Plans to redevelop part of Dollar Golf Course into a small-scale glamping and hospitality site have been approved following a successful planning application by Harviestoun Estates.
Submitted by estate owner Nicholas Poett, the proposal covers the eastern section of the former 18-hole course and includes seven glamping cabins, a facilities cabin, and the repurposing of a former greenkeepers’ hut for tourist accommodation.
Planners approved the application in October after reviewing the scope of the development and the concerns raised by the local community.
According to the planners’ report, the project will also involve an extension of the existing car park, installation of a solar array, and the conversion of the former clubhouse into a multi-functional space with a café, shop, business, and studio areas.
“A new raised patio area to the front is proposed for outdoor seating; and a change of use of the Greenkeepers hut to a class four business use is also sought,” the report stated.
To complement these upgrades, the development includes new landscaping, woodland planting, drainage, and fencing.
A total of 23 public representations were submitted during the consultation period, most expressing concern about potential environmental and ecological impacts. Objections cited the site’s value for wildlife and fears of noise and light pollution.
Some argued the proposal did not align with biodiversity and climate change policies, noting that non-woodland habitats such as grasslands and wildflower areas may be more beneficial to local species.
Dollar Community Council also objected, stating the site’s location within the Ochil Hills Special Landscape Area should limit new development.
In approving the application, planners noted the limited scale of the proposed works and the project’s focus on reusing existing infrastructure.
“The groundkeepers’ hut is to be repurposed, requiring minimal intervention, and each of the accommodation cabins will have an individual design, with access to a toilet, shower, and sink, an outdoor kitchen area and stove, and purpose-built decking,” they told The Herald.
“The proposal represents an appropriate and sensitively development that reuses part of the existing Dollar Golf Course and associated buildings to provide small-scale visitor accommodation and enhanced facilities.”
Authorities added that the project “diversifies the existing business and supports the local economy and tourism offer in Dollar without giving rise to unacceptable environmental, landscape, heritage, or residential amenity impacts.”
For professionals in the outdoor hospitality and glamping sectors, the Dollar Golf Course redevelopment demonstrates how adaptive reuse of underutilized land can create new tourism opportunities while addressing local planning and environmental considerations.
The case highlights the growing trend of rural diversification projects in the UK that balance economic benefit with landscape preservation and ecological enhancement.