There's something in the air - and more!

For years Evelyn Hood has driven past Perth Airport on her way home from Perth and had absolutely no idea of the activity going on behind the entrance - except to notice over the years changing names on the board at the gates. Then lately she was invited to go along to meet Morris Leslie of Morris Leslie Ltd who took over the airport 9 years ago.

For years Evelyn Hood has driven past Perth Airport on her way home from Perth and had absolutely no idea of the activity going on behind the entrance - except to notice over the years changing names on the board at the gates. Then lately she was invited to go along to meet Morris Leslie of Morris Leslie Ltd who took over the airport 9 years ago.

Perth Airport on the eastern outskirts of Scone was built by Perth Town Council in the years between the two World Wars. First of all, it operated as a commercial airport then as a world-renowned training school for pilots and engineers. As a University of the Air in the 1960s and 70s up to 500 students at a time were being trained at Scone as commercial and military pilots and engineers. At that time there was such a volume of activity that the airport was actually logging more take-offs and landings than Heathrow!

People came here from all over the world to train and at one time the airport housed Britain's most northerly mosque.

Changes in the aviation industry, and the creation of other training establishments led to a diminishing demand for the airport's facilities. Perth College took over the engineering training which is still on site but plans were set in motion to convert the remainder of the site into a business complex. This was bought over 9 years ago by Morris Leslie Ltd. At the time the site had 2 business tenants with 37 people employed here. Today there are 60 business tenants employing 350 people.

The first thing that impresses a visitor to the airport is the number and variety of buildings, and the multiplicity of uses they have been put to in recent times - yet maintaining the facilities of a working airport.

I met Morris Leslie in the company offices situated in the airport terminal building.

He introduced me to Jan Longmuir and Linda Harcus who run the property marketing interests of the company. Jan was formerly involved in property development in Johannesburg and Linda in property sales in the UK. Currently there are 26 Morris Leslie Group personnel employed at the Perth Airport and Business Park.

To begin with, Morris outlined for me the growth of activity on the site in the past nine years.

It really has worked very well, he said, but then I am really convinced that Perth is the ideal centre for any business locating in Scotland.

Morris's own background is in farming - like his forebears he farms in both Angus and Perthshire - so what, I wondered prompted his move into property and industrial site development?

At agricultural college, he explained, there was an awful lot of talk about how farmers were going to have to diversify in future if they were going to continue to make a living. I took that to heart and began a business, hiring out and selling plant equipment. Then I moved into property and have developed sites all over the country. My company's focus is on people and their needs for places to work and to live.

When this site came on the market I could see its potential. I am a confirmed believer in the quality of life in this area. Perth is a nice place to live and, as I've said, it's ideally placed commercially. It is a fact that it is within 90 minutes of 90% of Scotland's population. The potential for growth in business based here is plain to see and businesses throughout the country, many of them based in England, are seeing that potential.

Adjoining the airfield and its buildings is Newlands Farm which was formerly the Milk Marketing Board's Artificial Insemination headquarters. Morris Leslie acquired this to add to the range of possible activities and with this and further acquisitions in the vicinity Perth Airport and Business Park now covers well over 500 acres.