£10m leadership centre planned on banks of Loch Lomond

A £10m leadership centre on the banks of Loch Lomond is being planned by the Hunter Foundation.

The charity is to lodge its planning application for the Hunter Global Leadership Centre at Ross Priory next month, in a partnership with the University of Strathclyde.

It will aim to provide specialist, high-quality training and strengthen the skills of both head teachers and new teachers, along with the wider public sector.

Sir Tom Hunter, philanthropist and founder of the foundation, hopes developing the site will boost the Scottish economy.

He said: “Our vision is to create an iconic, world-class leadership centre where the future of Scotland will be discussed, debated and ultimately decided.”

The proposed development will be located at the university’s recreational centre on the banks of Loch Lomond.

It will cater for small groups of up to 25 people for leadership development and have a capacity of up to 100 for occasional events.

There will also be three five-bedroom accommodation pods and a four-bedroom pod built into the landscape.

A community consultation has already taken place with the plans to be submitted to bosses at Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald, principal and vice-chancellor of the university, said: “The University of Strathclyde is a socially progressive institution and we are always looking at new and innovative ways to drive societal change and boost economic growth.

“Education is key to that and this is a fantastic opportunity to develop the leadership skills of our world-class teachers.

“As Scotland’s largest provider of teacher education, we are firmly committed to ensuring that this and future generations of children benefit from truly inspirational teachers.”