Welcome to Oban and Fort William Planning Ahead – The Press and Journal’s weekly planning round-up.
It looks at applications submitted to Argyll and Bute Council and Highland Council.
And it joins our north-east and Inverness series, which offer readers a selection of the most interesting local planning applications.
This week, we feature a plan for a new distillery in Ballachulish and an extension at Corpach, as well as plans submitted and withdrawn at Glencoe.
In Oban, there is an application for a single-storey house at Croft Road and a request for a major two-year felling licence at Taynuilt.
New distillery in Ballachulish
A planning application has been lodged for a new distillery to be built on the banks of Loch Leven, close to the Ballachulish Bridge.
Plans were lodged on December 18 and validated on February 12, with a decision due by Highland Council planners by April 11.
The applicant is Colin Shaw, whose address is given as Northleach, near Cheltenham.
The plans are for the erection of a distillery building with a shop and café, the erection of warehouses and a store, and the formation of a car park on land 200ft north of Ardea in Ballachulish.
In papers associated with the planning application, Mr Shaw says: “Our vision for the new craft distillery takes its architectural cues from both the surrounding landscape and the distilling process itself.
“The distillery will specialise in a triple distillation method to create a unique whisky, utilising three copper stills during the production process.
“These stills are represented in the architecture through three extruded ‘chimney’ elements carefully placed throughout the building as architectural gestures within key spaces and to aid with natural ventilation.”
The distillery and associated buildings would be built in two phases, with the second phase constructed three years after the completion of phase one.
The applicant continues: “The production hall and warehouse are, by necessity of their processes, double-height volumes, while the visitor experience is smaller in scale to reflect the less industrial nature of its interior.”
The proposed development site for the distillery is located off the A828 trunk road, accessed via an existing private access road, formerly the old A82 main road.
Camus Na Ha House in Corpach to be extended
Peter Colwell and Clare Sladen have asked Highland Council for permission to alter and extend their home at Camus Na Ha House in Corpach.
The application was lodged on Friday February 14 and validated on the same day.
In plans provided to Highland Council, it appears the couple want to extend a room on the first floor to create a family bathroom, with extensions to the front of the building to add windows.
The application is due to be determined by Sunday April 13.
The house was originally built in 2014.
House plan for Croft Drive in Oban
A planning application has been lodged with Argyll and Bute Council for a new house on land near Croft Road in Oban.
Plans for the home and vehicle access were lodged on Monday February 24 and validated by the council on the same day.
The land on which the house is proposed is to the south of Cuileann Croft, where the applicant, Alasdair Maclean, lives.
The agent working on the planning application on behalf of Mr Maclean is Robert Wilson.
The plan is for a single-storey, one-bedroom house with an open-plan kitchen and living room, a bathroom and a utility room.
The application site has previously obtained planning approval for a house and is located within a cluster of similar residential dwellings.
In papers lodged with the application, it is stated: “The existing site is surrounded by steep banks.
“However, the location of the house has been positioned to minimise ground works on a relatively level part of the site.”
Application for felling licence at Taynuilt
An application was lodged with Argyll and Bute Council on February 26 to fell trees in Fanans Forest near Taynuilt.
The application was lodged by Scottish Forestry in Perth to begin felling trees on April 1 2025, continuing until Thursday April 1, 2027.
The operation will involve felling 20,200 Sitka spruce, 2,000 Japanese larch and 475 Scots pine.
All the trees are around 35 years old, covering approximately 16 hectares.
The applicant says felling some of the trees is necessary to reach the highly prized larch trees.
In paperwork associated with the plans, it states: “In order to reach the larch, it is necessary to fell some of the surrounding Sitka spruce as part of management felling.
“The alternative approach would be to send a team of chainsaw operators to fell the larch to waste. However, this has been discounted on safety grounds.”
Scottish Forestry plans to restock the forest with 15.28 hectares of Sitka spruce and create designated open ground, covering 0.8 hectares.
The council will determine the plan by March 25.
Determination on applications
Fort William
A plan for staff accommodation at the Glencoe Hotel in Glencoe has been withdrawn.
The Co-op in Mallaig has been granted permission to fit a canopy enclosure on Station Road.
Croit Anna Hotel has had plans for alterations and formation of six bedrooms approved.
Oban
Aspen at Glencruitten in Oban has had a woodland creation plan approved.
Change of use of existing facilities to provide short term letting accommodation (retrospective) at The Studio, at Ulva Ferry has been approved.
It has been decided that the change of use of a barn to a shop at Tormisdale Farm at Port Charlotte on Islay requires prior approval.
We help you keep on top of planning matters
Read more about each application:
- Camus-Na-Ha Annat View Corpach Fort William
- New distillery in Ballachulish
- Croft Drive, Oban
- Taynuilt felling licence
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