Work starts of Corrieshalloch Gorge visitor gateway in Ross-shire – it is part of a new 10-year strategy published by the National Trust for Scotland
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Work has started on a major Ross-shire project which will improve facilities at a Wester Ross tourist attraction.
It coincides with the publication of a new 10-year strategy for the National Trust for Scotland this week.
Philip Long, the trust's chief executive, was speaking about the document which outlines four projects across Scotland – including what is described as a visitor gateway which will be built at Corrieshalloch Gorge.
He said: "Corrieshalloch Gorge is the most extraordinary geological phenomena where basically a water cut gorge runs through the countryside just right by the main road to Ullapool – of course the gorge came first.
"It really is an extraordinary thing to see and it has been an interesting place for people to visit for a very long time. There is a wonderful suspension bridge across the gorge that has been there since I think the late 19th Century.
"It has always been visited by people and it has been in the trust's care for some time but there are really visitor facilities there.
"We think it is the right thing to do to improve the facilities there so people can enjoy the visit more and learn more about the extraordinary geology and nature."
Mr Long said it was hoped that the project would be completed later this year and added: "At the moment we are on site constructing a new visitor gateway building, if you like, that provides better and safer parking and some facilities for people to have a break at that point and essentially to find out more about the natural environment there."
The gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular gorges of its type in the British Isles. The project aims to improve access with the much needed and sensitively designed building.
This project is supported by the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund which is led by NatureScot and funded through the European Regional Development Fund.
As well as outlining the four specific projects the 10-year strategy's aims include:
• A commitment to become carbon negative by 2031 as Scotland’s largest independent conservation charity;
• Expanding the number of people welcomed to trust sites across Scotland to more than six million people per year by 2032;
• An investment of £38 million in the care of the trust’s places within the next three years, and £100 million across the lifetime of the strategy;
• A commitment to increasing the trust’s learning work, through developing skills and new learning and research programmes.
Mr Long said: “We’ve begun an exciting new chapter for the National Trust for Scotland, building on the experience, knowledge and skills we’ve gathered over the last 90 years, throughout which time our charity has received phenomenal support from its members and many others.
"Everyone can benefit from Scotland’s heritage and from the work of the trust, and in the years ahead we want to involve as many people as possible in this.
"Our new strategy is a response to all that our charity has achieved over its long history, and to the current health, economic and environmental challenges which affect everyone.
“In creating our new strategy we’ve set out a framework that charts our ambitions for the trust’s 10th decade, describing our intended achievements: from becoming carbon negative by 2031, through to championing Scotland’s heritage for everyone, restoring and protecting habitats, historic buildings and landscapes and uncovering and sharing more of our nation’s stories to a larger and more diverse audience of six million annual visitors.
"We’re also recruiting colleagues to bring even more experience to our dedicated and passionate team throughout the country, to allow us to realise these ambitions.”
