Flit twoo: Owl centre owners to move to Lothians with their 100 birds

Published on Thursday 24 March 2011 10:48

THE removal men aren't going to like it.

Rod and Niccy Angus are preparing to up sticks from their home in Argyll for a new life in West Lothian, along with their collection of 100 owls.

The couple run Scotland's only owl centre, which is thought to be home to the largest collection of trained owls in the world, and all of the birds, including 40 different species, will make the move with them.

West Lothian Council has approved a 15-year lease to enable the centre to make the move from Campbeltown to Polkemmet Country Park near Whitburn, although final planning permission is still to be granted.

If approved, the tourist attraction will open in July or August, with the building of the centre getting under way in May.

It will feature around 60 outdoor aviaries, an indoor flying display area with seats for 350 people, an owl-themed playground, a small shop and a picnic area.

The centre, which will be situated in the walled garden of the park, will host daily flying displays and will also provide classes to educate school pupils about the birds of prey.

Mr Angus, 51, said: "The Scottish Owl Centre worked well in Campbeltown but we felt it always needed a more central platform to function.

"The move feels like the next natural progression for ourselves as a family and also for the future of the Owl Centre."

The centre currently attracts around 3000 visitors per year, but Mr Angus said it was too difficult to predict how many people would visit the centre at its new proposed location.

Mr Angus, a father-of-six, said: "Not all of them are trained owls. The owls that have been raised by their own parents and have not been handled as such are pretty wild and can inflict some nasty wounds."

He added: "It's just owls at the moment but we do intend to add a few other birds like golden eagles and ravens, and maybe some small mammals as time goes by. I would like to keep meerkats."

The couple, who will live in a cottage in the park until they find somewhere more permanent, are looking to take on at least two members of staff.

They plan to open the centre seven days a week.

Mr Angus, an ornithologist, said: "Everybody likes an owl, whether you're old or young. They have great human appeal."

Jim Walker, West Lothian's culture and leisure leader, said: "The Scottish Owl Centre would be a fantastic addition to the excellent facilities on offer in Polkemmet Country Park."

The centre in Campbeltown was rated a four-star attraction by VisitScotland.

Manuela Calchini, regional director for VisitScotland, said: "The Lothians already offers a superb range of visitor attractions and this will further serve to enhance the area's credentials as a must-see destination for wildlife lovers everywhere."