Scotland’s largest conservation charity has signalled its intent to oppose a new attempt to develop TreeTop Stables, Faebuie, Culloden Moor as a holiday complex.

The National Trust for Scotland opposed the original planning application back in May 2018 and the application was subsequently turned down by the Highland Council.

The trust owns a key part of the battlefield of Culloden but not the land on which the stables are built.

The charity has raised its voice in the past against developments which it said threatened "the integrity of the wider historic battlefield", which ranged over a large area on 16 April 1746, and its setting.

The NTS said re-submitted proposal is once again based on the conversion of the TreeTop equestrian centre, which as it currently exists has little intrusive impact, to enable construction of holiday, leisure and hospitality facilities.

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Clea Warner, the National Trust for Scotland’s general manager for the Highlands & Islands said: “I can see nothing especially ‘new’ about this new submission.

“The previous application was turned down by Highland Council because it wasn't sufficiently sensitive to the surrounding woodland, and undermined the Conservation Area.

"While the 2020 application appears to suggest additional landscaping, quite frankly I can’t otherwise see much difference from the preceding 2018 submission.

“The application mentions that about 13 accommodation units would be built, but references 16 elsewhere.

"By our calculations, assuming the holiday accommodation is all new floor space, the applicants seem to be proposing 994 square metres of new buildings.

"These 13 or 16 lodges would be raised up on stilts, close to two storeys in height, with each appearing to be about the size of a static caravan.

“Our 2018 objection was based on four main issues: protection, conservation and, where appropriate, enhancement of the key historic landscape characteristics, particularly in the context of the Conservation Area; the scale of the development and its impact on woodland; the possibility of ‘development creep’ changing current land use; and, the possible precedent this would set thereby encouraging more developers to try their luck.

"Nothing in this fresh application alleviates any of these concerns.

“To be clear, we do not object to every planning application that comes forward around Culloden. Where changes to existing buildings or land do not result in a visual impact, change of use or materially extend the ‘footprint’, we tend not have concerns.

"Unfortunately, in this case, from what we have seen, our objection would be fully justified.”

READ MORE: Letters: The '45 was no war of independence

An agent for developer Inverness Paving said in its pre-application summary: "The proposal is to create a leisure/holiday let ‘village’ of provisionally 16 units in a mix of one bedroom - one-four person - and two bedroom  - two-six person - lodges.

"The proposal is for the majority -13 - of these lodges to be elevated at two heights within the tree cover.

"These will be accessed by low impact gravelled paths through the existing trees, with individual stair accesses and timber deck balconies. Three units will be at ground level and will be designed to be fully accessible, within easy access of the designated parking.

"The lodges will be timber framed and clad, modularised and installed with minimum impact to existing mature and protected trees. Footings for the designed exposed steel column supports will be limited in area with concrete pads located to avoid root systems.

"Utilities supplies and drainage will similarly be routed to avoid damage to the woodland. It is anticipated that although selective trees will be removed to facilitate the development, these will comprise less than 10% of existing tree cover and will be agreed with the local authority’s tree officer.

"Access to the treetops lodges will be limited to foot traffic only. Ground cover to the woodland area will be selectively managed, to improve the habitat for wildlife and enhance the feel of a woodland setting.

"A central stone/pebble lined watercourse will be developed along the line of an existing drainage ditch with ground and rain water collected at a new small pond to the north boundary. Generally landscaping will be developed and enhanced by a new site wide landscape design based on the natural forest and open pasture environment."

The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745 and the last pitched battle fought on British soil. On 16 April 1746, the Jacobite forces of Prince Charles Edward Stuart were decisively defeated by Government troops on Culloden Moor.