We have compiled a brief overview of existing data on yachting in Scotland and on the West Coast in particular to assess the potential market and potential benefits to the community of a yachting development in the loch. Local surveys and visits to other yachting developments on the West Coast have confirmed this view.

In consultation with the community we have assessed the physical and technical problems associated with developing such a facility and identified a number of development options. The most popular and most economically viable option is installation of pontoons to berth up to 20 average size yachts and associated services, water, electricity, marine diesel fuelling facilities and Wi-Fi access.

Morvern Community Development Company have been pursuing for some time the installation of a floating pontoon based structure which will enable visiting yachts to tie alongside and either come ashore safely to purchase provisions and services or to use as an overnight berth.

The Company originally had proposals for an 80 berth marina, however following feasibility studies it was deemed that this was not an economically viable option. Since then the proposals have been altered to a floating pontoon structure to berth up to 20 average size yachts some with 50m walkway to it, built on top of an old stone jetty. Planning permission has been granted for this by the Highland Council.

At present Lochaline has a large volume of visiting yachts but unfortunately with most of the good anchorages being located away from the village and its facilities the visitors tend not to come ashore in great numbers. The pontoons will be located at the closest feasible point to the village and will enable visitors to take a 10 minute stroll along the loch side path to the village facilities.

Informal observations throughout summer 2006 (Mid May-Mid September) indicated that there were an average of 19 visiting vessels entering Lochaline every day during this period, using an estimate of 3 persons per visiting boat this equates to almost 7000 visits during the main summer months. While this figure drops off rapidly over the winter months there are still many sport dive boats and sport fishermen operating out of Lochaline throughout the winter months who have expressed interest in safe berthing facilities.

The pontoon development will ensure that locals and visitors will have a safe and reliable access to the sea. Local people have indicated that better mooring and berthing facilities would encourage them to use the water more readily. A number of local boat owners are elderly and the pontoons will allow them safe access to their vessels.

Local dive boat operators have indicated that they will use the facility, as the pier at the mouth of Lochaline is unsuitable for use at low tides, giving problems of safe access for clients.

New small businesses could be generated through activities, such as windsurfing, kayaking and scuba diving. The area is agreed to be the premier all year round diving Mecca in the UK and Lochaline itself is described in many yachting magazines as offering some of the best all weather anchorages of any harbour in this part of the West coast.

The pontoons would further assist in the aspirations of Morvern to be a player in “Lochaber, Outdoor Capital of the UK” project. New leisure opportunities, which may be engendered by the creation of pontoons will be a major benefit to the young people who live in the village, providing healthy outdoor activities, without them having to travel to Fort William and beyond to participate.

It is expected that with creation of pontoons, that extra visitors will add significantly to the sustainability of existing businesses, and may create new business opportunities.

The nearest pontoons to Lochaline are in Tobermory Harbour on the Isle of Mull. Tobermory offer slightly superior facilities to what Lochaline pontoons will be offering initially, and this is reflected in the price. We have plans for installing shore facilities as soon as the pontoons are in place. We do not consider ourselves to be in competition with Tobermory, quite the opposite – we are going to be working together to promote each other’s businesses as safe and secure places to stay overnight while exploring the Sound of Mull. 

This project is now complete. The Lochaline Harbour was officially opened on 20th July 2011 and MCDC are enjoying welcoming sailing visitors for the first full year. 

 

Morvern Community Development Company is working on the allotments scheme on land belonging to the Ardtornish Estate between Caol Muille and High Street. This area of land has long been derelict and is something of an eyesore in the heart of the village.

Benefits of the allotments scheme: increased local food production, health benefits from working on allotments, known as the Green Gym effect; reduced reliance on imported goods, reduction in carbon footprint associated with food production, greater social interaction and cooperation amongst local people, incorporation of a proposed local composting scheme, with its attendant benefit of reduction in land fill waste, possible incorporation of a school vegetable garden, extra demand for goods and services from existing local businesses, regeneration of a local eyesore.

