Latest news with #OakTree
Daily Record
17-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
New £1.25million expansion plan for popular Balmaha spot in local jobs boost
The waterside lodge at the Oak Tree Inn could bring 32 additional jobs for the community. More than 30 new jobs are to be created as part of a £1.25million project in Balmaha. A brand-new waterside lodge is about to open at one of Loch Lomond's most popular inns - offering meals, rooms and loch views, all while creating new jobs and enhancing its green credentials. The Oak Tree Inn, well known among walkers on the West Highland Way and with visitors from around the world, has expanded its site in the heart of Balmaha. The new lodge, situated near the original inn and overlooking Balmaha Bay, offers additional accommodation and dining facilities. Designed to complement the inn's rustic charm, the building features locally sourced oak, stone and weathered roof slates - chosen to reflect the character of Balmaha village, nestled within Scotland's first National Park. Supported by a £1.25million funding package from Bank of Scotland, the expansion will create around 32 additional jobs for the local community. Accessibility has been a key priority in the development, with the new lodge offering direct access to the first disabled-friendly water access pontoon on East Loch Lomond. The site has been designed to welcome visitors arriving by all modes of transport, from walking and cycling, to arriving by boat or driving electric vehicles, with dedicated EV charging points. Since opening in 1997, the Oak Tree Inn - founded by Sandy and Lucy Fraser - has grown to become the area's largest employer during peak season, supporting up to 200 jobs over various sites and generating an annual turnover of around £6million. Many local residents have worked with the business for decades. Sandy and his older sons Stuart and David also run the village shop, three St Mocha coffee shops throughout the National Park, produce their own ice cream, roast their own coffee and sell thousands of jars of honey from their own beehives each year. Much of the food served at the Oak Tree and its new lodge is grown on-site, thanks to a large polytunnel and orchard that supply the kitchen with seasonal produce. The garden now boasts more than 100 apple, plum and pear trees, alongside 230 blueberry bushes. More than 350 solar panels help power the inn's coffee roastery, kitchen and bar. A biomass shed heats the majority of the site, and a newly installed ground source heat pump further reduces the business's environmental impact. Sandy said: 'When I first built the original Oak Tree back in the '90s I was simply trying to recreate a beautiful building I'd seen in Fortingall Perthshire (the Balnald Mill). I wanted to capture that same charm for visitors coming to this quieter, more traditional corner of Loch Lomond. 'When we opened our doors in 1997 and reached £300,000 in turnover that first year, I knew we were onto something special. But I could never have imagined just how much we'd grow from there. 'We're now opening a new lodge, evolving into a full-scale hospitality business, and we're still just getting started. Demand keeps growing, and it's incredible to see people who visited as children now returning with their own families. None of this would've been possible without the support of Bank of Scotland - they've truly understood our vision and backed us every step of the way.' Stacey Quinn, relationship manager at Bank of Scotland, added: 'The Oak Tree Inn is a cornerstone of tourism in Balmaha and across Loch Lomond. It's been a real pleasure to support Sandy, Lucy and the team in bringing their latest expansion to life. 'This project not only creates new jobs and strengthens the local economy, but also shows how a family-run business can grow sustainably while staying deeply connected to its community.'
South Wales Guardian
28-06-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Formal mixing it against the boys in Criterion
The seven-furlong Group Three is being run on the Knavesmire for the first time following a switch from Newmarket and is being viewed by some as a stepping-stone to the City of York Stakes, which now carries Group One status and is run over the same course and distance at the Ebor Festival later in the summer. Formal disappointed on her seasonal debut in the Fred Darling at Newbury, but showed her true colours when winning Epsom's Surrey Stakes on Oaks day three weeks ago and that form received a significant boost after the runner-up Saqqara Sands landed a Listed prize at Carlisle on Wednesday. 'We were going to wait for the Oak Tree at Goodwood, but Andrew was quite keen to let her take her chance on Saturday and I don't think he's discounted Goodwood either,' said Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud. 'She seems to have come out of Epsom really well and they're very happy with her. Andrew is keen to have a go, he thinks it's a good opportunity and seven furlongs should be her trip, so we'll all learn a bit more about her.' The likely favourite is the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest, who returns to action less than a fortnight after finishing fifth over a mile in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. The four-year-old beat Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Lazzat in the Golden Eagle in Australia last year and jockey Tom Marquand is excited to ride him back over this shorter trip. 'It was a good run at Ascot, it was a funny race as we sprinted from a good way down and it was the second wave who went over the top in Docklands and Rosallion,' Marquand told Sky Sports Racing. 'They were the best of the division and I thought he ran a respectable race. 'It's a quick enough back up but he's a tough little horse, he loves fast ground and seven furlongs at York should be on the money trip-wise so I'm looking forward to getting back on him.' Paborus has won four of his six starts with Ed Bethell and will carry the Wathnan Racing colours for the first time. Wathnan's racing adviser, Richard Brown, said: 'He wouldn't want rattling ground so with the dry spell we've had we've just had to be patient with him. 'We'll see what Saturday brings, he was very impressive at Thirsk last time and he's a big horse who we hope has a big future, but we will have to mind him ground-wise. 'Ed is a great guy and one of the most impressive young trainers in the country and Wathnan are delighted to have a horse with potential with him.' The Dylan Cunha-trained Prague was a brilliant winner of Newmarket's Joel Stakes last season but failed to fire in the QEII at Ascot on Champions Day and has not been seen in competitive action since. 'He's in great form – as well as I've ever seen him. He's training really well,' said Cunha. 'The drop to seven furlongs is just because he's quite keen in his races – we just want to teach him to settle. We've been going a mile and a mile and a quarter with him, but his mother (Princess Noor) was actually a six-furlong Group Three winner. 'It's an experiment but if he runs in the first two he'll go to the City of York. If it's too short, he'll run in the Strensall. He's definitely going to York twice in the next two months!'
