Takeover deal saves Hydroponicum

Staff had feared the centre would have to close over the summer

A visitor attraction in Wester Ross which draws up to 10,000 people a year has been saved from closure.

The Hydroponicum in Achiltibuie is famous for growing plants without soil and producing exotic species like bananas and cactus in Scotland.

It has been bought by Ullapool-based company Invisible Heating Systems.

The firm has agreed to lease the facility back to three former Hydroponicum employees, who hope to make the business profitable.

The Hydroponicum had been put up for sale in January, with its previous owners warning it would not be able to open for the summer season if a buyer was not found quickly.

The business was losing money when we took it over but we are hoping that by reducing the opening hours slightly and reducing the staffing levels we can make the business pay Alison Graham Hydroponicum director

The deal with Invisible Heating Systems means the three new directors of the Hydroponicum will be working without pay until a new business plan pays dividend.

Director Alison Graham said she was confident the new arrangement would safeguard the immediate future of the centre, which has already opened for the summer season.

She added: "The business was losing money when we took it over but we are hoping that by reducing the opening hours slightly and reducing the staffing levels we can make the business pay.

"We have shrunk down the cafe a little bit to reduce the menu but we hope to give enough choice for people to enjoy their time with us."

Giant greenhouses are used to grow exotic plants without soil

Mrs Graham said the Hydroponicum was an important attraction for the whole of Wester Ross.

She said: "We tend to attract a large number of visitors over the year obviously the input of visitors is important to the community as a whole not just the Hydroponicum.

"It is also an important social meeting place for the community. We find that local people come in just to use the cafe, which is only one part of the Hydroponicum, but a very important part."

The Hydroponicum was set up in the 1980s to provide fresh produce for the nearby Summer Isles Hotel.

It uses huge greenhouses and mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil to grow crops.

Hydroponics uses only 5% of the amount of water as a regular farm to produce the same amount of food, allowing crops to be grown in inhospitable climates.