Perth and Kinross Council have approved plans for the development of a £20m sailing resort on the banks of Loch Tay at Croft-na-Caber, near the village of Kenmore, mid-Scotland.

Architect Eric Strickland, the senior partner of McKenzie Strickland Associates, is behind the proposals, which have been developed in partnership with business partner Paul Sale through their Strathtay Developments vehicle. PKC's development committee voted in favour of the scheme on 18 March, which has been three-and-a-half years in development and follows two years of consultation with the local community.

Plans for the new sailing resort include a sailing school, a restaurant, a kids' club, a health spa and a swimming pool, as well as a number of one, two, three and four-bedroom holiday homes incorporating green technology, such as geothermal heating from the loch and biomass conversion. Now that planning permission has been secured, it is expected that construction work could get underway by the end of the year, and it is hoped that the new facility will be completed in 2012.

Strickland said: "I am passionate about this project and about Kenmore as a destination and our plans aim to preserve the tranquility which makes the area so special, while breathing new lift into a resort which is outdated and no longer meets expectations in terms of accommodation and facilities. "To create a national sailing asset like this in the heart of Perthshire is a unique and amazing opportunity, and we are confident our designs will unlock the potential of the existing resort through a long-term, sustainable development, which compliments the stunning setting of Loch Tay."