Plans have been submitted for the reinstatement of a caravan and motorhome park at Craobh Haven in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, with the proposal including 22 pitches, a camping area, staff accommodation and associated site works.
The site is located off the A816 between Lochgilphead and Oban and was originally developed as part of a wider holiday resort in the 1980s. The development included a marina, residential properties and a caravan park, although the original development company became insolvent before the broader resort plans were completed.
The caravan park had operated before the company’s insolvency. The site was subsequently managed with a greater focus on the marina, before Holt Leisure Group acquired the marina and associated land in the 1990s. Avid Marinas Ltd acquired the marina and land in 2025.
Avid Projects Ltd has now applied to Argyll and Bute Council for planning permission for a new caravan and motorhome park, camping area, staff accommodation and related infrastructure. The council is expected to make a decision on the application by mid-October 2026. The plans are currently available for public review, with feedback accepted through the council’s planning process.
According to the planning statement submitted with the application, the original Craobh Haven development was intended to operate as a large-scale holiday destination.
The statement said: “The Craobh Haven Marina and Village was originally developed in the 1980s and was conceived as a large-scale holiday resort with several hundred holiday homes, a marina and a host of leisure activities (caravanning, hotel, ice rink, golf etc).
“The development company became insolvent after building the marina, approximately 40 houses and the caravan park.
“Before insolvency the caravan park was successfully operated. Following, insolvency the administrators focussed their attention on the marina operations.
“After an initial sale to another developer also ended in insolvency the marina and its associated land were acquired by Holt Leisure Group in the 1990s. They sold the marina and land to Avid Marinas Ltd in 2025.
“The application proposes the construction of 22 campervan pitches which will be part hardstanding and part grass. The hardstanding element will be finished in a locally sourced gravel. The pitches will be arranged around a circular one-way access road.
“Services will include electricity, water and sewerage. Electricity bollards will provide a 16-amp power source between pairs of pitches whereas water will be provided at several places around the site. The infrastructure for both water and electricity at the site exists.”
The proposed pitches would therefore combine hardstanding and grass areas, with the layout designed around a one-way circulation road. Electricity, water and sewerage services are included in the proposal, while the planning statement indicates that existing water and electricity infrastructure could be used.
The proposal also includes showers and toilets, with staff accommodation and these facilities expected to operate throughout the year. For outdoor hospitality operators, the proposed year-round operation is notable because it would position the site to serve visitors outside the traditional peak camping season while also requiring ongoing staffing, maintenance and utility provision.
The application also demonstrates how existing tourism infrastructure can factor into proposals for redeveloping or reinstating accommodation sites. In this case, the availability of existing water and electricity infrastructure could influence the scope and cost of works required to establish the proposed pitches, subject to planning approval and any technical requirements.
The plans and supporting documents are available through Argyll and Bute Council’s planning portal under reference 26/01053/PP. The public can review the application and submit comments as part of the council’s planning process, with a decision currently expected by mid-October 2026, according to The National.