UAE billionaire Mahdi Al-Tajir has put his 639-acre Gleneagles-rivalling golf resort in Perthshire up for sale, nearly two decades after building it as what was intended to be one of Europe's largest leisure complexes. Known as gWest, the Blackford estate has been dubbed a "ghost" resort because it has been used almost exclusively by Al-Tajir, his family and select guests, despite its 18-hole championship course being praised by celebrated architect David McLay Kidd. The sale marks a significant moment for a project that never fulfilled its ambitious original vision.

The £500million scheme originally promised over 1,000 jobs and a major economic boost when launched, but the 2008 financial crisis, the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and Brexit were all blamed for stalling development. Property consultancy Knight Frank is now inviting offers for the site, which retains planning consent for up to 170 residential plots, a hotel and spa, and leisure facilities. Completed in 2009, the course has been played by only a handful of golfers, including Henrik Stenson, and Al-Tajir, owner of Highland Spring, was once ranked among Scotland's richest men with a fortune of £1.6billion.