First Minister plants first trees as work begins on £450m Center Parcs Scottish Borders

The event marked a key milestone in the creation of the £450 million village, which is expected to create around 1,200 jobs and contribute £75 million annually to the Scottish Borders economy.

During the visit, the First Minister also confirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to provide up to £30 million to deliver the essential infrastructure needed to make the resort possible. This funding will support enabling works to prepare the site, whilst also providing significant benefit for communities living in the Scottish Borders.

First Minister John Swinney said: "Economic growth must reach the people and places that need it most. Investing in the South of Scotland through this project is a direct expression of our belief that every part of Scotland deserves to benefit from a growing economy.

“Investing here is a deliberate statement that we are serious about reducing regional inequality and creating genuine opportunity for young people - 30% of these 1,200 jobs are targeted at 16-to-24-year-olds. 

“It is a privilege to be here with local school children to start planting new trees for the site and I look forward to seeing the development of the project before the resort opens in 2029.”

As part of the development, Center Parcs will create an entirely new forest - the first time the company has established woodland from scratch when developing a new village.

Hundreds of thousands of trees will be planted across the site, forming woodland that will mature over the coming decades. The new forest will deliver long-term environmental and biodiversity benefits, while also creating the natural setting for Center Parcs’ high-quality family short breaks.

Planting will gather pace over the coming months, with more than 30 species of trees and plants - including Scots pine, silver birch and aspen - planned for the site ahead of the main development phase. The trees have been grown in Scotland, using seed gathered from across the Scottish Borders, with the contract for supplying the trees being awarded to Alba Trees.

The tree-planting, led by pupils from Trinity Primary School and Stirches Primary School, took place ahead of a community drop-in meeting at Hawick Town Hall - the first since planning permission for the development was granted by Scottish Borders Council in December.

The students were all gifted a silver birch sapling to take home with them to spread the afforestation benefit into the wider community.

Colin McKinlay, CEO of Center Parcs, said: “This marks another momentous milestone in the creation of Center Parcs Scottish Borders and it is fantastic that the First Minister and local schoolchildren were able to join us as we begin work on site. 

“It was hugely important for us to involve local children today because the benefits Center Parcs Scottish Borders will bring will have a long-lasting and transformative effect on the future of this area in terms of jobs, the economy and the environment. The saplings the children will take home today are a true reflection of the positive benefits Center Parcs brings to an area – we create villages that really benefit the local community, where that positivity ripples out beyond our boundaries and into local towns, schools, businesses and homes. And, like the trees we’ve planted today, we intend to be here for many years to come.

“We are very grateful for the support of the Scottish Government, Scottish Borders Council, South of Scotland Enterprise and many other partners who have worked with us to unlock the potential of this project, and it is incredibly exciting to see work at the site now getting underway.”

Center Parcs Scottish Borders will feature up to 700 lodges and apartments, the iconic Subtropical Swimming Paradise, a village centre with shops and restaurants, and the signature Aqua Sana Forest Spa - a tranquil retreat set within the surrounding woodland.

Plans also include two newly created lochs designed for water sports and recreation, a combined Nature and Heritage Centre, wildflower meadows, wetlands and nature trails to support biodiversity, alongside a wide range of outdoor activities integrated sensitively into the landscape. 

It will be Center Parcs’ first new village since Longford Forest in Ireland opened in 2019.

Professor Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), said:

“This is a significant moment for the South of Scotland, with Center Parcs being one of a number of big investments we are currently welcoming to our region.

“Center Parcs presents massive opportunities and will help diversify the visitor economy, attract new people, deliver inclusive growth and provide significant supply chain opportunities for SMEs and entrepreneurs.

“This investment also provides a chance to tackle head-on the economic challenges of the past which still impact communities such as Hawick.”

The village will lie to the east of the A7 trunk road between Hawick and Selkirk on land owned by the Buccleuch Group following an option agreement with Center Parcs. The agreement covers approximately 1,000 acres of land, with the main development occupying around 400 acres on the eastern section of the site.

Benny Higgins, Executive Chairman of the Buccleuch Group, said: “This is an exciting step forward for a project that will bring lasting economic and environmental benefits to the Scottish Borders, and we are delighted to be working with Center Parcs to help make it a reality.”