Forestry Commission Scotland

Sector: Heritage

Budget: £3.3m

The Lodge - feasibility and planning: November 2011 to September 2012 (43 weeks)

The Lodge - construction: Completed on 19th August 2013 (38 weeks)

Visitor Centre - feasibility and planning: February 2013 to September 2013 (34 weeks)

Visitor Centre - construction: Completed on 27th May 2014 (34 weeks)

Visit Scotland rating achieved: 5 Star - The Lodge

Gold Award for Green Tourism: David Marshall Lodge

Silver Award for Green Tourism: Queen's View Visitor Centre

Local labour employed within 40 miles: 70%

Client satisfaction - defects: 9/10

Client satisfaction - service: 8.5/10

Client satisfaction - product: 9.5/10

Client satisfaction - health and safety: 10/10

From what it was like a year ago, it’s been a complete transformation and everybody is thrilled to bits with it.”

Susan Nash

Project Manager | Forestry Commission Scotland

Transforming two Forestry Commission Scotland visitor centres to boost visitor numbers and increase revenue.

Steady income created through lease of management and maintenance and new parking facilities

Forestry Commission Scotland's (FCS) key role is to manage Scotland's National Forest Estate whilst maintaining sustainability and improving it for future generations. Their visitor centres provide recreational areas for local communities, draw in tourists and create jobs. They are also places where people can learn about Scotland's forests and the importance of conservation.

As part of the build, it was imperative that the visitor centres contributed to meeting the aspirations of the FCS strategic plan. SCAPE’s Frameworks encouraged a collaborative approach throughout the design and construction of the centre, which involved working closely with the client throughout planning and building to ensure the refurbishments were sustainable, accessible and visitor friendly.

The refurbishment work has transformed both The Lodge and Queen’s View Visitor Centre into award-winning visitor attractions, which will draw in new tourism and provide a focal point for the local community, whilst achieving the aspirations set out in FCS’ Strategic Plan.

Both locations have been enthusiastically received by FCS and the general public. The modernised facilities include cafes, toilets and gift shops – providing all of the services needed for a great day out.

The sustainable buildings are modern and staff are now able to focus on creating a great visitor experience rather than maintenance. The Lodge has even been awarded a five star rating from Visit Scotland.

The Lodge was costing a lot money in maintenance while the shop and cafe were losing money. Since the refurbishment we now lease the entire management and maintenance of the building including the shop and cafe so they are providing us with a steady stream of income. Most importantly our visitors have welcomed the new look and improved offer. The facility was awarded a 5 Star visitor attraction grading which we are delighted about and work closely with staff, operators and volunteers to ensure we continue to maintain a quality visitor experience."

Liz Walker

Communities, Recreation and Tourism Manager | Forestry Commission Scotland

The extended time taken in pre-construction, particularly during the feasibility and concept design stages in defining the client’s requirements, proved invaluable when ensuring the project delivery achieved the client’s objectives. We had a Contractor led design team who went that extra mile to ensure the correct balance was achieved between available budget and client aspirations."

Euan Matheson

Head of Building Consultancy Scotland | Pick Everard

Both The Lodge and Queen’s View are one-offs, but they have provided the client with baselines for any future visitor attractions that may be produced in the future. Minor works that were carried out during The Lodge were the creation of a wildlife hide and standardised toilet blocks. Two of the toilet modules have been installed in Forestry Commission sites at Ardentinney and Slattadale. The wildlife hide will be replicated across other Forestry Commission sites in the future."

Andy Tunaley

Commercial Manager | Robertson Scotland

Apprenticeship weeks

93%

Project spend kept in the local community

80%

Waste diverted from landfill