PLANS have been unveiled for a huge restaurant, hotel and retail development in the heart of the Highlands.
Work at the site beside the A9 near Inverness - the main artery to the Highlands - is due to begin in the Autumn ahead of a 2009 opening.
The development, 14 miles south of Inverness at Tomatin, will cost £8 million and is to include a luxury food offering, shopping facilities and overnight accommodation.
The plans have been welcomes by the local area which hasn`t seen any significant construction since the early 1990s. The scheme is expected to create around one hundred jobs for local people.
A 42 bedroom Scottish-themed hotel, 160 cover restaurant showcasing local produce and a small cluster of shops are outlined in the plans, which are the brain-child of Braemore Estates Managing Director William Frame.
Mr Frame said: “This part of the Highlands has been crying out for a quality development like this for a long time.
“The journey to the Highlands can be an arduous one for travellers coming from England or the central belt.
"A warm and inviting place to stop for a meal, rest or for the whole night will add massive value to the Highland experience.”
Dundee-based architects Nicoll Russell Studios are to design the development. The hotel’s look will reflect the character of Scottish architecture, including features such as log fires and flagstones.