Visitor centre steams ahead
Formal opening of community hub
A new community-led visitor information centre in Callander has formally opened.
The facility has been opened to replace the former Visit Scotland centre which closed earlier this year.
Visit Scotland shut its tourist information centre in Main Street back in February, citing the falling number of visitors.
The new centre was formally opened on Tuesday evening by the town’s current Citizen of the Year, Lesley Hawkins.
The information hub is a joint venture by Callander Community Council, Callander Community Development Trust and the Sir Walter Scott Steamship Trust from Loch Katrine, with initial support from the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority, VisitScotland and Stirling Council.
The visitor information centre has been open for limited hours for a number of weeks, with more than 1000 visitors coming through the door.
Now, the centre will be open seven days a week in the peak period of July and August and visitors are welcomed by Steamship staff and local volunteers.
Initial funding for the first year has come from the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust, Callander Community Hydro Fund, Stirling Council Community Pride Fund and Callander Community Council.
Frank Park, chair of the new company set up to run the centre and of the development trust, said: “We’re grateful to the National Park Authority for their support and encouragement that allows us to share their Callander base at 5254 Main Street, and to VisitScotland for leaving all their shop fittings and providing essential information. I also want to thank all the volunteers who have stepped in with Steamship staff to talk to the hundreds of visitors who have dropped in during our first few weeks. This is just the beginning and we’re also working with Stirling Council to set up business hub services to support home workers and small businesses in the area.”
James Fraser, chief executive of the Sir Walter Scott Steamship Trust, said: “We’re delighted to be able to provide some financial, logistical and staffing support for this much-needed community led initiative which fills a major void in visitor information provision in such a strategically important location.
Stuart Mearns, director of planning and rural development at Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, said: “The opportunity here is to provide visitor information from a local perspective, from people who know the area better than anyone, and also to use the space to help grow small local businesses. ”
Trossachs and Teith SNP councillor Evelyn Tweed, who attended the opening, said: “I know that local people have worked very hard on this initiative to provide this fantastic resource and to fill the gap in provision left when Visit Scotland pulled out of the area. The place looks amazing and is a great resource for visitors and I know that it is already extremely busy. It never ceases to amaze me how much effort and energy our local citizens put into projects like this and their hard work and effort is to be commended.”
Trossachs and Teith Tory councillor, Martin Earl added: “Having a visitor centre in Callander is essential. I completely disagreed with the decision by Visit Scotland to pull out and felt their argument that people want to get their info from apps or online was a convenient one so they could save money. The community refused to accept that and have worked very hard to establish a centre that offers a warm welcome and face to face advice.”