The family behind controversial plans to restore a derelict fishing bothy on the Moray coast has appealed to the Scottish Government for a second time.
Millie Bothy, thought to have been used for salmon fishing in the 19th century, stands stoically in a clearing around 250ft away from Roseisle beach.
In May, councillors unanimously agreed to refuse plans to restore and convert the ruins into a holiday home after it received 264 objections and 37 supporting comments.
The Urquhart family has now appealed to the Scottish Government to overrule the rejection – which they say was “not only unjustified but unreasonable”.
Documents submitted by developers Aurora Planning claim the refusal was decided without reasonable grounds – pointing out that Sepa, Scottish Forestry and NatureScot made no objections.
They also argue Moray Council should be required to pay the costs incurred by the family for making this appeal.
History of objections and appeals
This is the second time the Urquhart family has appealed to the Scottish Government to overturn the council’s decision.
John Urquhart previously told The Press and Journal that his family has always been involved with the building, with relatives working there as fishermen in the 1950s.
He said they always intended to “honour the history and bring it back to its former glory” after buying it in 2017.
The first application was made in November 2018 to convert the bothy into an office and build 10 self-catering holiday units alongside it.
After receiving 411 objections from locals it was rejected by officers in October 2019.
However, developers appealed to the Scottish Government on behalf of the family a month later, stating the project would enhance the area.
Their appeal was thrown out due to concerns about the impact on dolphins.
A second planning application was submitted to Moray Council in August 2021, but then withdrawn by the developers later that year.
Much to the dismay of locals, a third application with a scaled-back version of the holiday home was made in August 2022 – sparking unrest and controversy.
While the planning application was awaiting a decision, Moray Council stepped in to stop works on the site and issued a temporary stop notice in February 2023.
At the time, Mr Urquhart accused Moray Council of “fuelling” anger over the development and trying to find “any and every” reason to reject the proposal.
The Urquhart family has been approached for a comment.
The appeal submitted to the Scottish Government can be found online.
While, the full planning application can be found on Moray Council’s website.
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