22 September, 2021
Car park upgrade at St Cyrus National Nature Reserve
As part of visitor improvements on St Cyrus National Nature Reserve, major works will begin shortly to improve the car park.
Construction work is expected to begin on 28th September 2021. While works are underway, there will be a reduced area available for parking and there may be short periods when the car park is closed altogether. Visitors should follow safety directions both along the minor access road and on site. Work is scheduled to be complete by early spring 2022.
Therese Alampo, St Cyrus NNR Reserve Manager, said: “It’s going to be so exciting to finally see the carpark improvements taking shape, offering visitors a welcoming safe arrival with clear entrances, exits and bays. It will be a much more fitting way to start their stay on this wonderful NNR. We’d ask everyone to bear with us while work is underway and to understand that we will have reduced capacity for parking during this time.”
The work on the overall project of car park and toilet improvements has been made possible with a Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund grant to Aberdeenshire Council along with contributions from NatureScot and the Coastal Communities Fund.
Jo Robinson, VisitScotland Regional Director for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, added:
“I am delighted to see work beginning on this important project - I live locally and the beach is one of my favourite places to visit with my family, so I have seen first-hand some of the challenges that have arisen here around visitor management.
“Once complete, the car park and associated new facilities will be a very welcome addition and make a big difference to the visitor experience.
“RTIF can make a real difference to communities who have experienced a large volume of visitors and the impact that can have. These facilities will help alleviate the pressure on the infrastructure of the local area, as well as the local environment.”
The car park will be enlarged with clearly marked bays to improve safety, flow, and the appearance of the car park within the reserve. The work will help accommodate vehicles which currently park along the roadside, as well as moving the circulation of coaches away from the visitor centre. Plans also include cycle parking, EV charging and chemical waste disposal for camper vans.
Call the St Cyrus reserve staff for more information on 07917 211931.
Contact information
- Name
- NatureScot Media
- Telephone
- 0131 316 2655
- media@nature.scot
Notes to editors
Managed by VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (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 this increase in visitor numbers. It aims to reduce the impact of visitor numbers on local communities and facilities and create a more collaborative and sustainable approach to infrastructure provision and long-term maintenance of local facilities for the benefit of communities.
NatureScot is Scotland's nature agency. We work to enhance our natural environment in Scotland and inspire everyone to care more about it. Our priority is a nature-rich future for Scotland and an effective response to the climate emergency. For more information, visit our website at www.nature.scot or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nature_scot
’S e NatureScot buidheann nàdair na h-Alba. Bidh sinn a’ neartachadh àrainneachd na h-Alba agus a’ brosnachadh dhaoine gu barrachd suim a chur ann an nàdar. Tha e mar phrìomhachas againn gum bi nàdar na h-Alba beairteach agus gun dèilig sinn gu h-èifeachdach le èiginn na gnàth-shìde. Tha an tuilleadh fiosrachaidh aig www.nature.scot no air Twitter aig https://twitter.com/nature_scot
