March 22 2019

Voigt Architects have prepared plans for a coastal visitor centre, café and brewery by Durness, the most westerly village on the British mainland.

Served by a single-track road the area has suffered from severe depopulation, falling from 1,208 people at the start of the 19th century to less than 400 today, driven by a loss of young people.

In an effort to arrest this flow Keoldale Sheep Stock Club have purchase a former steading, with the intention of transforming it into a visitor centre, café, shop and brewery in order to draw more visitors and provide local employment.

In their design statement, the architects said: “The design looks to utilise the existing building and retain the rural characteristics. The proximity to the water and surrounding landscape is vastly important and the use of large glazing to the views is a priority.

“The proposed layout organised the existing steading into a visitor centre, café, restaurant, brewing and distilling facilities. Aside from the steading the outside space is used as a car parking and outdoor seating area overlooking Kyle of Durness.”

The phased development would be delivered over a number of years, with priority given to the visitor centre, café and brewery. A distillery and tourist information centre could then follow at a later date.

4 Comments

#1 Posted by mick on 23 Mar 2019 at 14:24 PM

Does anyone seriously suggest that this miserable effort will help to stem depopulation..... it may well further stimulate depopulation.

#2 Posted by Cadmonkey on 24 Mar 2019 at 10:51 AM

#1 Mick
It depends if the cafe sells blueberry muffins.

#3 Posted by Pyranthal on 25 Mar 2019 at 16:06 PM

Just to point out that they don't own the steading...it's still owned by the Scottish Government.

#4 Posted by boaby wan on 26 Mar 2019 at 09:34 AM

"...Durness, the most westerly village on the British mainland." - has it moved recently?
It's an interesting idea but you'd have thought they would have concentrated on the year round job creating elements in the first instance rather than seasonal jobs (which are a lot to do with the reason people move away from rural areas)

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