The boss of a troubled Perthshire holiday resort has quit, as a cloud of uncertainty continues to hang over the site’s future.
Bobby Paterson has stood down as general manager at the Loch Rannoch Highland Club.
Speculation about his position began last month, amid reports of a furious flare-up amongst senior staff shortly before the timeshare complex was closed down with only a few days’ warning, sparking fears for local jobs.
Bosses said the closure is temporary and a direct result of localised lockdowns and travel restrictions. It is still not known when the Kinloch Rannoch resort, which has 3,800 members and a workforce of 26, can reopen.
Mr Paterson’s resignation was confirmed to members in an email from club chairman Cliff Hunter.
He wrote: “Bobby Paterson has requested that he be allowed to step down as GM and return to assignations. This has been accepted.”
Mr Hunter said Martin Valance will become acting general manager “in a voluntary capacity to benefit the club, until such a time as we are able to find a suitable replacement.”
Mr Paterson’s resignation follows a turbulent time at the club. Problems began earlier this year when several staff were sacked, including the previous general manager.
Contract workers were brought in a few weeks later, but many of them quit alleging they had been shouted and “screamed” at by a senior member of staff.
Disgruntled timeshare owners are demanding the resignation of the committee, who they have blamed for months of upheaval.
In his email, Mr Hunter apologises for a previous newsletter in which he listed some of the alleged issues he had with staff who were made redundant, including “stealing club property, smoking controlled substances while at work, and behaving in a manner which breached their contractual obligations, for example getting together for tea breaks, playing video games and watching daytime TV in members’ lodges, when they should have been working.”
Mr Hunter blamed a computer mix-up for including that paragraph – which he also repeats in his recent email.
“This was an error on my part for which I do apologise, and wish to make clear this was not intentional on my part nor did I wish to imply that redundancies were made solely because of the allegations made,” he said.
Mr Hunter said he had been called a “liar” and “childish” by fellow committee members. “I was not chosen to be the club spokesman, it just happened,” he wrote. “I have been giving serious thought over the past few weeks as to whether or not to continue with these reports due to the arrogant and selfish attitude of a minority who are unable to accept different viewpoints without resorting to childish name calling.”
Local politicians have demanded clarity on the club’s future.
