Kenmore, a pretty and peaceful village on the banks of Scotland’s River Tay, is an idyllic spot.
However, local residents are frightened the village will soon become a “ghost town”, reports Sky News.
Neighbouring Taymouth Castle and its land has been bought by an American business which is planning to turn the area into a resort for the mega wealthy.
Investors Discovery Land Company (DLC) has also bought and closed the village’s hotel and post office.
Local campaigner, Rob Jamieson, told Sky News: “They don’t want the great unwashed walking past their high-end homes.
“It is everything that a rich person could ever want but they never have to leave the confines of that estate.”
Plans for the estate are expected to include 208 residential units and club suites with clients including billionaires and celebrities.
The project was given planning permission by Perth and Kinross Council in 2011 although locals have launched a petition to fight back.
DLC insisted to Sky News that all regulations were being followed, including allowing the public the right to roam on paths around the castle.
Ingrid Sheilds, another local protestor, said: “A lot of the time when you come here, it is literally a ghost town.”
She claimed that restaurants have closed down and that the village had been “transformed” by the project.
The council chairman said: “The castle has been in disrepair for 40 years. Steps are being taken to convert Kenmore back to a sustainable village.
“Over the last 20 years, there was a 20 percent drop in residential people living here. It will not be a closed community. I suspect they’ll be using local facilities.”
Express.co.uk has contacted DLC for comment.
Source: express.co.uk