Works starts on new vehicle park for Dornoch which will ease congestion in town centre
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A START has been made on the construction of a £585,000 new vehicle park at Dornoch South on Shore Road, and it is hoped it will be operational in time for the summer season.
Dornoch Area Community Interest Company (DACIC), is behind the project and has awarded the contract for the new development to WM Donald, with Fairhurst as consulting engineers.
DACIC was supported by the Scottish Land Fund to purchase the former abattoir site in March 2021, and funding for the vehicle park has been sourced from a range of organisations.
These include the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, Highland Coastal Communities Fund, Highland Opportunities Investment Ltd, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Rural Ideas Community into Action Fund, Dornoch Common Good Fund, the Town Centre Fund, Transport Scotland, and the East Sutherland and Edderton Ward Discretionary Fund.
DACIC chairperson Joan Bishop said: “We are very grateful to our funders who made this project possible and to WM Donald and Fairhurst who have supported us while the funding package has been assembled.”
Four electric charging points have been included in the design and six dedicated motorhome parking spaces are also being provided – but no overnight parking will be permitted.
Parking charges, which will be managed by Highland Council, will apply during the summer.
Mrs Bishop continued: “With more than 100 cruise liners due into Invergordon this summer, a dedicated town centre vehicle park should significantly reduce the number of coaches in the Square and encourage longer stops.”
The vehicle park is part of an ambitious wider initiative called Project Curlew.
Planning consent has already been granted granted for a a multi-use games area with two tennis courts, five-a-side football, basketball and netball and a winter synthetic ice-ring.
Phase three of Project Curlew includes a new community building with a three-lane curling rink.
DACIC is a member organisation open to those 18 and over who live in the IV25 postcode.