Rhyl Journal
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Formal mixing it against the boys in Criterion
The seven-furlong Group Three is being run on the Knavesmire for the first time following a switch from Newmarket and is being viewed by some as a stepping-stone to the City of York Stakes, which now carries Group One status and is run over the same course and distance at the Ebor Festival later in the summer. Formal disappointed on her seasonal debut in the Fred Darling at Newbury, but showed her true colours when winning Epsom's Surrey Stakes on Oaks day three weeks ago and that form received a significant boost after the runner-up Saqqara Sands landed a Listed prize at Carlisle on Wednesday. 'We were going to wait for the Oak Tree at Goodwood, but Andrew was quite keen to let her take her chance on Saturday and I don't think he's discounted Goodwood either,' said Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud. 'She seems to have come out of Epsom really well and they're very happy with her. Andrew is keen to have a go, he thinks it's a good opportunity and seven furlongs should be her trip, so we'll all learn a bit more about her.' The likely favourite is the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest, who returns to action less than a fortnight after finishing fifth over a mile in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. The four-year-old beat Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Lazzat in the Golden Eagle in Australia last year and jockey Tom Marquand is excited to ride him back over this shorter trip. 'It was a good run at Ascot, it was a funny race as we sprinted from a good way down and it was the second wave who went over the top in Docklands and Rosallion,' Marquand told Sky Sports Racing. 'They were the best of the division and I thought he ran a respectable race. 'It's a quick enough back up but he's a tough little horse, he loves fast ground and seven furlongs at York should be on the money trip-wise so I'm looking forward to getting back on him.' Paborus has won four of his six starts with Ed Bethell and will carry the Wathnan Racing colours for the first time. Wathnan's racing adviser, Richard Brown, said: 'He wouldn't want rattling ground so with the dry spell we've had we've just had to be patient with him. 'We'll see what Saturday brings, he was very impressive at Thirsk last time and he's a big horse who we hope has a big future, but we will have to mind him ground-wise. 'Ed is a great guy and one of the most impressive young trainers in the country and Wathnan are delighted to have a horse with potential with him.' The Dylan Cunha-trained Prague was a brilliant winner of Newmarket's Joel Stakes last season but failed to fire in the QEII at Ascot on Champions Day and has not been seen in competitive action since. 'He's in great form – as well as I've ever seen him. He's training really well,' said Cunha. 'The drop to seven furlongs is just because he's quite keen in his races – we just want to teach him to settle. We've been going a mile and a mile and a quarter with him, but his mother (Princess Noor) was actually a six-furlong Group Three winner. 'It's an experiment but if he runs in the first two he'll go to the City of York. If it's too short, he'll run in the Strensall. He's definitely going to York twice in the next two months!'
