A total of £375,000 in funding has been allocated to a Highland Perthshire -based project aiming to tackle visitor management pressures on the River Tay.
Eleven projects across the country have been recommended for approval to receive a share of just over £2.6 million in cash from the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) to encourage ‘sustainable tourism’.
Centres recommended for approval included £375,000 for the Grandtully Visitor Management Project.
The funding will go towards the creation of an additional 40 car park spaces with 17 toilets, improved interpretation signage, camping facilities and installation of six EV charging points plus e-bike charging points and facilities.
Outside the region there was also £147,354 of money designated towards the creation of toilets and motorhome facilities at the main beach car park in Gairloch and £228,200 for parking and visitor facilities at Glen Affric.
Managed by VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, the RTIF was created to improve the quality of the visitor experience in rural parts of Scotland that have faced pressure on their infrastructure due to an increase in visitor numbers.
It aims to reduce the impact of visitor numbers on local communities and facilities.
Round four was open for applications from local authorities and national park authorities, in partnership with their communities, and is aimed at funding infrastructure improvements such as parking with EV charging points and e-bike facilities, campervan facilities – including disposal points – viewpoints and toilet provision.
Convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s environment and infrastructure committee, Councillor Angus Forbes, said: “We are delighted that the funding has been awarded which will allow significant investment in the facilities at the Scottish Canoe Association’s site at Grandtully.
“The camping and motorhome market is a growing one and we have seen the pressures that this has brought on rural communities, particularly in the last couple of years.
“The council is committed to working with partners to identify visitor management solutions and to providing the infrastructure that our area needs and which our visitors expect.”
Over the four rounds of RTIF, £14.5 million of grant funding has been awarded to 56 projects across 13 local authorities and both national park authorities – from the Scottish Borders to Shetland.
VisitScotland chief executive Malcolm Roughead said: “The Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund is an important part of creating a sustainable tourism model in Scotland. Not only does it improve the visitor experience but enhances access and facilities for the wider community.
“We all need to play our part in being responsible visitors and these improvement projects will ensure our visitor destinations remain sustainable for years to come.
“VisitScotland is committed to working with the industry and communities to create a long-lasting sustainable tourism destination which will protect the environment and benefit visitors and residents alike.”
