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Center Parcs has announced plans for its first ever holiday village in Scotland

The Scottish Borders location will have around 700 lodges, a huge swimming pool, a spa and much more

Annie McNamee
Written by
Annie McNamee
Contributor, Time Out London and UK
Center Parcs lake with resort
Photograph: Center Parcs
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Center Parcs is what you might imagine it would be like to live in Ballymory. Everyone’s happy, there’s no cars, and all you need to do all day is eat and enjoy various random activities like archery, quad-biking or pottery painting. They’ve basically got village-living down to an art – albeit a pricey one – but for too long the Scots have been forced to cross the border for a taste of that sweet, sweet community spirit.

This problem could soon be solved, as the Center Parcs gods have decided it’s time to expand north and open up the brand’s first location in Scotland, just north of the border.

The park would have around 700 lodges, a huge swimming pool, a spa, and, of course, lots of forest to explore. It’s in the very early stages at the moment, and a planning application is expected to be received sometime in 2025, so details could change by the time it’s actually built. 

To create the resort, Center Parcs will need to actually construct a forest, which would mean putting up acres and acres of trees a few miles away from the town of Hawick, which is about 55 miles south of Edinburgh and not very close to anywhere else. 

More than 700 local jobs are expected to be created if it does end up being built, a feat which could cost up to £400 million. Center Parcs’ CEO Colin McKinlay said that this is ‘a tremendously exciting project’ which could ‘transform leisure and tourism in the Scottish Borders’.

He continued: ‘Throughout our history, we have demonstrated that a Center Parcs village provides significant economic benefits locally, regionally and nationally… 

‘Many Scottish families already visit Center Parcs villages in England, and this village will offer the chance for people to enjoy their holidays closer to home, which in turn will benefit the local economy.’

If all goes to plan, this would become the company’s seventh resort in the UK and Ireland, and, of course, its first in Scotland. It’s definitely not dead set yet – the last time a big development was suggested on Scottish land it was hugely unpopular with locals – so we’ll see you again in 2025 when we might have a better idea of how things are going to go down.

Time Out in Scotland

Whether you’re after breakfast in Glasgow, art in Edinburgh, a hotel in Inverness, a remote clubnight or a perfect weekend in the north Highlands, Time Out has you covered. Explore all of our favourite things to do in Caledonia over at our Scotland hub. And if you want to dig a little deeper, read all about how Scottish culture conquered the underground or how the UK’s top restaurants fell in love with Scottish food

ICYMI: These 6 spectacular UK homes are shortlisted for a prestigious architectural prize

Plus: The UK’s 12 best Christmas markets have been crowned for 2024 by the Independent

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