A glamping business in Yaafield, Shetland, is seeking planning permission to add a third accommodation pod featuring a glass-domed roof, expanding the existing Mirriemora Starpods operation with a design intended to give guests views of the night sky.
Maurice Sutherland has submitted an application to build the proposed pod, named Stargazer, at the site, which currently operates two pods, Starlight and Starview. The development received full planning permission in April 2023.
According to Mirriemora’s Elsa Sutherland, the proposed accommodation “would offer a completely fresh take on visitor accommodation in the isles”. She said the glass dome would feature expansive overhead glazing, making it “perfect for enjoying Shetland’s spectacular skies, stars and Northern Lights.”
The expansion would also include an additional utility building to support the operation of all three pods. Sutherland said the facility would provide space for laundry equipment, washing and drying, linen and towel storage, and cleaning supplies.
Maurice Sutherland described the proposal as a “modest expansion of an existing rural tourism business”. He said the project would use the site’s existing infrastructure and management arrangements rather than establish a larger tourism complex.
“Rather than creating a substantial tourism complex, it represents an incremental addition to an already established operation using existing site infrastructure and management arrangements,” he told Shetland News.
The existing development was approved by council planners in April 2023 despite concerns from nearby residents about additional traffic on the private access road serving the site. Residents maintain the road, and the council’s roads department previously acknowledged that increased traffic could lead to higher maintenance costs. However, it identified no access-related concerns that would prevent the original development from proceeding.
In the current application, Sutherland argued that the third pod would not substantially change the site’s character or create unacceptable effects on neighboring residential properties.
“The nature and scale of the proposal are not considered likely to result in an unacceptable effect upon neighbouring residential amenity,” he said.
He also noted that a glass dome structure already exists within the grounds of a neighboring residential property, arguing that the proposed design would not be entirely unfamiliar to the immediate area.
Sutherland said the business contributes to Shetland’s visitor economy by providing accommodation in the South Mainland and encouraging guests to stay and spend money locally. He asked the council to consider the proposal as the “modest and logical expansion of an established rural tourism business” and approve the application.
The proposal comes as glamping accommodation continues to develop across Shetland, where individual pods and small-scale sites have received planning approval in several communities over the past five years. Locations include Dunrossness, Ollaberry, Walls, South Whiteness, Burra and Gott.
Recent applications and approvals indicate continued interest in adding small accommodation units to rural properties and existing tourism businesses. Last month, plans were submitted for a glamping pod on a working croft in Whalsay by applicant Charlotte Polson, who said the development could sustain the croft “for generations to come”.
Council planners also approved a glamping pod on Hoga Road in Voe last month, while an application for two self-catering pods in Lower Hillside, Gulberwick, remains under consideration. Wigwams at Burravoe in Brae and Eshaness in the North Mainland are generally regarded as among the earliest glamping operations in Shetland.
For outdoor hospitality operators, the Mirriemora proposal highlights several considerations when expanding a small accommodation business. Adding a unit may increase potential booking capacity, but operators must also account for the supporting infrastructure needed to service additional guests.
Dedicated laundry, storage and cleaning facilities can help manage day-to-day operations as a site grows. Access arrangements and relationships with neighboring residents are also important factors, particularly where private roads serve both tourism businesses and local homes.
The council’s decision on the Stargazer application will determine whether Mirriemora Starpods can proceed with the proposed third pod and utility building. The application outcome was not specified in the available report.
