Major blow dealt to plans for controversial Flamingo Land resort in Scotland

By ESTHER MARSHALL

Published: 12:38 BST, 11 June 2025 | Updated: 12:49 BST, 11 June 2025

Plans for a controversial holiday park in Loch Lomond have been stalled by the Scottish Government. 

Ministers had been expected to give permission for the resort development but have now reconsidered due to its ‘potential impact on Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park’. 

Operated by Flamingo Land, the proposed £40m resort was set to feature a monorail, waterpark, hotel and restaurants. 

Ivan McKee, Scotland’s Minister for Public Finance, said he is now recalling the plans as ‘the appeal should be determined at a national level’, reports the BBC. 

The original proposal was first rejected in September 2024 amid protests by local residents. 

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park authority said the park did not comply with environmental policies. 

Flamingo Land then appealed to the Scottish government reporter who had said they planned to allow the resort as long as Flamingo Land signed a legal agreement with the national park. 

But following the recall, the final decision on the Flamingo Land resort’s future will now be made by ministers. 

Plans for a controversial holiday park in Loch Lomond have been stalled by the Scottish Government

Operated by Flamingo Land, the proposed £40m resort was set to feature a monorail, waterpark, hotel and restaurants

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park authority said the park did not comply with environmental policies

Ross Greer, a Scottish Green MSP, said McKee’s decision to recall the plans was the ‘right move’.

He said: ‘Once ministers consider the flood risk, loss of ancient woodland, hundreds of additional cars which would have be brought onto notoriously congested roads and the litany of other devastating impacts it would have, I am sure they will reject the mega-resort application and finally end this decade-long saga.’ 

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader Jackie Baillie also welcomed the decision, claiming that the SNP had ‘ignored concerns’ about the park ‘time and time again’. 

The Balloch and Haldane Community Council said it had had more than 50,000 new objections to the plans last week. 

Flamingo Land submitted updated plans for its park in 2020 and described the development, set to be called Lomond Banks, as a ‘major step away’ from its other theme park style resorts. 

The company currently runs the Flamingo Land resort in North Yorkshire which offers amusement rides and exotic animals.  

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Major blow dealt to plans for controversial Flamingo Land resort in Scotland

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