FRESH concerns have been raised around plans to develop a Scottish castle and its grounds into a luxury resort for the mega-rich after campaigners liaised with global communities impacted by the same US firm.
An article published by Chris Heasman, a campaigner in the Loch Tay area, documented “abominable” broken promises from Discovery Land Company (DLC) at developments from Yellowstone National Park in the US to Guana Cay Reef in the Bahamas.
Heasman listed how golf course construction at DLC compounds abroad – as is planned at Taymouth Castle – had led to chemicals “choking” and “smothering” ecosystems as well as broken promises of funding for community benefit.
While a spokesperson for the firm did not deny any of the allegations in the article, they insisted that the Loch Tay development would be a “model of sustainability”.
READ MORE: Investigation launched into 'unauthorised development' on billionaire's estate
DLC runs some 35 "worlds" across the planet. These are exclusive, self-contained compounds where mega-rich members buy property which runs into the tens of millions.
The firm is leaning on planning permission granted in 2011 to a previous owner of Taymouth Castle as it looks to develop in Scotland.
Heasman wrote: “We’ve been lucky enough to speak with activists, campaigners and residents from Barbuda, the Bahamas, Portugal, California, New York and beyond, all of whom have dealt with, or are currently dealing with, the consequences of a Discovery development.
“It’s been a harrowing process. The corporate playbook rarely changes; the same scars always linger. And while it’s not easy to hear the suffering these people have faced, their stories are vital fragments of a greater whole — and only by knowing them can we see the perils ahead.”
In Barbuda, “deep concerns” about DLC’s Ocean Club Project were raised by United Nations representatives. The firm pledged more than $10 million after hurricane Irma to rebuild local schools, build a medical centre, restore lagoon and beachland and build a new airport.
Heasman wrote: “Six years later, only one of these promises has been delivered: the funding of the new airport, intended by DLC to accommodate ‘almost any size private aircraft’.”
At Yellowstone in Montana, DLC has been found by the Environmental Protection Agency and other US bodies to have violated the Clean Water Act on multiple occasions.
“The developers and landowners of the new community must immediately stop releasing sediment into tributaries of the Gallatin River and stop filling nearby wetlands, state and federal officials have ordered,” local reports said.
“The violations are related to the construction of a golf course, ski runs and roads at the 13,400-acre development.”
READ MORE: Why we want to prevent Loch Tay from being a billionaires' playground
And in The Bahamas, environmental advocate Fred Smith KC told media in 2015: “They burned the entire forest, they tore down the mangroves, they dug it all up.
“They’ve got a golf course and the chemicals are seeping into the reefs that are there.”
Local media reported the loss of “40% of the coral cover” at Guana Cay Reef in just two years, while Dr Troy Albury, a campaigner in the area, listed further unfulfilled promises of community investment – alongside the blocking of access to previous public byways.
The Protect Loch Tay group said that Heasman’s catalogue of DLC activities around the globe should be a wake-up call for politicians in Scotland, and urged them to take notice.
A spokesperson said: “This article is both heartbreaking and enraging. Heartbreaking to know what DLC has done to these communities and environments, and enraging to see the similarities to what they are hoping to do here in Scotland.
READ MORE: Bring in by-laws to protect Loch Tay from 'playground' plans, campaigners say
“This should be a wake up call to everyone who cares about our homeland, and, in particular, those who are meant to protect it from damage and destruction.
“Both John Swinney MSP (below) and Pete Wishart MP have stated this is a Scotland-wide issue, and rightly so and we should all be very worried.”
The group said it has sent Heasman’s piece to a host of politicians and local authorities, adding: “Some community councils appear to be very much pro this development, which can surely only mean that they are unaware of DLC's abominable track record at their other resorts?
“If they were unaware of the appalling track record of these developers, we are sure they will now rethink their position and act accordingly.”
Asked to respond to Heasman’s piece, a DLC spokesperson said: “Every aspect of the Taymouth Estate is being designed in a way that restores and preserves the environment, protects wildlife, minimises our carbon footprint and eliminates sources of waste that have polluted Loch Tay for years.
“Wherever possible, we are going beyond laws related to sustainability and are using innovative approaches, including some that are relatively new to Scotland.
“We are working closely with expert arborists, veterinarians, preservationists and NatureScot, and we are committed to making this community a model of sustainability far beyond this region.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel