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Visit Scotland | Alba
Article published 06/11/2024

Center Parcs, the UK and Ireland family-break provider, has announced a proposal for its first Scottish holiday village, to be located near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. The estimated investment to create the site is expected to be between £350 – 400 million, and could create up to 1,200 jobs.

The site chosen for the village is approximately three miles north of Hawick and 55 miles south of Edinburgh. The site would provide significant benefits to the local economy in Scotland, including job creation.

Center Parcs continues to see significant demand for domestic short breaks, and the expansion into Scotland would provide customers with a new site to explore.

Proposals are currently at an early stage, as Center Parcs intend to submit a planning application in 2025 for approximately 700 lodges. The site will offer a range of indoor and outdoor activities, shops, bars, restaurants, an Aqua Sana Forest Spa and Center Parcs’ iconic indoor water park, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise.

Center Parcs plans to undertake an extensive programme of afforestation, carefully cultivating a new woodland and delivering significant biodiversity net gain on the site. Currently, the site is predominantly open grassland with some woodland areas.
 

 

Girl walking across suspended aerial bridge. Credit: Center Parcs

“The announcement represents a multi-million pound investment that will raise the profile of the area, it’s a vote of confidence in Scotland’s visitor economy and is a significant announcement for the South of Scotland.

"The project will undoubtedly bring jobs to the region, as well as create opportunities for local suppliers and producers to contribute to Center Parc’s distinct offering. This is welcome news for Scotland and the South of Scotland specifically.”

Vicki Miller, Chief Executive, VisitScotland

“This is a tremendously exciting project and offers the opportunity to transform leisure and tourism in the Scottish Borders. Center Parcs is an exceptionally popular destination for families in the UK and Ireland and there is robust demand to support a seventh village.

"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.

"Sustainability is core to our values. In our three decades of operating in the UK and Ireland, we have transformed areas of commercial woodland into a rich tapestry of flora and fauna, considerably enhancing the biodiversity of each village. This site gives us the opportunity to take a bold, new approach and create a woodland ourselves, delivering significant biodiversity net gain and planting thousands of new trees.”

Colin McKinlay, Chief Executive Officer of Center Parcs

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