Coastal Communites Fund

British Waterways Board (Scottish Canals)

Building a brighter future at Bowling Basin is Scottish Canals’ comprehensive regeneration programme for this strategic, gateway location on the Forth and Clyde Canal. Old Custom House lies at a central location in the development area and is currently underutilised. Scottish Canals plans to transform this Category B listed asset into the main visitor destination hub, sensitively repairing the historic building fabric and enabling new, quality visitor facing facilities. It will have two primary business functions: (1) a central hub for growing business and activities in Bowling Basin e.g. through events, with internal, external and unique “on the water” spaces; and (2) to support new visitor accommodation on the upper floors. The works will also include the transformation of a redundant coastal cruiser “Claymore” into a flexible business and activity/events venue. This floating facility will help to further promote the area's unique qualities.

£300,000

Dumfries and Galloway Council

Based on the south-west coast of Scotland, this 2-year project will establish 64 miles of coastal path and improve access routes around the Rhins of Galloway, benefiting the local community by linking attractions, communities and businesses. The establishment of the route will create a new visitor attraction, open up the north and west coasts of the Rhins and create the missing link between coastal routes in Ayrshire and Cumbria. The project will be delivered by Countryside Services (part of the DGC economic development department) in partnership with the Southern Uplands Partnership (SUP), a local community organisation.

£300,000

The Conservation Volunteers

This 2-year project aims to improve the coastal paths and woodland of Kinneil Estate by establishing it as a key visitor attraction. Work will involve upgrading key tourist routes throughout the estate including the John Muir Way and the National Cycle Route. The project will be delivered by TCV and supported by Falkirk Community Trust (FCT) which haa identified priority areas of work through the Kinneil Estate Masterplan.

£298,241

Dundee Heritage Trust

This project by Dundee Heritage Trust (DHT) aims to regenerate one of Dundee’s key visitor attractions, Discovery Point, for leisure and business by enhancing the facilities and visitor experience. The museum details the history of the RRS Discovery and her role in Antarctic science and exploration. The project will develop new exhibits and interpretation, improve the conference/events suite and create a better community learning/education space. The capital development will be supported by additional marketing to ensure greater public awareness of the new facilities and improved visitor offer. The project will support economic growth in Dundee for the benefit of local people and visitors. DHT will run a volunteer recruitment drive, giving local people opportunities to gain skills and work experience. One of the galleries will be transformed into the new learning and education space, becoming better connected to the museum and providing learning experiences for visitors, schools, and community groups. The conference and events suite will be flexible, allowing for more businesses to use the spaces effectively, and helping to grow business tourism in Dundee.

£258,190

St Andrews Harbour Trust

This project by St Andrews Harbour Trust aims to provide enhanced infrastructure and facilities at the Category A listed harbour to improve the offering and opportunities for visiting sailors, tourists, businesses and community groups. Floating pontoons will be installed to create 20 additional berthing spaces and multi-use reception areas to increase both the capacity and accessibility of the harbour. Supported by the provision of digital and signage information, this project aims to encourage greater recreational use e.g. fishing, water sports, wildlife excursions, and attract visitors from larger vessels. The grant will also support the required infrastructure and facilities for a disabled watersports programme with initial focus on adaptive rowing; modernisation of harbour footbridge, connecting Fife Coastal Path; and a seasonal Land Train, providing improved transport links to tourist attractions in the rest of the town.

£148,992

The Rotary Club of Stranraer

The Rotary Club of Stranraer will work in partnership with the Stranraer Water Sports Association to promote boat building and coastal rowing on Loch Ryan in Stranraer. This will include the construction of a boat shed at Stranraer Marina, the delivery of coastal rowing events and regattas, and the assembly of St Ayles skiffs by local residents interested in developing boat building and carpentry skills. The coastal rowing events and boat building activities will attract people to the new marina development, promoting its use as a leisure and water sports destination.

