I had quite a good interview with the chief executive of the National Trust for Scotland last week about he launch of the organisation’s new 10-year strategy. On the face of it it included plans to develop a site in Ross-shire but he did say that he hoped there would be further investment at Culloden Battlefield so that meant two versions of the story for the Ross-shire Journal and the Inverness Courier. So here are the two versions of the same story.

THE head of a major conservation charity has promised future investment at a historic site near Inverness.

Philip Long, the National Trust for Scotland’s chief executive, was speaking following the publication of a new 10-year strategy for the organisation.

And, although Culloden Battlefield and visitor centre was not specifically mentioned in the document Mr Long said it was important to protect the area for future generations.

He said: “We are very proud of the visitor centre and it is well used, of course it has been a little quieter over the past couple of years because of the pandemic.”

Mr Long said it had always attracted people from around the world when they come to Scotland and added: “We would certainly like to invest in Culloden in the future and make sure the story that we tell there is up to date.

“I hope that over the period of the strategy we will continue to make investments at Culloden to care for that quite extraordinary place.

“Of course what we also want to do is to make sure that the battlefield and the wider environment is protected and we will be continuing to stand up for better planning regulations around the protection of battlefields.”

The strategy outlined four projects which the trust is planning across Scotland – including what is described as a visitor gateway which will be built at Corrieshalloch Gorge in Ross-shire.

Mr Long said it was hoped that the project would be completed later this year and added: “At the moment we are on site constructing a new visitor gateway building, if you like, that provides better and safer parking and some facilities for people to have a break at that point and essentially to find out more about the natural environment there.”

It is supported by the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund which is led by NatureScot through the European Regional Development Fund.

From The Inverness Courier on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.

Work starts on Corrieshalloch

WORK has started on a multimilion-pound “visitor gateway” at a Wester Ross beauty spot.

The Corrieshalloch Gorge project coincides with the publication of a new 10-year strategy for custodian the National Trust for Scotland.

Chief executive Philip Long said: “Corrieshalloch Gorge is the most extraordinary geological phenomena where basically a water cut gorge runs through the countryside just right by the main road to Ullapool. It really is an extraordinary thing to see and it has been an interesting place for people to visit for a very long time. There is a wonderful suspension bridge across the gorge.”

He said: “We think it is the right thing to do to improve the facilities there so people can enjoy the visit more and learn more about the extraordinary geology and nature.”

It is hoped the project – including a new visitor gateway building that allows people to know more about the natural environment there – will be completed later this year.

The gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular of its type in the British Isles.

The 10-year strategy’s aims include a commitment to become carbon negative by 2031, as Scotland’s largest independent conservation charity and expanding the number of people welcomed to trust sites across Scotland to more than six million people per year by 2032.

“We think it is the right thing to do to improve the facilities there so people can enjoy the visit more.”

Philip Long

From the Ross-shire Journal on Friday, April 1, 2022.