Work on new Glenfinnan visitor car park completed
Construction of the new car park at Glenfinnan has been completed, along with two other Highland tourism infrastructure projects which benefited from the Scottish Government’s Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) and LEADER funding.
As well as the community-operated car park, work on slipways at Cromarty and Nigg, together with Skye’s Old Man of Storr Footpath Improvement Project, are ready to enhance visitor experiences at all three sites.
The additional parking created at Glenfinnan will cater for 100 cars and 10 motorhomes/buses. This was in response to demand placed on the area by fans of the Harry Potter films to the viaduct and the Jacobite steam train.
In October 2018, The Highland Council in partnership with Glenfinnan Community Facilities Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) secured £269,906 from the first round of the Scottish Government’s Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund managed by VisitScotland. The fund aims to support projects that focus on improving the visitor experience in rural parts of Scotland that have faced pressure on their infrastructure or negative impacts on communities due to significant increases in visitor numbers.
The project was matched
The construction phase of the new community car park at Glenfinnan is now finished.
by £115,674 in LEADER funding which is part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP). This fund is aimed at promoting economic and community development within rural areas.
Lochaber councillor Allan Henderson commented on behalf of himself and the area’s other elected members, Ben Thompson and Denis Rixson, saying the trio was ‘thrilled’ this work has been completed.
‘Glenfinnan has so much to offer for such a small constrained area through the National Trust visitor centre, the iconic monument and viaduct coupled with the loch, the architecture and location of the church,’ added Mr Henderson.’
‘It is a magnet for tourists who will now be able to enjoy it for longer, with less hassle, through this project.’
In addition to the car park, The Highland Council in partnership with Glenfinnan Community Facilities SCIO also secured £53,704 from round two of the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund with a successful Crowd Funder to match, organised by the community for the final phase of the Glenfinnan Viaduct project. This will see a new footbridge and path link the new car park to the existing path to the viaduct, preventing visitors having to walk on the main trunk road.
The Old Man of Storr Footpath Improvement Project, designed to enhance visitor access while protecting iconic landscapes and internationally important habitats, is funded by the
RTIF, £184,508, and Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate, £79,075. Skye councillor John Gordon said: ‘I am delighted this work has been completed. The work at Storr will make a significant difference to the enjoyment of locals and tourists as it will protect and care for the environment and provide better capacity for visitors at a very busy and iconic site.’
Chris Taylor, VisitScotland Regional Leadership Director, said: ‘Tourism has been a huge success story for the Highlands, creating jobs in rural communities and helping underpin vital services. We need the infrastructure to keep pace with that growth and I am delighted RTIF has allowed VisitScotland, working with the Highland Council, to respond to calls for additional and improved infrastructure across Scotland.’