Way wins £10,000 funding . . . now tell us what you think!

We have a new spring in our step at the Kintyre Way after being awarded major grant funding from the Fern Cour Community Windfarm Trust.

A total of more than £10,000 will be used to help the team plan a vibrant future for the popular long-distance walking route that meanders 100 miles from Tarbert to Southend. The planning project will be carried out by SCOTO (Scottish Community Tourism), a network of community tourism enterprises located throughout Scotland led by a team of dynamic individuals with extensive and varied experience in this sector.

Our Chairman Alan Milstead welcomed the award, saying: “This is a major step forward for us, with the grant funding enabling a fresh and invigorating perspective on how we manage and promote our outdoor attraction. “Already popular with locals and visitors from around the world, there is no doubt in my mind the Kintyre Way will benefit greatly from the SCOTO input.”

Kintyre Way trustee and campaigner Bob Chicken commented: “The time is now ripe for a new approach to how the Kintyre Way is perceived and managed, with a specific focus on better integrating it within everyday community life and being seen as an arterial route that connects the communities of Kintyre.

“We hope that along its length the Kintyre Way will be able to tell the stories of these communities and give visitors a better understanding of them. It’s our chance to ‘do the Kintyre Way, the Kintyre way’.”

SCOTO has begun discussions with key stakeholders across Kintyre and beyond. In late October and November, the group is also organising nine workshops throughout the peninsula to more closely engage with communities.

The primary aim is to identify their views on how the Kintyre Way can improve the lives and economies in their localities.

Carron Tobin, who is using her considerable experience in major tourism projects within Argyll and throughout Scotland to lead the project for SCOTO, said: ““SCOTO is delighted to be partnering with the Kintyre Way on this exciting initiative.

“We are in a new era post-Covid and a community-led approach for managing and promoting long-distance trails and celebrating each of the communities it connects has huge appeal for locals, visitors and agencies I am sure. This is a pioneering piece of work and we are excited to get started.”

As we celebrate our new funding success and look forward to a series of positive meetings, we’d love to hear your personal views on the Kintyre Way.

Why not take part in our new survey? It’s incredibly easy and takes just a couple of minutes! You can use the link here.