A major new business development which could create 300 jobs for the village of Aviemore is poised to go ahead, provided it generates enough local applicants for employment.

The proposed telebusiness centre has been attracted to the area by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Network and would become the first such centre in Strathspey, building on the industry's success elsewhere in the HIE area.

The plans involve a leading company in the telebusiness industry, which cannot be identified at this stage for commercial reasons, and a two-week long test recruitment campaign, involving press and radio advertisements, is now underway in the Moray Firth and Strathspey areas.

The project would help strengthen the economy of the wider Aviemore area, and broaden employment from over-reliance on seasonal tourism activity.

The new facility would be located in Spey House on the Cairngorm Technology Park, a building constructed through an innovative partnership of private and public sector finance. It was provided by Tulloch Properties Ltd, with Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise guaranteeing part of the rent until business tenants are secured. The availability of high quality property, ready for immediate entry, has been of key importance in attracting the telebusiness company to consider locating in Aviemore.

Recent studies in the area have shown a large pool of skills and potential recruits for the new facility in Strathspey.

HIE chief executive Iain Robertson said: "A development like this would be a great boost for Aviemore. Not only would it provide a large number of new jobs, but they would be in a new industry for the area, reducing the over-dependence on tourism.

"This demonstrates the value of the work done to attract inward investment, which is one of the fastest ways to increase the diversification of local economies across the Highlands and Islands."

Last year the HIE network secured a record 1,275 inward investment jobs for the area, from a job creation total of some 3,322.