A DISGRACED property tycoon who faked a suicide attempt by firing a shotgun out of a window in a bid to frighten his wife and children has been revealed as the man behind a major hotel development in the Highlands.
William Frame was branded "a melodramatic attention-seeker" by a sheriff after he admitted acting in a disorderly manner during the incident at his home at Gamefield, Perthshire, in 2014.
He was ordered to carry out 275 hours of community service , but has now rebuilt his career and launched a new venture.
Planning permission has been lodged with Highland Council to revitalise a site at the Tomatin junction, near Inverness, which is currently lying empty.
The project would see the creation of a 97-bedroom hotel, farm shop and 200-seater restaurant along with a drive-through bakery and food outlet, four retail units and a fuel filling station serving the A9.
The site was historically occupied by the Freeburn Hotel which ceased trading in the 1960s and became a Little Chef eaterie, before being demolished in 2008.
Friends said that Mr Frame, the founder of property firm Braemore Estates, remains up front about his conviction and bitterly regrets the incident which saw the 60-year-year-old fire the gun in his home while his family cowered in a bathroom.
His wife and children believed he had killed himself and did not realise he had shot out of the bedroom window until he knocked the door.
They were so frightened by his conduct they stayed locked inside the room until police arrived at their Perthshire estate house.
A close friend of the property magnate said: "William, like so many other property developers at the time, was under a great deal of pressure from his bank and feared he may lose his business.
"This incident was completely a one-off and something that he bitterly regrets. It's to his credit that he has rebuilt his business and is making a success of things."
It is hoped the Tomatin scheme would provide a platform to showcase local produce, as well as providing jobs and an economic boost to the area.
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Mr Frame said: “I first bought the site in 2005 and believe this is now the right time to take forward our plans with the commitment of Transport Scotland to improve accessibility to the Highlands.
“There is high demand for quality, affordable hotel rooms within easy reach of both Aviemore and Inverness as well as the many attractions of the area from the North Coast 500, Loch Ness and Cairngorm National Park through to many of Scotland’s renowned distilleries.
“The development will showcase the best of the Highland region, from the products in the retail outlets to the locally sourced produce in the restaurant and farm shop, which will represent the best of Scottish food and drink.
Architect Mark Fresson of Norr, added; “Our vision for the site is to create a cluster of memorable buildings appropriate to its spectacular Highland setting.
"The development will complement the surrounding landscape using a mix of traditional materials such as stone, timber and slate echoing its historic past while looking to the future”.
If planning is approved it is anticipated that the new hotel, food and retail village would open in late summer next year.
Property Consultant Jack Cadell from Cadell Property said: “The development at Tomatin will provide road users, tourists and local people the opportunity to stop and sample some of Scotland’s best in a high-quality village style environment.
“We have been delighted by the interest we have had at such an early stage by a real breadth of occupiers who recognise and understand the potential of this landmark development”
READ MORE: Tomatin project receives green bank investement
David Kirkwood, Managing Director of Thomson Bethune Limited said: “We’re delighted to act as Project Managers on this exciting and ambitious new hotel, restaurant and retail development in the heart of the Highlands of Scotland. It’s fantastic to be part of a project that will ultimately boost the local economy, from the construction phase onwards.”
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