STAGECOACH founder Ann Gloag’s plans for a new £20 million golfing resort in the grounds of a famous ancestral home have been bunkered by its former resident.

She wanted to build a luxury complex at 19,500-acre Beaufort Castle, near Beauly. Plans included a championship golf course and country club, 81 luxury homes, a restaurant, banqueting suite and bars. Proposals for a 120-bed hotel were recently dropped.

But the 16th Lord Lovat, stockbroker Simon Fraser, forced to sell his inheritance to Mrs Gloag 10 years ago to repay family debts, was among the objectors.

Yesterday, as a site meeting was convened in the castle grounds by Highland Council’s Inverness area planning committee, Mrs Gloag withdrew her application and will now re-think her plans.

Lord Lovat is angry at her plans to make the castle a sporting haven as he wants to buy the estate back one day. He now owns only a lodge and bungalow on the edge of the grounds.

The council received 15 letters of objection, including two from Lord Lovat. Kiltarlity Community Council, SEPA, Highland Cycle Campaign, Garden History Society, Historic Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage have all raised serious concerns.

Councillors went to the estate to see for themselves what Mrs Gloag intends and listen to the consortium behind the project. Her representatives wanted their proposal deferred to enable them to answer objections, but this was refused. They then withdrew the application but it is expected they will re-apply in the future.

Inverness councillor Jack Shiels said, “People feel the scale of the project was just too big for the land available and there were fears for the infrastructure of Kiltarlity. It has always had water supply problems and it would be inadequate for a project like this.”

Neither Mrs Gloag nor Lord Lovat were available for comment yesterday.