The Angus gets green light on new plans
Construction on a £100m golf resort, hotel and spa in the Angus countryside will get underway this summer after councillors approved an updated masterplan. Set to open to the public in 2024, the development – on the Shank of Omachie near Broughty Ferry – will feature Dundee and Angus’s first five-star hotel.
Approved plans will see the hillside hotel offer 175 guestrooms, a rooftop sky bar, and 1,900m² spa and leisure facilities overlooking the Tay Estuary and St Andrews – all within traditional Scottish architecture.
The development will also be the anchor for a signature golf course by Irish champion golfer Darren Clarke OBE, alongside a clubhouse and golf academy with driving range, alongside 160 houses and 10 luxury lodges.
Representing one of the biggest hospitality investments in Scotland in recent years, The Angus could contribute more than £40 million to the local economy per year once it is operational in two years’ time. The full development is expected to generate more than 300 full and part-time jobs, with a further 130 full-time equivalent posts and 285 additional employment positions during the construction and development phase.
Owner Mike Forbes of the nearby Forbes of Kingennie country resort welcomed the decision by Angus Council’s Development Standards committee to approve amendments to the hotel design and layout, while VisitScotland hailed the plans as an “impressive addition” to the region’s tourism and leisure offering.
“We are delighted that the updated plans have been approved and thank Angus Council for supporting our vision,” says Forbes. “We have worked tirelessly to create plans for a resort that will surpass anything on offer in Scotland and firmly position Dundee and Angus as a world-class destination for tourists.
“As a long-established tourism business in Angus, we are proud to be moving forward with creating a five-star hotel and luxury spa, as well as the first signature golf course by legendary Ryder Cup winner and former Open champion Darren Clarke OBE. We will now begin the preparatory work on stage one of the construction programme, which will see building construction starting on the golf course later this summer.”
The Angus had already secured planning permission in principle, with a section 42 order granted by the local authority in 2017 to allow a newly appointed project team to make alterations to the original designs. The redesign creates a sense of space that maximises the views, including a water feature in the entrance hall.
Caroline Warburton, Regional Leadership Director at VisitScotland, comments: “It is fantastic to see The Angus move onto the next stage of development. The resort will make an impressive addition to the strengthening tourism and leisure portfolio in Dundee and Angus. Tourism an increasingly important part of Dundee and Angus economies with this level of investment and job creation a vote of confidence in our sector as we recover from the pandemic. We look forward to working with the team as the development continues.”
The Forbes family is working with an experienced team of partners including 3D Reid Architects; Ryden; Morrison Construction; Balgair; Manson Architects; Curtins (civil, structural and geo-environmental engineering services) Team Niblick (golf course design); and CPC (project management) to oversee the construction of the development. A hotel partner/operator is expected to be announced in due course.
Leveraged & Equity Global Capital (L&EGC) has been appointed as Financing Partner, with its UK division Credit Risk Mitigation securing Invictus Risk Solutions and its broking partner to create a portfolio of insurances through Lloyds of London and the London Corporate market, which will underpin investment.
