Kinlochleven is a popular centre for outdoor activities in Lochaber, located to the south of Fort William, ‘the Outdoor Capital of the UK’, and plays host to many popular sporting and outdoor events and activities throughout the year. To supplement these attractions, a zip wire facility is proposed which would be the longest in Scotland and attract people of all ages and abilities to the area and encourage existing visitors to extend their stay, thereby enhancing tourism and the local economy and creating a unique and environmentally sustainable visitor experience.
The proposal consists of 2 zip wires extending across the eastern end of Loch Leven, associated launch and landing platforms, accesses, floating jetties and a welcome and reception area. The proposal lies within the Glen Coe and Mamores National Scenic Area and a MOD Tactical Training Area for operational low flying training, whilst the wire cross over navigable water. h+m were appointed to assist with the strategic design development of the project components and to undertake a landscape and visual impact assessment of the proposal as part of a planning submission.
Work focussed on developing a logical sequence to how visitors arrive, are transported to and from the launch and landing sites and then return to the parking area. The reception building was sited in part of an old quarry at the former aluminium smelter pier to both minimise its prominence from within the village but which also allowed the roof of the building to act as one of the landing platforms. The detailed location of the various zip wire apparatus required was carefully sited and designed to minimise loss of existing vegetation and associated earthworks, and materials and colours chosen to blend and integrate with the surrounding wooded and water context. Given the small-scale of the various components within the large-scale landscape, these were not considered to form prominent new visual features within the local landscape, and the small diameter of the zip wire cables ensured that they would only be perceptible at relatively close distances. The LVIA therefore concluded that there would be no adverse effect on the integrity and special qualities of the National Scenic Area and any visual impact from a range of selected viewpoints would be very limited. Planning approval was granted in 2020.