PLANS have been lodged for the expansion of a car park and ‘stay the night’ venue at a Taynuilt site.
Increased picnic spaces and an accessible path loop via the Ben Cruachan viewpoint also form part of the proposal for land east of Fearnoch, lodged by Forestry and Land Scotland.
A statement published with the application suggested that plans have also been made for two other visitor areas, identified as Eas Na Circ and Gleann a’ Ghealbhain.
Argyll and Bute Council planning officers are expected to rule on the application by early November, with the public able to view plans and submit feedback.
A design and access statement lodged with the application said: “Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) own and manage large areas of forest in Argyll, which contain a number of visitor facilities providing car parking, access to forest trails, mountain biking routes and the opportunity to ‘stay the night’ for those in campervans.
“Proposals have been developed for three visitor sites in order to create a more cohesive and valued visitor experience that also respects their rural locations.
“The aims of this project are [to] provide visitor facilities that contribute to a more attractive visitor offer and experience in Argyll so that visitors linger in the area.
“Accessibility of facilities and trails will be improved, to widen the user base. The facilities should be enhanced and clearly signed to improve the experience and ease of use.
“The facilities are intended to absorb visitor pressure, particularly of overnight campervan use, to reduce the impact of visitor pressure on surrounding areas.
“The enhancements include revenue generation to cover sustainable maintenance of facilities and trails, and to support future improvements.”
The statement added: “The proposals are intended to become a high quality part of the forest environment in which infrastructure, circulation and visitor activity are resolved in a holistic way.
“The proposed enhancements at each site should respect and celebrate the character of that place. Facilities must be robust, durable and safe; maintenance demands must be low as the sites are remote and the forest ranger resource limited.”
In relation to Fearnoch, it said: “This site receives high number of stay-the-night visits as it is en-route for the Oban early-morning ferry.
“The layout, especially of the upper car park, is very simple and does not indicate where to park; this makes it flexible but inefficient in use Trails information signage and a car parking machine is situated outside the car park itself, which misleads some visitors to drive onwards up the forest road.
“The Ant Hill Trail is reached via the forest road, which is a major harvest route subject to heavy use by timber wagons. This is a risk that FLS would like to reduce by providing new, off-road path connections.
“A steep short cut path has developed between the upper car park level and the information point; this is not desirable for FLS as it offers poor road safety/visibility; a better alternative is sought.”
To view the plans and submit feedback, visit the council’s planning portal at argyll-bute.gov.uk and use the reference number 26/01529/PP.
