Plans to turn a former family theme park into a £450 million holiday and leisure destination could create up to 2,500 jobs.
The Loudoun Castle Project aims to create an all-weather resort at the 610-acre site at Galston, East Ayrshire, featuring 450 luxury lodges, 12 glamping pitches, a lake and leisure development, indoor sports facilities and an indoor subtropical water park.
The site will also feature a new Loudoun distillery, while Loudoun Castle itself will be stabilised and leading conservation specialists will assess what can be done with the building.
It is anticipated that around 1,000 jobs will be created in the construction process for a period of at least five years, with an additional 1,500 long-term jobs created through the leisure and retail side of the plan.
David Mace, chairman of the Loudoun Castle Project, said: "A development of this size and scale will provide Scotland and Ayrshire with significant long-term economic benefits both in terms of jobs and tourism.
"The local community and Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley MSP Willie Coffey are delighted that we have assembled such a strong team of professionals that are committed to turning this vision into reality.
"Scottish tourism has had a great year given the international attention the country has received in 2014 through the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and Homecoming Scotland.
"We are keen to maximise the legacy created, by adding a world-class all-weather leisure facility and a visitor attraction that has real stand out. We will clearly attract new visitors from home and abroad and positively impact Ayrshire, making the whole of Scotland proud."
There are also plans for a residential development featuring a mix of house styles including starter homes, bungalows and three, four and five-bedroom family homes.
Project bosses this week submitted a planning in principle application to East Ayrshire Council for the two-phased development.
Timescales are subject to planning but if successful, work would begin onsite in 2016 with an anticipated opening during 2018 and phased development beyond that.
Key partners in the Loudoun Castle Project include private investment group EIF, global programme management and construction consultancy Turner & Townsend, global planning consultants RPS and specialist castle and heritage consultant Francis Shaw.
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