Gairloch Open New Public Amenities And Motorhome Waste Disposal

26th March 2024

A new high-quality toilet facility to help alleviate pressures at Gairloch has now opened. The project was brought to fruition by a community partnership driven by Gairloch Area Development Ltd, supported by The Highland Council and Visit Scotland.

A modern toilet block incorporating disabled access, baby changing, and shower facility officially opened on Friday 22 March 2024. The area also includes a drive over grey waste and separate black waste facility, freshwater tap, bike rack for 6 bikes and seated area. Information visitor interpretation boards have also been installed funded by The Highland Council, the Gaelic Society Inverness and Urras an Eilein, with help from the Gairloch Museum.

Local construction company, MacLeod and Mitchell Contractors Ltd were the main contractor and Healthmatic designed and installed the modular toilet facilities.

The Highland Council's - Economy and Infrastructure Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Members were very supportive of this project when it came to E&I committee for financial support in 2022, and I am very pleased to see it has been able to secure the additional funding required through the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) and Highland Coastal Communities Fund (HCCF). Gairloch is a popular tourist destination which required upgraded facilities to meet visitor demand, whilst protecting and managing the surrounding landscape. This new facility has been carefully designed to meet the needs of the public whilst being sensitive to the area."

This £200,036 project has been made possible by investment from The Highland Council and the Gairloch Area Development Ltd, which unlocked £142,626 of grant from the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (administered by VisitScotland) which was created to support projects in rural parts of Scotland that have faced pressure due to significant increases in visitor numbers; and £52,605 from the Highland Coastal Communities Fund which is designed to support economic regeneration and sustainable development around coastal areas in Highland.

Chris Taylor, Destination Development Director at VisitScotland, said: "VisitScotland is focused on the responsible growth of tourism and events. To be a sustainable tourism destination, we must ensure the right facilities are in place to cater for the growing demands of both visitors and locals. These new improvements will be a welcome addition for the community and help support the long-term infrastructure goals of the wider region."

Fran Cree , Director at Gairloch Area Development Ltd, said: "The Board of Gairloch Area Development Trust are delighted the facilities at Gairloch beach are now open in time for Easter and the first of the 2024 seasons visitors. We've already received some very positive comments from motor home visitors and members of the local community. The new facilities have been a long time in the planning, and we owe a huge thanks to the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund and Highland Council's Coastal Communities Fund team for all their support.”