Funding award to Canna community visitor hub

A major project to create a new visitor hub on the island of Canna in Lochaber has secured a £20,000 contribution from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

Canna is the most westerly of the Small Isles archipelago in the Inner Hebrides. It has a resident population of 19 and welcomes 10,000-15,000 visitors a year.

The HIE funding will go towards construction costs associated with the £771,000 project led by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), which owns Canna. Other funders include Scottish Government, Highland Council and NTS.

The hub has been created at the island’s pier by redeveloping the former coal store building. It will improve Canna’s visitor reception by catering for people arriving from cruise ships, yachts and other leisure boats, as well as ferries and sea kayaking.

The new facility is to be leased to the Isle of Canna Community Development Trust (IoCCDT), who will operate and manage the building on behalf of the community.

The 87-square-metre building includes toilets and showers for visitors, including yachters and campers. It also includes public laundry facilities, a base for the NTS Ranger, and a small room to be used by visiting NHS health workers, therapists and other professionals.

The hub will be powered by the Canna electricity grid, which is mostly from renewable sources. It’s fully insulated and has photovoltaic panels to boost grid supply, while LED lighting will help reduce energy consumption.

Ian Philp, HIE’s head of strengthening communities for Lochaber Skye and Wester Ross, said:

“This is a great example of community initiative that will better accommodate increasing numbers of visitors each year as well as bring community benefit and income. It creates a valuable community asset on a remote island location while enhancing the visitor experience and supporting tourism.

“I’m delighted we have been able to provide support and look forward to seeing the new facility bring benefits for the community and visitors.”

Geraldine MacKinnon, Isle of Canna Community Development Trust Chairperson, said:

“It’s great to see the new visitor facilities completed only five years after the project first appeared in our community development plan. We wanted all our visitors to have modern fit-for-purpose washing and toilet facilities close to Canna Pier.

“It’s also important for Canna to keep up with new visitor facilities on the other Small Isles as part of the slow tourism offering we are developing together.”