Following the success of the North Harris Eagle Observatory, we have been looking at ideas for a development at Huisinis. The Trust owns and operates the public toilets at Huisinis with the help of the local crofters. The current building desperately needs updating.
We secured funding from Big Lottery Fund’s Investing in Ideas fund to bring in an Architect to come up with some ideas for a new building. The Feasibility Study has just arrived and is available to download at the bottom of the page -bear in mind it’s a big file.
In speaking with the local community, there are a few other issues that the influx of summer visitors brings to the township -the biggest being the volume of vehicles. We cannot restrict access to the township – but we can manage the influx better. We hope to create new parking for campervans in the quarry on the road before Huisinis, and create more marked parking areas with the toilets. People have suggested camping sites and cafe facilities; we do however have to manage these expectations with the fact that this is a special area with SSSI, SPA and SAC designations. At this stage we have no commercial plans for the development.
Key features of the design are:
- A wood and turf-roofed building to blend into the landscape
- Improved car-parking layout and additional spaces to stop access being obstructed
- New disabled-friendly toilets
- Changing facilities for school groups
- An indoor public area with large windows, interpretation panels and display space
- A secure building with a single 24 hour access toilet
- Improved bin facilities
- A sluice point for camper vans
This Feasibility Study is a starting point. The document’s purpose is to start discussion and allow us to gather comments. We are working closely with SNH to ensure that we meet their requirements of any development in this designated area. Now we are working on getting a planning application together.
Documents:
