New Leisure Complex on the banks of Loch Lomond

The Problem

Loch Lomond is without doubt Scotland’s most famous Loch; the very name stirs up images of grandeur and romance. It is also the setting for Loch Lomond Castle Lodges, a family owned and operated holiday park, situated on the west side of the Loch in the grounds of the old Lomond Castle. The park has 55 self-catering timber lodges positioned throughout the estate grounds.

Holiday bookings for the lodges tended to be bunched around the peak summer season. One of the principal reasons why the occupancy levels outside the main season were low was the poor Scottish weather which dissuaded many visitors. The park owners reasoned that if they could "weatherproof" holidays with additional facilities they would increase occupancy levels throughout the season by providing added value to visitors.

They also saw the opportunity to develop a private members club for local residents, to improve the financial return on the facility. In commissioning the building of a complete leisure centre, the brief to Dumbarton architects Hay, Lough & Davis was to design an energy efficient building which respected the environment and would make imaginative use of natural materials from renewable resources. It must accommodate a full range of leisure facilities including a large swimming pool, gymnasium, restaurant and reception area.

The restaurant/bar was to seat up to 150 people supported by a kitchen capable of supplying snacks, light refreshments and up to 250 meals a day. A welcoming reception area was also required to serve users entering and leaving the Leisure Centre.

The Solution

During the early planning stages, the park owners liaised closely with the various planning organisations, all of whom had to approve the design. The area is expected to be designated a National Park shortly and the new building had therefore to blend in with the local countryside and be unobtrusive from all directions including from the Loch itself.

The new low level building is of timber framed construction, with the front and side elevations of the building finished with a coursed pitched faced stone, imported to site from Derbyshire. The rear walls of the building were finished with a traditional Scottish render. All external timbers have been treated with Hickson’s Cedovac pressure process for minimal maintenance and Rockwool timber insulation batts provide excellent levels of insulation and high thermal efficiency.

Window frames and doors, to the main elevations, were made from hardwood and fitted with tinted double-glazed safety glass. The feature roof is of natural Penryn Welsh slate.

Without doubt the main attraction is the swimming pool which is 10.7 metres long by 10.3 metres wide, "L" shaped with integral children's pool. The glazed cupola in the vault styled roof provides considerable natural light and brings a bright airiness to the whole building.

The pool is complemented by a sauna, solarium, superbly equipped fitness suite, changing rooms, showers and toilets.

The Crannog Bar and Restaurant is in a front position taking advantage of the spectacular views over the Loch with Ben Lomond as a backdrop. The impressive vault styled roof and cupola of the Crannog (a Celtic name for a lake dwelling) Restaurant presented an interesting challenge to both the architects and builders.

The new centre is designed to be totally accessible to all – people with mobility difficulties will have no problem entering or moving around and disabled changing rooms, special toilets and ramps have been included.

We took care of all aspects of the building including the plumbing, electrical and heating services, floor coverings, automatically controlled swimming pool chemical dosing system and environmental control system.

The Benefits

Having taken the decision to proceed, time was at a premium as the owners wanted to have the facility ready for the season. The project was in fact completed in just 24 weeks and opened by The Rt. Hon Viscount George Younger of Lechie in the middle of May.

The Leisure Centre has had an immediate effect on bookings. The luxurious style and wealth of facilities available is very much appreciated by guests who can now book holidays confident in the knowledge that they will have an excellent time, regardless of the weather.

Bookings for short breaks have increased dramatically – the “shoulder” periods when there used to be plenty of vacancies are now being filled.

In order to encourage year round use and provide leisure facilities for families in the local area, a membership scheme has been introduced. This has already been taken up by many local people and contributes significantly to the financial returns on the Centre.

This type of Leisure Centre would be an asset to any hotel or holiday park who wished to keep up with the increasing demand from holiday makers for leisure facilities.