Monster effort sees Loch Ness get first floating moorings after Foyers & Stratherrick Community Trust realises eight-year dream of creating new slipway and boating facility
A small Inverness-shire community is celebrating the creation of a new boating facility featuring the only floating moorings on Loch Ness.
With the official opening on Saturday, Stratherrick & Foyers Community Trust realised its long-held ambition of creating a community slipway and boat storage at a derelict former fish farm site on the shores of Foyers Bay.
In 2017, a local person identified an opportunity to develop the land for the benefit of the community and took the idea to the Trust..
The local development organisation held talks with the land’s owners, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and a lease was agreed later that year.
The Trust also received funding from Scottish Canals to support the project.
An architect and civil engineers were enlisted to design the slipway, which was submitted for planning in 2022 and approved by Highland Council in May 2023.
In late 2022, Malcolm Stewart took on the role of the project’s lead director, bringing to the table expertise through a background in marine engineering.
The Foyers Bay steering group was resurrected, made up of members of the community who were keen to see the project move forward.
The focus of the new team was on gradual improvements to develop the facility organically, with significant ground improvement works over the last two years to create an onshore boat storage area and car parking.
The slipway brings improved gradient down to the loch, with landscaping to make the facility more welcoming to members and visitors.
Floating moorings have also been purchased and installed for use by the community.
Mr Stewart said: ‘We have had a rare opportunity to create an amazing facility here on the shores of Loch Ness for our community to use – no other community has floating moorings on Loch Ness!
“Our steering group, who are all volunteers, have really come together to help this project develop, and I’m looking forward to working with them on the next stages.”
On Saturday (May 3), the team were able to share their hard work at an open event allowing the community to come and see what is now on offer, meet the team behind the project and chat about further future developments, and what they would like to see.
The day was capped off with the help of the new boating site’s neighbours at Foyers pier who offered those present RIB rides on the loch on Beastie Boats.
Project co-ordinator and organiser of Saturday’s celebration Caroline Tucker added: “'It's been great to see Foyers Bay transformed from a derelict industrial space to something usable for the community.
“We've got a lot more still to do, but it was fabulous to be able to welcome so many members of the community here on Saturday, and chat with them about where we take the project next.”
