West coast hotel wins row with council over road signs after government intervenes

The Scottish Government has intervened in a row between a west coast hotel and Argyll and Bute Council.

Bosses at Stonefield Castle Hotel, situated by the shores of Loch Fyne at Tarbert, had erected two signs directing advancing motorists to the venue.

The first advises drivers they are 200m away and the second boasts of the hotel’s “restaurant, lounges, loch views and woodland walks”.

But the business had not sought permission from the local authority before putting them up, and was ordered to remove them.

Argyll and Bute Council served an enforcement notice in February on the hotel, stating the signs could cause “unnecessary distraction to drivers”.

But the firm appealed to the Scottish Government, which has now allowed the signs to remain in place until bosses get permission from Bear Scotland for official brown tourist signs that are compliant with council standards.

Appeal documents state that Stonefield Castle Hotel’s business is “vitally dependant on advance signage” due to its lack of visibility from the road, and that research showed that no crashes took place near to the signs.