 

We have secured funding for the allotmens project with the help from Awards for All, Climate Challenge Fund and Highland LEADER and 5% contribution from MCDC. The site clearance works, deer fencing, tree planting are now complete. All plots have now been allocate and some plot holders have started to work on their land.

 

Local people and businesses have been vere supportive of the allotments project. Scottish Sea Farms has given us a large polytunnel that used to serve as salmon hatchery at Ardtornish Estate, local horse owners have donated many tons of horse manure. Thank you very much to Jim Murdoch from Scottish Sea farms; Heather Jappy, Jeanette Mowat and Ardtornish Estate for donating horse manure; Crawford Cameron, Ruairidh Macneill, Iain Cameron and James for transporting horse manure and polytunnel to site. 

 

If you would like to ge involved in the allotments project, please get in touch with the allotments steering group on 01967 421783.  

 

 

 

Pontoons Shore Facilities

Shore facilities for the pontoons is the extension of the pontoons project itself and is designed to provide more extensive services to the visiting yachtsmen. MCDC envisage that the shore facilities will consist of showers and toilets, including disabled, a small office and possibly a small chandlery shop.

Creation of shore facilities will greatly improve the services provided and will provide a full time job for a local person in the summer and a part time position in the winter.

 

MCDC have been sucessful in securing 100% funding for shore facilities build. The funding came from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highland LEADER and MCDC itself (5%). We hope that the new facilities will be complete by early summer 2012.

 

 

 

Scout Hut

The Old Scout Hut is a very dilapidated, disused building that once served as a dormitory for mine workers and laterally a meeting place for a scout group in Lochaline. It is located in the centre of the village next to the fuel pumps and the shop. The building itself is not fit for any use due to its poor condition. The current owners of the Old Scout Hut have now gifted the buidling to MCDC and we are now in the process of buying the Old Scout Hut for a nominal amount. Tarmac have also kindly agreed to pay for demolising the existing buidling that is full of asbestos.

MCDC have conducted a community survey regarding the use of the building. There were several suggestions put forward regarding the best use of the new building, for example, craft shop, tea rooms, workshops, wildlife and heritage centre, business centre, a place for young people “to hang out”, picnic area and parking, wine bar, chandelier shop, youth centre/cafe, internet cafe, small retail outlets, community kitchen, youth hostel, soft play area for 0-5 year olds, gym/keep fit centre, nice planted up and landscaped garden, charity shop and even a swimming pool.

As is seen from the list above, people in the community have many ideas for the use of the old Scout Hut. Taking into account all of the above, the Morvern Community Development Company is hoping to develop a multi – purpose building that will incorporate most of the suggestions above. The hope is that the building will be used all day every day for various purposes – for baking in the morning, for small children to play in the afternoon, for school children to come and use the facility after school and in the evening, the craft shop/charity shop/local produce shop would be open all day, the heritage/information centre would be open all day too to cater for tourists, tea rooms will be open all day in the summer and possibly in afternoons in the winter to provide a place to meet for local people during long cold winter days.

While thinking about this facility for the local community, we are hoping to create 1 -2 part time jobs for people in the local community while giving tourists a reason to stop in Lochaline and spend some of their money.

 

MCDC are in the process of drawing up some ideas and plans but we feel that a further in depth community consultation might be required in order to achieve the best possible outcome for a sustainable buidling in the very heart of the village. MCDC are also looking into various funding opprtunities.

Future Projects

 

Former Kiel Camp

In 2000 the idea evolved to open a commercial sawmill built on the triangular strip of land West of Kiel. The file on this project is quite large, and a great deal of work had gone into taking various plans for it forward. None of the plans brought forward reached fruition for a variety of reasons.

Current thinking is that the MCDC could lease the land and use it for a low cost project, nominally, the creation of a number of compounds that would be available to local people for a variety of uses. They could be used for instance for storage of boats and other equipment, or the establishment of small craft businesses. A bare compound would be provided with a screen fence all round. Power and water would also be supplied to each compound, and it would be largely up to the individual what the compound was used for, subject to planning consents. A similar project has been realised on Mull by Mull and Iona Community Trust with the help of funding, it proved very popular and they are generating an income for the MICT.