Center Parcs Plans First Holiday Village in Scotland

Center Parcs, the premium family short-break provider, announced ambitious plans to develop its first holiday village in Scotland, marking a significant expansion of its operations with an investment of up to £400 million.

The proposed development, located approximately three miles north of Hawick in the Scottish Borders, represents the company’s seventh village across the UK and Ireland.

The new resort, situated 55 miles south of Edinburgh, will be built on a 1,000-acre site owned by the Buccleuch Group, with the actual development footprint expected to cover 400 acres.

The project includes plans for approximately 700 lodges and is projected to create 1,200 permanent jobs once operational, with an additional 750-800 positions during the construction phase.

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“This is a tremendously exciting project and offers the opportunity to transform leisure and tourism in the Scottish Borders,” said Colin McKinlay, Chief Executive Officer of Center Parcs. “There is robust demand to support a seventh village, and many Scottish families already visit our villages in England.”

The development will mirror the successful format of Center Parcs’ existing locations, featuring the company’s signature Subtropical Swimming Paradise, an Aqua Sana Forest Spa, restaurants, shops, and various indoor and outdoor activities.

The company, which currently attracts more than two million visitors annually across its six existing sites, plans to submit a formal planning application in 2025.

Environmental considerations feature prominently in the proposal.

The company has committed to an extensive afforestation program on what is currently predominantly grassland, promising significant biodiversity improvements. “Sustainability is core to our values,” McKinlay emphasized. “We have a track record of transforming commercial woodland into rich ecosystems of flora and fauna.”

The project has garnered support from local leaders.

Euan Jardine, Scottish Borders Council leader, described it as an “absolutely phenomenal investment” in the region. “To have a company with such a nationwide and worldwide name as Center Parcs invest in the Borders – the first in Scotland as well – is fantastic news,” he said.

Benny Higgins, Executive Chairman of the Buccleuch Group, which has signed an option agreement with Center Parcs, expressed optimism about the project’s impact: “This project promises to have an outstandingly positive impact on tourism and leisure in the Scottish Borders.”

The development represents the largest investment in the area since the Borders Railway, according to Professor Russel Griggs, chair of South of Scotland Enterprise.

The organization plans to work closely with Center Parcs to ensure local businesses and communities benefit from the development.

Center Parcs, which began operations in the Netherlands in the late 1960s before expanding to the UK in 1987, has established itself as a leading family holiday destination.

The company currently operates four villages in England: Sherwood Forest (Nottinghamshire), Elveden Forest (Suffolk), Longleat Forest (Wiltshire), and Woburn Forest (Bedfordshire), plus Whinfell Forest in Cumbria and Longford Forest in County Longford, Ireland.

The Scottish project, estimated to cost between £350 million and £400 million, represents one of the largest leisure investments in Scotland in recent years and is expected to significantly boost the local economy through job creation and increased tourism.

 

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