Center Parcs has announced the planned launch date of its latest venue as construction commenced on the site.

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, alongside Center Parcs' CEO Colin McKinlay and local schoolchildren, formally marked the start of works by planting the inaugural tree on the site. This signals the commencement of construction on the £450 million holiday resort, which is expected to generate approximately 1,200 jobs in the Scottish Borders region.

John Swinney said: "It is a privilege to be here with local school children to start planting new trees for the site and I look forward to seeing the development of the project before the resort opens in 2029."

The tree planted by John Swinney represented just the beginning of extensive planting plans for the location. Center Parcs intends to establish an entirely new forest featuring hundreds of thousands of trees that will develop and transform into a biodiversity haven over the coming decades. It marks the first occasion the holiday resort operator has undertaken creating a woodland from the ground up, reports the Express.

The holiday resort will create 1,200 jobs in the Scottish Borders region(Image: Center Parcs)

The new forest will comprise multiple tree species and other plant life, establishing an environment abundant in biodiversity and teeming with wildlife. The Center Parcs Scottish Borders development will feature 700 lodges and flats, a Subtropical Swimming Paradise mirroring those at existing sites, retail outlets and dining venues in the village hub, plus an Aqua Sana Forest Spa nestled within the woodland. Virtual tours and 3D renderings show numerous amenities positioned along the waterside.

Artificial lochs will accommodate various watersports, whilst a Nature and Heritage Centre will offer outdoor pursuits with an environmental focus.

The resort will mark the brand's first new opening since Longford Forest launched in Ireland in 2019. It's situated on the A7 trunk road between Hawick and Selkirk, spanning approximately 1,000 acres.

The location sits roughly an hour and 15 minutes' drive from Edinburgh, or around an hour and 45 minutes from Newcastle Upon Tyne. It will be Center Parcs' first new village since Longford Forest in Ireland opened in 2019.

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney planted the site's first tree to mark the announcement(Image: Center Parcs)

Last year, an £87million expansion of Longford Forest was unveiled, incorporating 83 additional lodges, including premium treehouse accommodation featuring gaming areas and hot tubs.

A selection of generous 6-Bedroom Woodland Lodges for bigger parties will also be introduced, perfect for extended families or multi-generational breaks at the resort. A fresh lakeside eatery will be added to Longford, alongside new attractions including an aerial zipline named Forest Glider. This was described as "a continuous-loop, gravity-fed ride".

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