The owner of Taymouth Marina has moved to quell any fears of jet skis being launched from his complex, stating the machines are of “no interest” to his resort.
Loch users had raised safety concerns that powerboats and jet skis could become active on the water after the marina appealed to have a condition banning the vehicles removed from a planning application for a new watersports centre and sheltered berthing expansion.
Jet ski and powerboat fears for Loch Tay as marina applies to lift ban on motorised vehicles
However, marina owner Eric Strickland has said the wording of the condition is unfortunate and claimed his resort only want the option to allow some boats to propel with silencers into the new berths.
“(The condition) reads like we’re trying to get jetbikes which is the furthest thing from the truth,” he said.
“We don’t want jet bikes, they’re a source of stress for other people on Loch Tay but also for us and our guests.
“All of our guests that are staying at Taymouth Marina, and we have around 120 of them at any given time, are using our water frontage, using our watersports activities for going paddle-boarding, for going out on our canoes, in our kayaks or using our inflatable trampoline.”
Mr Srickland said he had already written to Perth and Kinross Council explaining that his organisation was not interested in having jet skis at the resort.
He said: “The berthing of jetbikes is of no interest to us.
“They have a completely different culture in how they use their jetbikes.
“The berth holders who have boats at Taymouth Marina are responsible users of the loch and they know that they have to be or they forfeit their berth.”
As a qualified sailing and kayak instructor, he said he was well aware of the annoyance jet skis can cause after growing up around the loch and continuing to use it with his family most weekends.
He said: “Our lives are around watersports.
“We go paddle-boarding, we go open water swimming, I’ve done the middle distance triathlon (at Kenmore) half a dozen times now as has my wife – so we’re out on the water every weekend.
“I learnt to sail as a kid at Taymouth Marina and part of our vision is to have it as an established Royal Yachting Association (RYA) training centre.”
