The latest phase of ambitious £1.5 million plans to upgrade visitor infrastructure and showcase the birthplace of Scottish tourism in the heart of the Trossachs has taken a major step forward.
Two local charities - Friends of Loch Lomond and Trossachs and Sir Walter Scott Steamship Trust - have joined forces to launch a new trail leaflet and map and to install new information boards at busy visitor hubs.
The initiative is part of the Trossachs Trail Visitor Management Programme.
The Steamship Trust has also secured a VisitScotland stage one approval from the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund for the imaginative Trossachs scenic tower and lookouts above Trossachs Pier.
This follows on from an earlier £375,000 grant award for a £650,000 package of car park, toilet and signing improvements along the 40-mile Trossachs Trail and the current investment of £500,000 in the Steamship Sir Walter Scott restoration following a successful public fundraising appeal.
James Fraser, chair of the Friends and CEO of the Steamship Trust said: “We recently reached a major milestone with Trossachs Trail improvements in good time to welcome the return of overseas visitors to the Trossachs.
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“Last year we produced a series of map panels and refreshed Trail signing to help visitors explore the Trossachs and make the most of their stay but, following repeated requests to convert the useful map into a handy leaflet, we have recently printed and distributed 20,000 copies for use by local information centre staff and 100 other outlets in and around the Trossachs that welcome visitors.
“This would have not been possible without the funding support of the Friends and the Steamship Trust charities as well as the Strathard and Callander Community Hydro Funds.
“Recent funding awards have also enabled some large information and map boards to be installed at busy visitor hubs such as Trossachs Pier and Stronachlachar Pier.”
Anne Gordon, manager of Callander’s community run Visitor Information Centre, said: “The availability of such a useful map with details of the places to visit and things to see and do in the Trossachs is proving to be invaluable in assisting visitors.
“Visitors used to regularly take photos of the map panel showcasing the Trossachs in the Visitor Centre and we received repeated requests for a leaflet version of the map which thankfully is now available and flying off the shelves.”
The Trossachs Trail is based on the famous Trossachs Tour popularised by Sir Walter Scott and other writers in the 1800s which helped the area become famous and led to the growth of Callander and Aberfoyle and the development of other small villages with hostelries along the way.
Meanwhile, work on major car park and visitor hub infrastructure projects at Ben A’an and Stronachlachar Pier has been completed and the plans for the reinstatement of the historic Roderick Dhu Watchtower path leading to a famous Trossachs viewpoint, credited with being ‘the birthplace of Scottish tourism’, and various other improvements at Trossachs Pier are on target to get underway later this year.
