Restoration for sustainable public access underway at Old Man of Storr

Restoration work is being carried out at one of the Isle of Skye’s most famous and iconic sites, the Old Man of Storr, in an effort to restore the surrounding land to its original status.

Seed collection begins on Isle of Skye historical site

The Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS) has begun trialling seed cutting and collection techniques including hand cutting, strimming and vacuuming up the seed from the land in an effort to promote sustainable public access.

After preparing the bare areas, the Access Trust will distribute the collected seeds to establish the reintroduction of certain species to the area, previously lost from the pressure of visitor footfall. This will restore habitat on a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, stabilise the bare areas from wind and rain erosion and make it more visually appealing for visitors to the island.

Dougie Baird, CEO of OATS said; “Skye is a global destination for international visitors keen to experience and relish in its beauty but, as we’ve seen many times before, an increase in visitor numbers comes at a cost. As an environmental organisation we aim to protect and develop the incredible sites Skye has so the public can enjoy everything the island has to offer, sustainably.

“This is an exciting opportunity for us to learn more about the land on one of Skye’s most famous and busiest walking routes. The seed collection is the first step in allowing us to capture the information we require in order to successfully restore the land and offer a solution that works for everyone. We can’t wait for the restoration to get fully underway.”

The habitat restoration activity is just the beginning of extensive work planned by The Skye Iconic Sites Project (SISP) which will see habitat restoration at the Old Man of Storr, the Fairy Pools and the Quiraing, new bridges at the Fairy Pools, new paths at the Quiriang and Fairy Pools, and interpretation across the three sites. The extensive work aims to improve the visitor experience and achieve sustainable management of remote but popular locations on the island which are suffering as a result of the huge growth in tourism at Skye’s iconic landmarks.

As the project delivery partner, the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland were successful in applying to the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund. Partnership funding from OATS, Minginish Community Hall Association (MCHA), Highland Council and the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID), matched a £650,516 grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), culminating in a total of £929,308 of funds. The project is overseen by the SISP Partnership Group who in addition to the funding partners include SkyeConnect and Staffin Community Trust (SCT).

After this year’s trials the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland aim to have habitat restoration works start in earnest at the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing and Fairy Pools in August next year. Completion is scheduled for autumn of next year.