Community shown 'lack of respect' as hotel boss expands Highland glen development

Businessman Sanjay Narang is at the centre of a bitter dispute over his plans to build a visitor centre at a popular lookout point at Glengarry, just south of the Great Glen.

Mr Narang’s company, Black Sheep Management Services (BSMS), which owns a string of hotels and restaurants across the Highlands, has also been linked to a sudden rush of 38 applications to become members of a local trust which steers community development decisions in the Glengarry area.

The surge in applications tied to the company’s addresses led to fears there could be significant changes to the governance of the community-owned Glengarry Community Development Trust, which only has about 60 members.

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BSMS dismissed claims the move was to takeover the running of the trust as “nonsensical”. It confirmed the company’s membership applications have since reduced to six.

Read more: Anger in the glen mounts over tycoon's Highland viewpoint plans

Scottish Liberal Democrat councillor John Grafton said tensions have been felt in the glen since Mr Narang arrived in 2018.

“Since the Black Sheep Management Group first came into the area, they haven’t enamoured themselves with the local community,” Mr Grafton said.

“There seems to be a lack of respect and the idea that people have to do it their way and not the other way round.”

Mr Grafton, who has lived in the area for the last two decades, said the community object to the idea of the glen being run by a business.

“It’s always been a very tight community and it’s very much a community that helps each other and are supportive of one another,” he said.

“This large business coming in and doing things that feel threatening is not really helping.”

Mr Grafton said Mr Narang has his own “source for employment” for staff. Meanwhile, residents claim the property tycoon’s businesses do not boost job prospects for local people.

A spokesperson for BSMS said: “We are disappointed by the comments made and strongly refute the claim that we have not been respectful of the community.

“Since we arrived in the area in 2018, we have engaged extensively with the local community, and supported it financially through a variety of activities, including responding to personal appeals, supporting the Highland Games and shinty club, and our employees provided support to people locally after the recent storm.”

The spokesperson said loyalty cards are available to residents for BSMS hotels and restaurants and pointed to its Black Sheep Adventures activities in the glen, including farm visits and fishing.

The tensions come as locals were shown fresh details on the development at the Glengarry viewpoint this week. The Lochaber vista on the A87 road to Skye is often said to look like a map of Scotland.

Residents said they were confused maps of the plans that were exhibited showed details for a much larger development, including a farm and cabins.

BSMS explained an error had been made on the documents and confirmed there are no further plans beyond the current visitor centre proposals.

The proposed development adds to Mr Narang’s £75m investment in hospitality in the Highlands, with his businesses employing more than 170 people and 45 contractors, according to BSMS figures.

The viewpoint plans were also discussed at a public meeting last month. Former Highland Council leader Dr Michael Foxley, who chaired the meeting, described the event as a “nasty” evening due to disputes over the project.