond – overdeveloped?
Public access to Loch Tay is far more restricted than in Loch Lomond due to limited road access to the water’s edge. Taymouth Marina is one of only to places in Kenmore that boats can be launched by the public.
There are over 1200 berths in Loch Lomond, however there are only 40 berths currently at Taymouth Marina with a further 20 elsewhere in the Loch.