Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

‘A hugely concerning development’: Sudden closure of Perthshire resort prompts fears for staff

Loch Rannoch Highland Club
Loch Rannoch Highland Club

The sudden closure of a top Perthshire holiday resort has sparked fears for local jobs.

Bosses at the Loch Rannoch Highland Club have announced a temporary shutdown, blaming localised lockdowns and travel restrictions.

It is not known when the timeshare complex will be able to reopen.

Anger over sackings and walk-outs at popular Highland Perthshire tourist resort

The popular club, which overlooks Loch Rannoch, has 26 staff and more than 3,800 members around the world.

The surprise decision to close from Saturday follows a turbulent time among employees and owners, with a further flare-up earlier this week.

The Courier understands a furious row among senior staff prompted talks of a mass walk-out.

Problems began at the club earlier this year when several staff were sacked, including the general manager.

Contract workers were brought in a few weeks later but many of them quit, alleging they were “screamed” at by a senior member of staff.

Disgruntled timeshare owners are now demanding the resignation of the current committee, who they blame for months of upheaval.

Meanwhile, a police investigation is under way into “financial irregularities” following the dismissal of the previous manager.

In an email sent to club members, chairman Cliff Hunter wrote: “Unfortunately, as the pandemic continues to affect the entire UK in a number of different ways, maintaining operations and returning profit to support the sustainability of the club has been difficult.

“The recent localised measures introduced in Scotland on November 2, which restrict travel across much of the country, and the full national lockdown which England has a huge impact on the club.”

He confirmed the club will close “until further notice” adding: “The aim will be to safely reopen the club at the earliest opportunity, but at present a date cannot be provided for when this will be.”

A spokesman said that a “skeleton crew” would look after the club while it is closed but was unable to say how many staff would be furloughed.

He accepted there had been an “issue” involving senior staff this week but said that had been resolved.

During closure, members will continue to pay annual fees of between £350 and £500, which covers one week every year.

Timeshare owner Ann Blyth, who is also proprietor of the Perth-based UK Resort Exchange, questioned the decision.

“Local people in the village and the surrounding area, especially the businesses, depend on our resort for their very survival,” she said, describing the email from Mr Hunter as “the last straw.”

She said: “There is concern that they also mention the club is suffering financial concerns. There is absolutely no need to close our club, it needs to remain open for its very survival and the wellbeing and mental health of all staff.”

Local SNP MSP John Swinney said the closure announcement was a “hugely concerning development”.

He said: “The Loch Rannoch Highland Club is a key local employer, and the impact of the club’s closure will be felt acutely across the local community.

“I am currently seeking further clarity on the status of the club going forward, and any potential job losses that may arise as a result of this decision.”

Highland ward councillor Mike Williamson said: “My thoughts are firstly with the employees who are facing such uncertainty during a global pandemic.

“It’s imperative that workers are given answers as a matter of urgency.

“Going forward, I will continue to liaise with all relevant stakeholders and offer any support that I can to allow this situation to be resolved as favourably as possible.”