A world famous golf course in the Highlands has received “positive” feedback on its plans to build a new driving range and café.
Royal Dornoch Golf Club now hopes to lodge a full planning application for the development this summer.
The scheme has been proposed for a 20-acre site in Dornoch that was previously home to an abattoir and gasworks.
A public consultation event was held at the club on Monday, and Highland councillors will consider a pre-application notice at a meeting next week.
Neil Hampton, general manager at the club, said the public engagement exercise this week had gone well, although he was still waiting for the final report from consultants.
“I think generally the feedback was positive. I’m not aware of any negative feedback,” he said.
“We can take on board their comments and fine tune it in a way that suits them.”
He added: “It will be the middle of summer before we put the planning application in.
“We would like to have it ready next year. The ideal situation is the start of the golf season next year.
“It’s just an extension of the facilities that we think are necessary. The facilities I think are more for local people than attracting big tournaments.”
Royal Dornoch golf club has enjoyed a boost in visitor numbers so far this year, as celebrations are held to mark 400 years of golf in the town.
The club hopes to create a new 16-bay driving range on a field that they own to the rear of the former abattoir site and convert a dilapidated gas works into a cafe and shop selling the club’s merchandise.
Parking plans are at an early stage but it is thought there could be up to four coach bays at the site, as during the summer months the Dornoch Square can be very busy with tourists.
New public toilets for the town will also be considered as part of the plans.
A separate application has been submitted for 40 new student flats at the same derelict abattoir site.
Specialist developer Cityheart Ltd will spend £2.5million on the residences as part of UHI’s drive to build hundreds of new student flats across the region.