Plans to create tourist destination on Isle of Pladda with holiday lodges and café

Plans have been drawn up to create boutique holiday accommodation and living spaces on an island off of Arran.

Developers are looking to build an ecologically and economically self-sufficient home and destination for “low impact” tourism on the Isle of Pladda.

Denham Youd has been instructed by their client to boost the current visitor economy on Arran through the project.

As well as holiday lodges, one of the current buildings will be stripped out and refurbished to be used for on-site living accommodation for the workers that will live on site and manage the holiday lodges.

Two buildings that are situated next to the jetty are set to be refurbished and used as a boat shed and café for local seamen to visit the island and will be utilised for the islands visitors and inhabitants.

A building attached to the existing lighthouse is set to be a communal area for visitors to relax and might include an eatery or bar area for patrons use.

Pladda development Denham Youd/North Ayrshire Council

A wind turbine will be situated north of the site to provide power to the proposed and existing buildings.

Upgrades will also be made to the existing courtyard spaces, jetty, boat store and self-accommodation bothy.

A design statement reads: “The vision is an enjoyable and educational experience for visitors who share a love of marine wildlife, rugged landscapes, maritime history and want to experience that in a sustainable low impact manner.

“In delivering this vision we hope to inspire others by demonstrating how green technologies can be used in the 21st century to harness the bountiful renewable resources of Scotland.”

Pladda lies of the south coast of the Isle of Arran with the journey over taking around 15 minutes from Silver Sands beach.

Visitors will be transported to the island by boat from Lamlash harbour.

Pladda Isle has been the site of a lighthouse since 1790 joining the lights of the Mull of Kintyre, of Little Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde, and of Copeland light on the Irish Coast.

Automation of the lighthouse and the withdrawal of lighthouse keepers began in 1990 with the lighthouse now monitored remotely from Edinburgh.

The island is currently unoccupied despite there being a number of buildings including the lighthouse, lighthouse keeper accommodation, boat house, tractor shed and another dwelling.

Developers say the buildings are in need of refurbishment to bring them back to life.

The application is currently in the pre-planning application stage with reports so far concluding that the development won’t need an environmental impact assessment.