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Controversial project to renovate historic Moray ruins gathers almost 200 objections

Millie Bothy ruins
Millie Bothy ruins

Controversial proposals to convert a historic ruin on a Moray beach into a holiday park have prompted almost 200 objections.

The Millie Bothy is an abandoned ruin that dates back to the 19th Century and sits on the beach near Roseisle Forest.

The Urquhart family purchased the site and the surrounding five acres of land in 2017 and plans to restore and convert the bothy into an office before erecting ten self-catering holiday units alongside it.


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Those proposals, submitted to the Moray Council, have been objected to 197 times with the main concern being the negative impact the development would have on the surrounding landscape.

One of the people behind the project, Marianne Urquhart, has however claimed that there has been an orchestrated campaign to generate as many objections as possible.

She believes that the amount of objections does not tally up with the amount of support they have received from locals in neighbouring Burghead.

She said: “As for the objections,  quite a few people mention they don’t even live in Moray.

“It’s also quite clear from a lot of the comments that most of the people objecting haven’t even looked at our plans.

“This has been an orchestrated campaign to generate as many objections as possible.

“I have had many people get in touch with me to give me their support and think what we’re planning on doing is a great idea and will benefit the local tourism industry.

“In particular a lot of locals from neighbouring Burghead have been very supportive.”

Ten self-catered holidays cabins designed to look like fisher huts will be installed alongside the bothy.

Moray Council’s Woodland and Forestry Strategy promotes the potential opportunity for holiday lodges in Roseisle Forest.

In one objection to the local authority, it is claimed the development would “impact on the natural environment of an unspoilt stretch of coastline” and that “the natural beauty of this area is an important asset to both tourism and local communities alike and the development would be ill placed in the currently unspoilt area.”

Mrs Urquhart insists that the accommodation would not have a negative impact on protected species and habitat there.

She said: “Regarding concerns about wildlife, an ecologist has conducted an investigation.

“He has ascertained no protected species or habitats will be negatively effected by the development.

“Furthermore, we want to minimise any disruption to forest users so all guests would park at the visitor car park and walk a short distance to the cabins.

“This is not unusual – Centre Parcs has a similar arrangement for their guests.

“This is very much in line with our ethos, helping people to switch off from life’s stresses on their holiday right from the minute they arrive.

“Another really important fact to note is the area to be developed is less than 2 acres and accounts for about 0.14% of Roseisle Forest.”

Mrs Urquhart has a long history with the village as her grandfather and his twin brother worked at the Millie Bothy as fisherman in the 1950s.

Moray Speyside Tourism Operations Manager Laurie Piper is always supportive of tourism initiatives but expressed caution about this particular one.

He said: “I’m generally supportive of anything that strengthens the tourism industry in region.

“However, in the case of this particular proposal, there are legitimate concerns which would need to be addressed, if possible.”

The Millie Bothy was built in the mid 1800s and from 1926 was one of eight salmon bothies owned by the Moray Firth Salmon Fisheries Company.

Five or six fisherman occupied the bothy from February to August each year until the late 1970s.