North of Scotland housebuilder Tulloch Homes has initiated a major push south with two major new developments in the Central Belt.

The firm said it is expanding with more than £60 million investment in a number of new locations, including concluding the acquisition of its most southerly venture at Fenwick, East Ayrshire.

Tulloch has also started work at Glenrothes and has also completed negotiations for new sites at Kirkhill, near Inverness, and Culbokie, in the Black Isle.

Predominantly building in the Highlands and Aberdeenshire, the 90-year-old company announced its new foray into the Central Belt in March this year with a development in East Kilbride.

The firm also said that construction will begin in the next three years on around 300 homes for the South Stirling Gateway project.

Preparations are being made to begin work next year on the Ness Side development at Inverness, in which 800 homes are to be rolled out over 15 to 20 years.

George Fraser, chief executive of Tulloch Homes, said the latest expansion plan represents the first time the firm has moved that far south in around 10 years.

He told The Herald: “We have been busy in the Highlands and Aberdeen but have not built in the Central Belt since the financial crisis a decade ago.

“But we are now firmly in growth mode, both north and south, and are examining the possibility of other Central Belt locations. This follows the success of our The Village development at East Kilbride, where only a handful of homes remain available, and we feel the time is right to examine the south market.

“We have now started on site at a prime location at Balgeddie Park, Glenrothes.

“Fenwick is well-situated, near Kilmarnock and just off the M77, so we are pleased to be able to begin construction there in the first half of next year.”

Mr Fraser added: “Ness Side, in Inverness, will be our biggest ever single development, on which we worked in close liaison with local planners for several years.

“It will be the same at Culbokie which will be our most northerly development but which is popular with commuters.

“Existing Black Isle developments at North Kessock and Fortrose are nearing completion.”