The Carrick golf course helps earn Loch Lomond award

Feb 13 2009 by Laura McLachlan, Lennox Herald (main ed)

A LOCH Lomond golf course has helped earn the National Park a UK award.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority last week received a Royal Town Planning Institute Award for its work in ensuring The Carrick Golf Course, located on the banks of Loch Lomond, was sustainable.

The authority’s newly appointed chief executive, Fiona Logan, said: “We are delighted to receive this honour because it recognises our efforts in protecting the environment whilst supporting economic growth.

“Our role is not only to protect and enhance the natural environment of this stunning part of Scotland but also to help the area’s economy, and the golf resort provided an opportunity to do both.”

The 110-hectare, £48m project being developed by the De Vere Group is set to create up to 300 jobs and an extra £4.5m of visitor spend per year.

The judges commended the Carrick course, which played host to last year’s Scottish Ladies Open, and this year will host the club professionals version of the Ryder Cup, and the rest of the development, for how well it was integrated into its surroundings.

At the awards ceremony at London’s Hilton Hotel, the Park Authority was presented with the award for Rural Areas and the Natural Environment.

The Park Authority’s director of planning, Gordon Watson, added: “The development has successfully regenerated a despoiled area on the lochside, which included redundant gravel pits.

“We worked hard with the developer to ensure the new resort enhanced the surroundings with high quality new buildings, sensitive landscape design and use of materials.

“Real community and conservation benefits were delivered with a new cycle path, a significant new nature reserve for otters, comprehensive woodland management and extensive visitor interpretation and education provision.”