New 'village' opens as Jack Nicklaus golf course moves forward

A new ‘village’ for the North East, which will surround a golf course built by American player Jack Nicklaus, is seeking its first residents.

The long-awaited development at Ury Estate near Stonehaven has taken a major step forward with the release of the first properties in The Nicklaus Village.

Land for the golf course and homes was first bought by FM developments 20 years ago , with the scheme, which includes the revival of derelict 19th Century mansion Ury House, pushing through a number of obstacles and delays.

Nicklaus, an 18-time major championship winner, said the village now offered a “luxury lifestyle experience” with house prices coming with a starting price of £950,000. The golf course is due to open in 2024.

The player, an honorary citizen of St Andrews who is also known as Golden Bear, said: “I’m proud to be launching my first branded real estate development in Europe in Scotland, the home of golf, which holds a very special place in my heart.

“Ury Estate is a unique development which is set to be one of the world’s most prestigious golfing destinations. We are delighted to be creating the opportunity for people to buy or build their dream home at the course.

“The Nicklaus Village at Ury Estate offers a luxury lifestyle experience, with family homes situated in a country setting affording a spectacular panorama of the Aberdeenshire countryside and coastline.”

The golf development sits just to the edge of the Aberdeenshire town of Stonehaven. PIC: Contributed.

Nicklaus Village is the first of three phases of development at the Stonehaven site, with 23 houses and 32 self-build plots to go up for sale.

The Jack Nicklaus Retreat and Golden Bear Homes will follow, with 500 homes to be built in total.

The scale and nature of the Ury development has shifted over time, with Ury House and 1,600 acres first bought by FM Developments in 2002.

Ury House, the 18-hole golf course and the surrounding homes of the new Nicklaus Village near Stonehaven. PIC: Contributed.

Four years later, the proposed £40m project, which then proposed 138 new houses, was turned down by councillors who said the residential plans were over ambitious.

In 2008, plans for hotel, leisure and housing development approved by Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services committee but the project was thrown into doubt when 10 subsidiary companies of FM Developments went into administration the following the year.

The land was later bought back although plans to convert Ury House into a hotel were scrapped following the oil downturn of 2014 with 19 serviced apartments proposed instead. The ground floor of the mansion will be turned into the clubhouse.

A smaller 32-bedroom boutique hotel will be built within a walled garden on the estate.

The release of the first homes is a major step forward for the development, with land and Ury House first bought for the scheme 20 years ago. PIC: Contributed.

Jonathan Milne, site owner, developer and owner of the Edinburgh-based FM Group, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to be launching The Nicklaus Village, a luxury lifestyle community that will be unique in Scotland’s northeast.

“Nicklaus Companies have a track record of creating stunning residential communities at their courses world-wide, and we are very proud to be bringing Europe’s first Nicklaus branded residential development to Scotland.

“With a limited number of plots available, we’re expecting considerable demand from interested buyers both locally and internationally. This will include both golf enthusiasts and those who want to enjoy life in a stunning natural setting.”