Golf legend Jack Nicklaus has unveiled his plans for an £80 million golf and housing development in “a very special place” in Scotland.

The Nicklaus Village will be created around his 18-hole Signature Golf Course on the Ury Estate near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire.

Self-build plots and five-bedroom homes will make up the first phase of the 1,600-acre project, with most plots offering a spectacular view of the course.

Nicklaus, 82, said: “I’m proud to be launching my first branded real estate development in Europe in Scotland, the home of golf, which holds a very special place in my heart.

“Ury Estate is a unique development which is set to be one of the world’s most prestigious golfing destinations.”

Plans for the course were announced in 2007 but work finally began last year and it is expected to open in 2024.

While Nicklaus Companies have designed more than 435 golf courses in 46 countries, fewer than 10 have been selected to brand the real-estate offering, which speaks to the special nature of Ury’s setting.

Jonathon Milne, the founder of FM Group, the site owner and developer, added: “We couldn’t be more excited to be launching the Nicklaus Village, a luxury lifestyle community that will be unique in Scotland’s northeast.”

He said the group was expecting demand from “both golf enthusiasts and those who want to enjoy life in a stunning natural setting”.

Known worldwide as the ‘Golden Bear’, Nicklaus is an 18-time major championship winner, including the Opens he won on Scottish soil, twice at St Andrews (1970 and 1978) and at Muirfield (1966).

In 2005 he became the only living non-UK national to feature on British currency. He was recently made an honorary citizen of St Andrews.