The National Trust for Scotland’s Ben Lawers Mountain Visitor Centre will not be opening as planned from 1 April.
The National Trust for Scotland’s Ben Lawers Mountain Visitor Centre will not be opening as planned from 1 April.
The Trust will continue to manage this important National Nature Reserve for conservation and access. This includes pioneering work to restore threatened plant communities and management of 32km of upland footpaths.
The nature reserve will continue to offer a programme of guided walks and events (visit
www.nts.org.uk or phone 0844 4932136) and self-guiding booklets for the nature trail on the lower slopes are available at the car park.
The conservation charity has been affected by the recession and has no option but to reduce operating costs by reducing the number of properties that run at a loss.
Visitor numbers to the centre have shown a declining trend during recent years and the net cost of operating the existing facilities contributes to the Trust’s operating deficit. Costs of continuing to maintain the aging building are increasing and recent legislative requirements like those relating to the water supply have also added to the financial burden.
A recent review proposed the centre be replaced with an unmanned interpretive facility, more in keeping with the mountain landscape and available for visitors throughout the year. Information on developing alternative visitor facilities will be made available as the project progresses.
Information on Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve is available at the Reserve office, Lynedoch, Main Street, Killin.