Ribbon is cut on £420,000 Glen Nevis transformation
Improved car park facilities and new public toilets at Glen Nevis Lower Falls have been officially opened.
A special ceremony was hosted by Nevis Landscape Partnership to mark the occasion following an extensive £420,000 infrastructure improvement project, supported by the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) and match funded by a wide range of supporting partners.
It is hoped the revamp will not only attract new people to the area but improve it for existing visitors.
Economy and infrastructure committee chairperson, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “Glen Nevis attracts a growing number of visitors each year and as we are all encouraged to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of being outdoors it in turn requires infrastructure improvements to allow everyone accessible means to do so.”
As well as the high priority public toilets, the improvements also include disabled parking, motorhome spaces, bike storage and accessible routes to improve the visitor experience and mitigate the parking congestion in the immediate outlying area.
Councillor Gowans added: “This project is part of a wider Glen Nevis Infrastructure Improvement Strategy (GNIIS) and demonstrates best practise and cohesive working partnership to enable us all to enjoy the great outdoors in a responsible way.”
Lochaber area committee chairperson Councillor Kate Willis said: “The collective effort to improve the infrastructure and provide public conveniences at Glen Nevis is testament to Nevis Landscape Partnership and all the funding partners involved in the project.
“Year on year the demand to visit Lochaber and Glen Nevis grows and the new compostable facilities, powered by solar, will make a considerable difference to the thousands of people that visit the area each year, yet mindful of the impact on the environment.” Nevis Landscape Partnership manager Rory Stewart thanked key individuals at Nevis Landscape Partnership, as well as Jahama Highland Estates (Alvance British Al) for the lease of the land, plus all the many individuals, funders, supporters, and contractors whose efforts enabled the project to happen.
Site landowners Alvance British Aluminium’s managing director Tom Uppington said: “We look forward to continuing to work with the Nevis Landscape Partnership and all the stakeholders, both private and public, with the aim of providing wider enhancement of the whole of the Ben Nevis region and to ensure its sustainability for the longer term.
“The design and construction of the car park and toilet considered the natural surroundings whilst accommodating for the needs of the public.”
The new car park and toilet facilities offer:
Three dedicated disabled parking bays.
Improved parking space layout and motorhome spaces.
Four small or mid-sized coach parking facilities.
Bike racks and tools for repair.
Picnic tables with wheelchair and pushchair access to the tables.
Path accessibility improvements between the falls and the car park to an all-ability standard.
New accessible interpretation panels and information layout.
Solar panel power to the new parking meters and toilets.
New bus drop-off area with shelter constructed using natural materials.
The Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) – established by the Scottish Government in 2017 and managed by VisitScotland on its behalf – supports collaborative projects across rural parts of Scotland that focus on improving the visitor experience and elevating pressures on infrastructure or negative impacts on communities due to significant increases in visitor numbers.