Inchmarlo Golf Club is partially saved

A liquidated Scottish resort has been partially saved after a deal was struck with a landowning family that has an association with the club’s villas.

Inchmarlo Resort and Golf Club in Aberdeenshire, which was placed into liquidation last month, includes an 18-hole golf course, a nine-hole course and the luxury villa accommodation. It had experienced trading difficulties for some time and 25 members of staff were made redundant when the courses were closed in February.

“Inchmarlo Land Company (ILC), majority owned by the landowning Burnett of Leys family, has stepped in to rescue the vital sporting and community facility, so the nine-hole golf course and driving range at Inchmarlo have been rescued and will re-open on April 1,” said Stephen Rafferty, a spokesman for ILC. “However, the 18-hole Laird’s Course is not owned by ILC and is therefore not part of the rescue deal.

ILC has spoken to some of the 25 staff who lost their jobs with a view to re-employing them, he added.

“ILC is in discussions with a view to re-employing some of the 25 Inchmarlo Golf Centre staff who were made redundant by the liquidator,” he said.

“The new owners have held an initial talk with some committee members of Inchmarlo Golf Club who are expected to call an EGM which will include discussing the continuation of the club as a nine-hole club.

“ILC plans to meet with owners of the holiday villas to determine what facilities can be provided to support continued operation as holiday lets.”

James Burnett, director of ILC, said: “For more than 20 years Inchmarlo Golf Course has been an important part of the sporting and leisure infrastructure of Royal Deeside.

“We have acted as quickly as possible to reach an agreement with the provisional liquidator to purchase the assets of Inchmarlo Golf Centre which will see the nine-hole Queen’s Course and driving range reopen for business on April 1.

“The important message for golf club members is that golfing at Inchmarlo will continue and we intend to restore and improve the Queen’s Course and maintain it to the desired and expected standards.

“We understand this has been an extremely distressing time for staff employed at the golf course who lost their jobs. We are currently employing five of the 30 staff and that may change according to the scale and nature of the work required.”