Glasgow Times
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Formal mixing it against the boys in Criterion
The seven-furlong Group Three is being run on the Knavesmire for the first time following a switch from Newmarket and is being viewed by some as a stepping-stone to the City of York Stakes, which now carries Group One status and is run over the same course and distance at the Ebor Festival later in the summer. Formal disappointed on her seasonal debut in the Fred Darling at Newbury, but showed her true colours when winning Epsom's Surrey Stakes on Oaks day three weeks ago and that form received a significant boost after the runner-up Saqqara Sands landed a Listed prize at Carlisle on Wednesday. 'We were going to wait for the Oak Tree at Goodwood, but Andrew was quite keen to let her take her chance on Saturday and I don't think he's discounted Goodwood either,' said Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud. 'She seems to have come out of Epsom really well and they're very happy with her. Andrew is keen to have a go, he thinks it's a good opportunity and seven furlongs should be her trip, so we'll all learn a bit more about her.' The likely favourite is the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest, who returns to action less than a fortnight after finishing fifth over a mile in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. The four-year-old beat Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Lazzat in the Golden Eagle in Australia last year and jockey Tom Marquand is excited to ride him back over this shorter trip. 'It was a good run at Ascot, it was a funny race as we sprinted from a good way down and it was the second wave who went over the top in Docklands and Rosallion,' Marquand told Sky Sports Racing. 'They were the best of the division and I thought he ran a respectable race. 'It's a quick enough back up but he's a tough little horse, he loves fast ground and seven furlongs at York should be on the money trip-wise so I'm looking forward to getting back on him.' Paborus has won four of his six starts with Ed Bethell and will carry the Wathnan Racing colours for the first time. Wathnan's racing adviser, Richard Brown, said: 'He wouldn't want rattling ground so with the dry spell we've had we've just had to be patient with him. 'We'll see what Saturday brings, he was very impressive at Thirsk last time and he's a big horse who we hope has a big future, but we will have to mind him ground-wise. 'Ed is a great guy and one of the most impressive young trainers in the country and Wathnan are delighted to have a horse with potential with him.' The Dylan Cunha-trained Prague was a brilliant winner of Newmarket's Joel Stakes last season but failed to fire in the QEII at Ascot on Champions Day and has not been seen in competitive action since. 'He's in great form – as well as I've ever seen him. He's training really well,' said Cunha. 'The drop to seven furlongs is just because he's quite keen in his races – we just want to teach him to settle. We've been going a mile and a mile and a quarter with him, but his mother (Princess Noor) was actually a six-furlong Group Three winner. 'It's an experiment but if he runs in the first two he'll go to the City of York. If it's too short, he'll run in the Strensall. He's definitely going to York twice in the next two months!'
North Wales Chronicle
27-06-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Formal mixing it against the boys in Criterion
The seven-furlong Group Three is being run on the Knavesmire for the first time following a switch from Newmarket and is being viewed by some as a stepping-stone to the City of York Stakes, which now carries Group One status and is run over the same course and distance at the Ebor Festival later in the summer. Formal disappointed on her seasonal debut in the Fred Darling at Newbury, but showed her true colours when winning Epsom's Surrey Stakes on Oaks day three weeks ago and that form received a significant boost after the runner-up Saqqara Sands landed a Listed prize at Carlisle on Wednesday. 'We were going to wait for the Oak Tree at Goodwood, but Andrew was quite keen to let her take her chance on Saturday and I don't think he's discounted Goodwood either,' said Chris Richardson, managing director for owners Cheveley Park Stud. 'She seems to have come out of Epsom really well and they're very happy with her. Andrew is keen to have a go, he thinks it's a good opportunity and seven furlongs should be her trip, so we'll all learn a bit more about her.' The likely favourite is the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest, who returns to action less than a fortnight after finishing fifth over a mile in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. The four-year-old beat Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Lazzat in the Golden Eagle in Australia last year and jockey Tom Marquand is excited to ride him back over this shorter trip. 'It was a good run at Ascot, it was a funny race as we sprinted from a good way down and it was the second wave who went over the top in Docklands and Rosallion,' Marquand told Sky Sports Racing. 'They were the best of the division and I thought he ran a respectable race. 'It's a quick enough back up but he's a tough little horse, he loves fast ground and seven furlongs at York should be on the money trip-wise so I'm looking forward to getting back on him.' Paborus has won four of his six starts with Ed Bethell and will carry the Wathnan Racing colours for the first time. Wathnan's racing adviser, Richard Brown, said: 'He wouldn't want rattling ground so with the dry spell we've had we've just had to be patient with him. 'We'll see what Saturday brings, he was very impressive at Thirsk last time and he's a big horse who we hope has a big future, but we will have to mind him ground-wise. 'Ed is a great guy and one of the most impressive young trainers in the country and Wathnan are delighted to have a horse with potential with him.' The Dylan Cunha-trained Prague was a brilliant winner of Newmarket's Joel Stakes last season but failed to fire in the QEII at Ascot on Champions Day and has not been seen in competitive action since. 'He's in great form – as well as I've ever seen him. He's training really well,' said Cunha. 'The drop to seven furlongs is just because he's quite keen in his races – we just want to teach him to settle. We've been going a mile and a mile and a quarter with him, but his mother (Princess Noor) was actually a six-furlong Group Three winner. 'It's an experiment but if he runs in the first two he'll go to the City of York. If it's too short, he'll run in the Strensall. He's definitely going to York twice in the next two months!'
