Strathaird set for visitor facilities upgrade with expanded car parking and two new toilets.
The John Muir Trust, which looks after the Strathaird peninsula on Skye, has been awarded funding to help it build two composting toilets and double car parking provision at the foot of Bla Bheinn.
The funding package – from the Rural Tourist Infrastructure Fund administered by Visit Scotland – is worth £65,579, which would cover around 75 per cent of the estimated £100,000 cost of the project. The balance will be raised by the Trust, which last week submitted a planning application to Highland Council.
This plan would involve doubling the capacity of the existing car park from approx. 16 to 34, including disabled access, and the building of two composting toilets, which will require minimal maintenance.
Sarah Lewis, the Trust’s Skye Conservation officer said: “As everyone knows, tourism in Skye has been growing rapidly over the past few years, but the island’s infrastructure is lagging behind. The John Muir Trust has invested heavily in footpath repairs recently, but we are also looking at how best to manage visitor pressures, especially around Bla Bheinn, which is one of Scotland’s finest and most popular mountains.
“We are confident this application will be successful because it will relieve parking congestion and would help us keep the main access route to the mountain landscape tidy and free from the mess that some tourists, unfortunately, do leave behind.
“There is no mains water supply in the vicinity, so composting toilets are the most cost-effective way to provide public conveniences at the foot of Bla Bheinn. It’s also a strong example of how we can work with natural processes to minimise waste and chemical use. The system is almost odour-free, has minimal environmental impact and, once all harmful bacteria have been broken down by biological organisms, it will produce non-food fertilizer.”
The Trust manages 12,000 hectares on Skye, including the Strathaird, Torrin and Sconser estates, crofting settlements such as Elgol and part of the Cuillin Hills National Scenic Area. Over the past two years, the Trust has – with the support of its members, supporters and external funding bodies –invested £263,000 repairing and upgrading its network of footpaths on the island, including the Sligachan to Loch Coruisk route, the Elgol to Camasunary path, and the scenic loop path at the Allt Daraich gorge between Sligachan and Glamaig.
The Trust is also working closely with the Broadford campus of the UHI to train students and local people in footpath-building skills as part of the Crofting and Countryside Skills course.
Header image courtesy of the John Muir Trust