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| Place of beauty - Commando Rock and Rothven Bay |
CONTROVERSY has bubbled up over plans by a celebrity couple to build a luxury house at a birding hotspot in the Highlands of Scotland.
Fashion designer Stella McCartney and husband Alashdair Willis, a brands consultant, are believed to have spent £450,000 on the purchase of 18.5 acres of land at Commando Rock on Roshven Bay from which there are breathtaking views of mountain peaks and the islands of Eigg, Muck and Rum.
The couple's proposed away-from-London holiday retreat, which lies 25 miles west of Fort William, has been described as "a sprawling £5-million showcase of ultra-modern architecture bristling with concrete, steel and glass".
But objectors include both Woodland Trust Scotland, unhappy about the prospect of mature pines and other trees being lost, and also wildlife enthusiasts who fear adverse impact on Red-listed birds, such as Curlew, and on otters, pine martens and red squirrels that also frequent the area.
However, an ecological consultancy for the applicants says mitigation for any disturbance could come in the form, for instance, of installing nest boxes for various species including Barn Owl and Great Spotted Woodpecker.
The consultant's survey of December 8, 2023 came up with 29 species.
However, the tally of species would almost certainly increase significantly if a similar survey were to take place in mid-summer or during a period of migration,
In advance of being determined, the planning application is currently under consideration by The Highland Council.
* The full list of species for December 8 was:
Curlew
Redwing
Red Grouse
Great Northern Diver
Fieldfare
Rook
Goldfinch
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Magpie
Blackbird
Woodpigeon
Chaffinch
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Jay
Dunnock
Robin
Wren
Long-tailed Tit
Oystercatcher
Raven
Grey Heron
Great Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Common Gull
Hooded Crow
Cormorant
Buzzard
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| The path leading up to Commando Rock would need to be widened to make way for the development |
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