A NEW tourism chapter in Peeblesshire has started as the first guests arrive at a multi-million pound luxury holiday lodge development in Glentress Forest. The £18m 56-cabin complex opened on Friday (November 1). Forest Holidays, the company behind the project, said it had created and filled 50 jobs since recruitment started in August.
Scottish business minister Richard Lochhead was given a guided tour – from the reception café and bar at the Buzzards Nest car park – by Evan Jones, the facilities live-in general manager, on Tuesday. Mr Jones, 26, who has worked for Forest Holidays for nine years, said: “The Glentress lodges are already fully booked for November and as soon as guests experience them we expect to get further bookings.” Serving coffees to special guests was Roxanne Linton, 33, who was formerly food and beverage supervisor at Macdonald Cardrona.
Ms Linton said: “I love the vibe and environment that Forest Holidays has created and being an outdoorsy family we always brought my son to bike ride in Glentress.” The head of Forest Holiday’s Scottish operation, cluster general manager Laurent Agostinelli, said: “We are fully recruited – management, teams, housekeeping and in the café. “We did not expect it to be so quick but it has been phenomenal.
“Housekeeping is part-time but with contracted hours, as we don’t do zero hours contracts and we are not seasonal, we are open all-year round. “We want the team members to stay with us as long .
