A MAN is due to appear in court after a cannabis farming operation was discovered in a closed hotel in a Highland village.
Officers swooped in on the Spean Bridge Hotel, on the A82 through Spean Bridge in Lochaber, on Saturday and discovered an illegal cannabis cultivation operation inside.
A 34-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with drug offences, police said.
He is due to appear at Inverness Sheriff Court on Monday.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 34-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with drug offences after a cannabis cultivation was discovered within a property on Station Road, Spean Bridge around 11.20am on Saturday, 17 August.
“He is due to appear at Inverness Sheriff Court on Monday, 19 August, 2024.”
According to Companies House, Spean Bridge Hotel ltd changed its name to Highland Leisure Management Limited in April 2024.
Ming Liang Cheng, registered at an address in Milton Keynes, was listed as having control over the business both before and after the name change.
In 2014, the hotel was taken over by travel agency Omega Travel, who planned a major renovation, according to the Press and Journal. However, a fire the following year put plans on hold.
The hotel was formerly known as home to the Commando Exhibition, which detailed the story of the first Commandos, which were created during World War Two and trained nearby at Achnacarry Castle.
The hotel remains closed and has been a point on contention in the Lochaber area. Last year, local development officer Tony Perriam told The Herald: “It’s very visible and it’s very central and it’s pivotal to visitors impressions of Spean Bridge whether they are contemplating staying here, which is important to the local economy, or just passing through."
He added: “It casts a shadow for those who live here, it’s not an uplifting sight for residents.”
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