The Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust (AGCT) acquired the Glenmore Visitor Centre and car park from previous owner Forestry and Land Scotland. The facility acts as a hub for people planning to explore Glenmore, an area of forests and lochs, which attracts more than five hundred thousand visitors a year.

AGCT, which also runs a small ice rink in Aviemore, secured ownership of the Visitor Centre through a successful asset transfer request. Asset transfer requests were introduced to Scotland in 2015 as part of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act, which came into effect in 2017. The legislation empowers community organisations to purchase publicly owned land or buildings, which they feel they can make better use of, for local people and their communities.  

AGCT submitted its application to purchase Glenmore Visitor Centre and car park early this year. Lawyers at Thorntons supported the bid by advising on the purchase contract and the separation of the visitor centre and car park from the surrounding land, which continues to be owned and operated by Forestry and Land Scotland. This ensures AGCT has full control over essential infrastructure including water rights and drainage.

They also helped to secure the funding arrangements required to undertake the purchase, as well as entering into leases to ensure the smooth running of the café business, and for Forestry and Land Scotland to continue to use office space located at the Visitor Centre.

Following the successful completion of the transaction, AGCT assumed ownership and control of the site on 1 November 2024.

John Smart, commercial real estate partner, based in Thorntons’ Inverness office, said: “It’s wonderful to see Glenmore Visitor Centre now in the hands of Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust. The centre is a hub for visitors accessing the wider Cairngorms area, which attracts people from all over the world.

“We’re very proud to have supported the buyout with legal advice.

“While the legislation enabling transfer asset requests has been in force for more than seven years, the process involves a significant amount of time and energy for the community group concerned. Communities must demonstrate strong and coherent plans for how they will run and develop the facility before it can be transferred over.

“They must also work out how they will fund the deal, as the full market value is required. That said, there can be a huge gain for local communities and I would encourage any groups interested in running public assets to look at the legislation and consider if it would benefit them.”

AGCT Chair, Duncan Swarbrick, said: “On behalf of the Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust I would like to say a huge thank you to Thorntons Solicitors and the whole team for their invaluable and highly effective assistance to us in achieving the purchase of the Glenmore Visitor Centre and Café.  This is a major milestone for the Trust in delivering our objectives to promote social, cultural and economic benefits to the community, and community wealth building.”