The developer behind a new hotel in Portree on Skye, which received council planning permission earlier this year, has chosen a name for the proposed resort following a competition launched in the Free Press.
The hotel will be situated on the site of the former golf course on the Struan Road in Portree.
After receiving close to 300 entries, Mr Charles Garton Jones – a London-based property developer who also owns the Cow Shed, a boutique bunkhouse in Uig – picked the winning name – ‘The Bracken Hide’, which was submitted by Skeabost resident Ian Williams.
“In all, we had nearly 300 suggestions,” said Mr Garton Jones. “It was great fun going through them and narrowing them down, but there was one that stood out from the crowd. ‘The Bracken Hide’, we thought, conveyed a lovely feeling of exploring the wilderness.”
Mr Williams, who received a cheque for £250 for his winning suggestion, said the idea was prompted by a photo of the resort which sparked a memory from his childhood. He said: “For me, it was the image that was in the press of the building and particularly the roof, which was covered in greenery. And immediately the choice for me was bracken.
” Coming from North Wales, as a kid I used to play in bracken and hide and seek came to mind. It really was about the image that I saw – this wonderful rustic countryside and the roof camouflaging the building.”
The resort will include 27 individual accommodation pods and a ‘hub’ building comprising a reception, bar, and restaurant. In a separate zone there will a sauna and outdoor plunge pool. Five staff accommodation pods will also be built, in addition to a 51-space car park.
Mr Garton Jones said the project would create up to 20 jobs.
He told the Free Press: “We are hopeful of getting building work started by the summer, all being well. The funding is there so it is just a question of getting on with the build.”
Article by Adam Gordon