Plans lodged for £30m eco-hotel near UK’s longest dry ski slope
Proposals for a 140-bedroom hotel near Britain’s longest dry ski slope have been submitted to councillors.
The £30m proposals for Calderstones Estate, near Edinburgh, would also see the creation of restaurants, a spa, a conference centre, and leisure facilities.
Included in the proposals are 38 ‘eco-suites’.
The site is located by the Hillend dry ski slope, operated as Midlothian Snowsports Centre, which is currently the subject of a multimillion-pound redevelopment plan.
The project’s architectural designer, ADP, has submitted the plans to Midlothian Council on behalf of Landscape Hotels Scotland.
Included in the proposals are a number of measures taken to reduce the environmental impact of the project, including using local products for manufacturing, the installation of solar panels, and the use of air source heat pumps.
The centre risked closure in 2010 due to losses of £500,000 a year, however a campaign attracted 26,000 members on Facebook and councillors agreed to keep it open.
A previous application to develop the site had met opposition from the local community and environmental groups over the potential impact on the local Pentland Hills.
