Beinn Eighe visitor centre opens amid glorious sunshine

The £330,000 restoration has been achieved thanks to 45% funding from the European Rural Development Fund (ERDF) as part of a drive to celebrate the many attractions on offer.

Improved visitor facilities include a makeover for the local trail interpretation; new visitor centre installations, and a new wildlife viewing hide.

The visitor centre is a focal point for visitors to the National Nature Reserve. It now boasts new displays which are visual and appealing in design, and focus on landscape and species.

It was opened by Rob Gibson, SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, who performed the tape-cutting role and spoke of his delight at being able to perform the duty.

He said it was 'an emblematic NNR' and its strength partly lay in its ‘helping people to see the values of the natural world but in a community setting.’

Ian Ross, the SNH chairman, said: “There is a suite of designations and nationally scarce species here. And the reserve also provides superb mountain access, a high standard of visitor access, and excellent educational and interpretative information. It provides a tangible link between a high-value environment and the creation of jobs and opportunity, with strong community connections and benefits.”

Mr Gibson and Mr Ross paid tribute to the work and legacy of Dick Balharry, a world-renowned conservationist.

Mr Gibson outlined Mr Balharry’s early years as warden at the reserve where, among other duties he carried out ‘crucial’ work into pesticides such as DDT – research understood to have contributed to the ban on such pesticides in the 1980s.

The visitor centre is the ideal venue from which to explore the magnificent 4046-hectare reserve which stretches from loch shore to mountain top embracing rugged peaks, ridges, moor, pine forest and a cluster of islands.

Around 50 people attended the opening and Chris Donald of SNH added: “We are delighted that so many local people were able to attend the event. The reserve is there for everyone to enjoy and we are committed to ensuring as many people as possible experience the outstanding beauty of Beinn Eighe and Wester Ross.”

Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands NNR embraces more than 48 square kilometres from lochside to mountain top. And with the chance of anything from a 15-minute stroll to a strenuous mountain day, it is a wonderful location.

Around 50,000 visitors each year have the chance to see golden eagle, red deer, white-tailed eagle, and black-throated divers at the reserve, set amid stunning Wester Ross scenery.

The visitor centre opens from 10am-5pm from April until October.