Exciting Aviemore rooftop bar plans which will give customers commanding views over to the Cairngorms have been approved as part of wider plans to modernise the appearance of the village's ugliest hotel'.

Members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority's planning committee unanimously backed Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resorts Ltd's plans to alter and extend the Aviemore Hotel which used to be the Freedom Inn.

The wider plans including creating two new floors to the building, together with changes to its external appearance.

The operators have gained permission to add 25 additional rooms over new three and four floor blocks together with the creation of the sky bar on the fifth floor.

Gavin Miles, the CNPA's head of planning, told the meeting on Friday at the park authority's headquarters in Grantown that the application would improve the hotel's appearance.

Committee member Bill Lobban whole-heartedly agreed: "I think without a shadow of a doubt this is the ugliest building in Aviemore – it has got the aesthetic appeal of a 1960s East German apartment block so in terms of design this is a vast improvement.

"It is certainly a tall building but there are other tall buildings on the skyline in Aviemore.

"You don't need to be reminded that Aviemore is a tourist destination – one of the largest in Scotland – and this will bring an additional valuable product to the tourist offering."

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Fellow member Geva Blackett said: "I think it is a vast improvement on what is a very ugly building."

And colleague John Kirk added: "I agree. This turns the development into something which looks more like holiday accommodation rather than a prison camp. The building is currently dreadful looking."

Gaenor Rogers, chair of the planning committee, commented: "I was pleasantly surprised by the artist impressions."

She urged that the 'living wall' shown in the images was part of the conditions, adding: "Can we make sure this actually happens as they can be important parts of buildings breaking up how they look and enhancing biodiversity."

Mr Miles responded that this was part of an artist impressions and as such could not be enforced.

Committee member Russell Jones questioned what would happen to the community ice rink with that part of the site designated as car parking as part of the wider plans.

Mr Miles said: "The ice rink is at this site as the resort has allowed the operators to have this location for free.

"We have held discussions on this and we can not prevent this so the rink stays there forever but I know that the resort finds there is a benefit to them having the rink there as well and there are other sites where it can be relocated on a more permanent basis.

"The other thing is that we do not know when or if this development will become a reality so the ice rink is not in any immediate danger of being pushed off this site."

Sky bars have become popular haunts through-out the world.

They include Ozone which is perched at 1,570 feet – and 118 floors – at the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong on the West Kowloon waterfront and Peakaboo in New York City which is one floor above The Edge, the tallest viewing platform in the western hemisphere, with the sky-high cocktail lounge hovering nearly 1,150 feet above Manhattan.

All images: Mabbett

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