Center Parcs has unveiled plans to bring its first-holiday village to Scotland, just across the border. 

The estimated investment to build the new village, north of Hawick, will be between £350m-£400m and is expected to create up to 1,200 jobs. 

The proposals for the new village are 'still in the early stages', with a planning application expected to be submitted in 2025.

The planned village is said to include around 700 lodges. 

Colin McKinlay, chief executive officer of Center Parcs, said: “This is a tremendously exciting project and offers the opportunity to transform leisure and tourism in the Scottish Borders.

"Center Parcs is an exceptionally popular destination for families in the UK and Ireland and there is robust demand to support a seventh village. 

“Throughout our history, we have demonstrated that a Center Parcs village provides significant economic benefits locally, regionally and nationally. 

“Many Scottish families already visit Center Parcs villages in England, and this village will offer the chance for people to enjoy their holidays closer to home, which in turn will benefit the local economy. 

"Sustainability is core to our values.

"In our three decades of operating in the UK and Ireland, we have transformed areas of commercial woodland into a rich tapestry of flora and fauna, considerably enhancing the biodiversity of each village.

"This site gives us the opportunity to take a bold, new approach and create a woodland ourselves, delivering significant biodiversity net gain and planting thousands of new tree

“We are at an early stage with these proposals and have a lengthy and thorough planning process ahead.

"We have already conducted a significant number of surveys to assess the site and we intend to continue with additional site surveys and design development, alongside a programme of pre-planning application consultation and community engagement," he said. 

The construction phase of the project is expected to create between 750 and 800 regional jobs, with local contractors being used where possible.

The site is said to include a range of indoor and outdoor activities, shops, bars, restaurants, an Aqua Sana Forest Spa and a Center Parcs’  indoor water park. 

Of its current six locations, Center Parcs currently runs the Whinfell Forest site, just outside of Penrith.