Glen Nevis Lower Falls car park and visitor improvement project opens

Glen Nevis - Lower Falls improved car park facilities and new public toilets officially marked their opening yesterday (Wednesday 10 May 2023) with the Nevis Landscape Partnership hosting an opening ceremony to mark the significant 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.

Economy and Infrastructure Committee Chair, Cllr 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.

“The Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund and partnership match funding has allowed major infrastructure improvements to be carried out at this key location. Public toilets were a high priority as well as disabled parking, motorhome spaces, bike storage and accessible routes to improve the visitor experience and mitigate the parking congestion in the immediate outlying area.

“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 Chair, Cllr 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, 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. The Scottish Governments Rural Tourism Infrastructure Funding is vitally important as it enables communities to help make meaningful changes that are sustainable and environmentally conscious.”

Nevis Landscape Partnership Manager, Rory Stewart said: “The recently completed Lower Falls Car Park project provides welcoming, year round facilities for visitors and locals, including the provision of public toilets for the first time in upper Glen Nevis. Its completion is a testament to the vision and dedication of some key individuals at Nevis Landscape Partnership throughout the project, and we would like to thank Jahama Highland Estates for the lease of the land, plus all the many individuals, funders, supporters, and contractors whose efforts enabled it to happen.

“Nevis Landscape Partnership look forward to being at the heart of future partnership work to provide an integrated, sustainable infrastructure to support all those who want to enjoy Glen Nevis.”

Destination Development Director at VisitScotland, Chris Taylor, said: “With views to the highest mountain in the British Isles and spectacular waterfalls, visitors enjoy discovering the natural beauty of Glen Nevis.

“The Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund can make a real difference to sites like this, supporting the development of improved transport and toilet facilities.

“These additional facilities continue to improve the experience for visitors and help alleviate pressure on infrastructure, to ensure this scenic area remains a popular place to visit for years to come.”

Alvance British Aluminum (site landowners), Managing Director, Tom Uppington said:

“As a major landowner in the region we are delighted to have been able to lease the area of ground in Glen Nevis to Nevis Landscape Partnership, for the purposes of an improved visitor provision in this very busy part of Lochaber. Working closely alongside the Nevis Landscape Partnership, Highland Council and the RTIF funding team we have all been able to co-ordinate a huge improvement to the visitor facilities in Glen Nevis for both tourists and local residents alike.

“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:

• 3 dedicated disabled parking bays.
• Improved parking space layout and motorhome spaces.
• 4 Small/Mid-sized coach parking facilities.
• Bike racks and tools for bike 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 their 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.