Home / Environment / Scotland's North Coast: Smoo Cave Gets New Visitor Centre
Scotland's North Coast: Smoo Cave Gets New Visitor Centre
12 Nov
Summary
- Plans for a visitor centre near Smoo Cave are progressing, with initial designs underway.
- The centre aims to enhance visitor experience and include information on RAF Sango.
- Smoo Cave, on the North Coast 500, attracts 70,000-90,000 visitors annually.
Highland Council has announced that plans for a new visitor centre near the dramatic Smoo Cave on Scotland's north mainland coast are advancing. The project has entered its initial design phase, with potential grant funding sources being explored. This initiative, named the Smoo Cave Unique Visitor Experience Project, seeks to significantly enhance the overall visitor experience in the area.
The proposed visitor centre will offer information not only about the cave itself but also about RAF Sango, a former military radar base nearby. This base played a crucial role in detecting German aircraft during World War Two. The project also includes plans for new car parking facilities and an improved network of footpaths to better manage visitor access.
Smoo Cave, a unique combination of sea and freshwater limestone cave, is a prominent feature on the North Coast 500 tourist route. It attracts an estimated 70,000 to 90,000 visitors annually. Its historical significance is considerable, having been inhabited by early hunter-gatherers 7,000 years ago and later rumored to be used by smugglers. The cave's dramatic entrance, measuring 50ft high and 130ft wide, is one of the largest in Britain.