£50,000

Fife Council

Fife Council’s 2-year portfolio project will support regeneration and local economic growth across the Fife Forth coast. The project will deliver complementary activities to mitigate the effect of the closure of Longannet Power Station. It will develop opportunities for business growth and creation along the Forth coast by creating seven new industrial units within Kincardine, providing scope for new and existing small and medium-sized businesses to expand. A package of public realm improvements in Kincardine town centre will encourage more footfall, safeguarding retail jobs. The project will also support increased use of the Fife Coastal Path by carrying out improvement along the Fife Forth coast and promoting links between the coast and Devilla Forest. The project will support the deprived coastal communities of Kincardine, Culross, Valleyfield, Newmills and Torryburn by diversifying the local economy. It will create modern business infrastructure, encouraging new innovation and enterprise in an area which has had a strong tradition of industry.

£300,000

Arran Access Trust

Arran Access Trust (AAT) aims to improve access to and understanding of the geology of Arran, paving the way to gaining UNESCO Global Geopark status. They will work with at least 20 other local organisations to develop and improve digital information and interpretation centres. The project will bring together information about existing services, events and experiences in Arran's outdoors and creating new opportunities for local businesses in areas where there are gaps, particularly in terms of discovering the island's geology.

£299,714

The Scottish Seabird Centre

The Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC), based in North Berwick, requests to build on the success of the award-winning Scottish Seabird Centre by creating the National Marine Centre (NMC). This innovative project will deliver unique facilities that will enable the Centre to engage new audiences and widen its reach. The new centre will provide much-needed extra space to improve and upgrade the existing exhibitions and education facilities and deliver a new exciting programme of events and activities. The centre will be a hub for education, conservation and research activities communicating insights, providing learning and engagement opportunities and building environmental citizenship. As well as creating a new exhibition and education centre, the project will extend the existing café and retail facilities.

£300,000

Stirling Council

Stirling Council’s (SC) project aims to stimulate regeneration of the underutilised River Forth and involves the installation of pontoon facilities at the Old Harbour area of Stirling. The Council has recently commissioned improvement works on the current harbour wall and proposes to enhance the area further by installing a pontoon along the wall to provide access to river craft. The pontoon will encourage marine visitors to come to Stirling via the River Forth, moor their vessels and visit other attractions and amenities, facilitate the introduction of a tourist taxi boat service operated in conjunction with Historic

Environment Scotland and improve access to the river for water based activities and recreation.

£152,862

Scotland – Highlands and Islands - Round 4 Awards March 2017

Staffin Community Trust Ltd

Staffin Community Trust (SCT) will deliver a major enhancement and extension to its Skye Eco-museum, an outdoor facility with no walls or roof that celebrates the natural and cultural heritage of Staffin’s 23 crofting townships. The project involves works to footpaths, a viewing platform at Lealt Gorge which will be extended over a waterfall, a parking and amenity area, interpretation ‘gateway’ structures, new information panels, and a central orientation hub. There will be community activities such as archaeology digs, educational sessions with local primary schools and a walking festival. The organisation will also improve its website and devise a branding and marketing strategy.

£108,049

John Muir Trust

John Muir Trust (JMT) will carry out a series of activities that will improve the visitor experience at Sandwood Bay by making it more accessible and raising its profile. The organisation will improve the route to the beach by creating a durable surface for increased usage, improve the toilet block, parking area and core path network, and provide new signs, interpretation and a walks leaflet. The project also involves a volunteer and business training programme, which will focus on skills development through

learning about the local environment, and marketing to connect the Sandwood Bay visitor offering to the NC500 and other regional tourism initiatives. The project will allow the organisation to further develop links with local schools and expand young people’s skills through the training programme. It also aims to develop links with strategic regeneration initiatives, such as the North West Training Centre, where it will enable communities to build on their knowledge of the coastal environment.

£113,525

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

Hebridean Whale Trail (HWT) is a 32-month project that aims to develop a network of 25 whale watching and whale heritage sites across the west coast to further promote Scotland as one of Europe’s best whale watch destinations. The project will work with local communities to identify sites across the west of Scotland (including the Inner and Outer Hebrides) that will provide opportunities for visitors and local communities to watch for whales, dolphins and porpoises, and provide five information points at established visitor centres across the network to provide gateway information to explore nearby sections of the whale trail. Marketing and promotion at national and local levels will encourage residents and visitors to explore the network. A programme of training events, community workshops and school field trips will be held at whale trail locations throughout the west of Scotland.

£196,535

British Waterways Board (Scottish Canals)

As part of its tourism and destination development strategy, British Waterways Board known as Scottish Canals, wants to create a visitor and destination hub at Fort Augustus. This is a key node on the coast-to-coast connection provided by the Caledonian Canal through the Great Glen. Scottish Canals will develop a sustainable tourism offering which celebrates this unique location on the canal network which will provide significant socio-economic benefit for the local rural community. The project involves the redevelopment of a recently acquired, vacant premises in Fort Augustus, bringing it back into a productive and sustainable use. It will deliver visitor facilities, which will be open all year round, including a visitor information centre, visitor interpretation, a café/restaurant and tourist focused retail zone and holiday letting rooms.

£237,500

RSPB Scotland

RSPB Scotland aims to restore a 270 hectare farmland reserve on Egilsay, one of the Orkney Islands, to secure a future for endangered wildlife, such as the corncrake, great yellow bumblebee, curlew, lapwing, redshank and snipe. The project will establish a wildlife-friendly farm to create and conserve habitat suitable for corncrake to breed and raise young, flowers for bees to feed on and wetlands for waders. The organisation will also devise a circular walk and provide interpretation to explain the wildlife present

and its conservation needs. Furthermore, the reserve will be used for the delivery of a residential volunteer training programme, focussing on conservation skills and land management, and a programme for schools. The organisation will rent a house for volunteers, purchase a portable cabin to be used as office space, build a barn for cattle, and replace the roof of an existing barn for storage, purchase livestock and machinery, carry out renovations to an RSPB bothy and rent existing community space.

£237,500

Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust

Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust (CGDT) seeks to further improve the Cowal Way through its “Cowal Way – World Class Multi-User Path” project. The project will upgrade two key sections of the Cowal Way making them more accessible to all. Two hill sections will be developed such that walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users can access more easily and traverse the Cowal Way between different coast communities. The project will exploit its recently acquired “Scotland’s Great Trails” status to attract additional visitors to the area. It will promote the route with specialist tour operators, with walkers and cyclists from the UK and overseas, marketing groups and the media. Large cycling events will also be delivered attracting more visitors to the area. The project will strengthen collaboration with other Long Distance Routes, the local National Park, the Forestry Commission, Argyll and Bute Council, local groups and VisitScotland. A new world class sustainable cycling event will be launched in 2017 and staged annually thereafter. There are distinct opportunities to build on the success of its previously funded project by making the Cowal Way more accessible to a wider range of users of differing abilities both for walking and cycling. There is better opportunity for more businesses along the route to engage with route users. Specific opportunities include new businesses in bike hire and for tour guides.

£299,863

Harris Development Limited

Harris Development Limited’s project aims to develop twin pontoon facilities at Tarbert and Scalpay in East Loch Tarbert, the gateway to Harris, to develop marine tourism and economic activity in two fragile island communities in the Outer Hebrides. The first will be located at Tarbert, the main township and port of entry to Harris, and the second will be located on the island of Scalpay, seven road miles from Tarbert and three sea miles across the loch. Scalpay was connected by bridge to Harris in 1997. The proposed Harris developments are targeted mainly at visiting vessels but with provision for new and

existing marine businesses and private boat owners. The pontoon installations will provide 23 ‘step ashore’ berths in Tarbert and 25 in Scalpay. However, with rafting, berthing capacity can be increased to 90 between the two sites. The project will provide available berthing in virtually all weathers irrespective of wind direction. Each site provides shelter when the wind direction is unfavourable for the other. The different characteristics of the two areas will offer different visitor experiences. Each will accommodate small boats, cruise ship tenders, yachts and cruisers and provide easy access for small sailing boats.

£300,000

Tarbert (Loch Fyne) Harbour Authority

Tarbert Harbour Authority (THA) will replace its inadequate existing changing facilities with a modern fit-for-purpose building providing toilets, showers, laundry facilities, drying facilities and baby changing facilities with all areas being fully accessible. THA has expanded the berthing and pontoon facilities over the last 8 years to the extent that onshore facilities struggle to meet demand and expectations of visiting watercraft. The improved facilities will provide for a modern up-to-date service for all users, including visitors, sailors, kayakers, campers, walkers, local fishermen and residents, meeting current and future demand as well as supporting local sporting events. Once the new building is completed, the old shower facilities will be turned into an office for THA and a chandlery to replace the temporary one.

£300,000