Nevis Range visitors to pay for parking

VISITORS to Nevis Range in Fort William will have to pay to park, unless they are local.

Five meters were installed in the private, 500-space parking area at the foot of Aonach Mor last week. Charges will come into force from the beginning of May until October each year.

Heather Negus, marketing manager with Nevis Range, told the Lochaber

Times the price will be £ 3 per day, but people who live in Lochaber are eligible for a free parking pass.

Ms Negus added: ‘We get people using the car park who don’t intend on using the range. They just want to use the loo or are going walking or cycling. One hundred thousand plus people use the car park each year and currently we are not making any revenue from it so this is really just a way of growing our business. Most places you go these days will charge and Nevis Range has perhaps been behind that trend. At £ 3, the charge has been set reasonably. We don’t want to discourage people from parking here but we do need to cover costs and this will help.’

Holders of current Nevis Range season tickets – including Snowsports, Gondola, Mountain Bike or Tree Adventure – no matter where they live can also park for free.

Ms Negus continued: ‘There will be two sites where people can pick up passes, at the main Nevis Range ticket office or the Pinemarten cafe bar at Nevis Range. All they have to do is bring with them proof of local address and we’ll issue them with a free pass.’

One of Nevis Range’s biggest events is the Mountain Bike World Cup. The two- day event takes place this year from June 3.

Ms Negus told the Lochaber Times, Nevis Range usually offers a ‘late room’ service for fans or teams planning to travel to the event who have not booked accommodation. However, the late rooms are being snapped up earlier and earlier.

She said: ‘Accommodation is already getting tight. So, if you are an accommodation provider – or can provide accommodation – with availability that includes the Saturday, please get in touch. We have had a specific request for a team of six and if they cannot find a place to stay, they will not be able to participate, which would be a real shame.’

Please contact Ms Negus on marketing@nevisrange.co.uk or 01397 705825.