Upgrade to Wester Ross trail aims to boost 'slow tourism' in village once Covid-19 lockdown is over
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A TRAIL could boost ‘slow tourism’ in a Wester Ross village after its upgrade was given the green light by Highland Council.
The upgrade of the Sand River archaeological and geological trail, near to the Sands Caravan Park, has been approved by council under delegated powers.
John Wood, formerly Highland Council’s Principal Archaeologist, has worked on a plan for the path with the landowner, James Cameron and Gairloch Museum that will encourage slow tourism to the area after the coronavirus pandemic restrictions are removed.
Mr Wood managed the project that set up the original trail in 1994.
The upgrade of the existing path will include an extended, three mile circular path around the glen, repairs and minor re-routing, a re-located car park, and a completely revised interpretation of the trail in the form of a new booklet and a smartphone app.
The Sand River Trail was established initially by the Ross and Cromarty Community Archaeology Project in 1994-6.
At the time it was innovative in several respects. It was the first archaeological trail in Scotland to be completely bilingual in Gaelic and English. It included geology and natural history alongside archaeological interpretation, providing a more balanced approach likely to appeal to a wider range of interests.
Today, the management of the trail is a duty of HighLife Highland’s Countryside Ranger Service.
But while the Countryside Ranger still risk assesses the trail annually, no maintenance has been carried out for many years and the trail booklet is out of print.
Plans for the path state that construction will be sympathetic to the surroundings. Typical construction for the path will be 150mm sub-base of angular rocks, overlain by 100mm base material and surfaced with compacted material to 50mm. The path will be floated over soft, wet and boggy ground, using brushwood or poles as reinforcement as necessary.
A single interpretation panel is proposed at the new car park. This will welcome visitors and showcase a map of the trail highlighting key features and landmarks. It will also include general advice including the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
