Nevis Landscape Partnership Celebrates 20 Years!

The Nevis Landscape Partnership invites all to join in as they celebrate 20 years of caring for Glen Nevis this September. The programme of celebrations includes guided walks with local specialists followed by an evening programme of activities at Highland Cinema.

In these 20 years, the Partnership have successfully balanced the work of caring for this delicate environment through effective management, whilst striving to create a more pleasurable experience for the huge number of visitors each year - and most importantly, giving nature the chance to repair itself through the many restoration and management projects over the years.

The Partnership has secured over £7million of funding for the area, committing to action and investment where it is required. They have built a strong reputation for partnership working, building strong representation from community groups, government agencies, landowners, businesses, and funding bodies.

Working with partners, the Partnership have maintained and repaired the vast network of paths around Ben Nevis. A new riverside path through Glen Nevis has been created, inviting and enabling people of all abilities to immerse themselves in the nature of the Glen. The delicate environment of the rugged North Face has been surveyed, and a three-year archaeological dig at Dun Deardail was completed, building our understanding of these unique places.

The Partnership continues to innovate to improve the experience of visitors to this special landscape, including upgraded infrastructure, a regular bus service, and improved facilities at the popular Lower Falls. None of these projects could happen without the skills and expertise of the Partnership’s committed staff and volunteers, and the Partnership continues to train future environmentalists with an accredited National Qualification course.

24 years ago this November, a meeting was called by Fort William Community Council and the Mountaineering Council of Scotland. They raised concerns to the Highland Council regarding the sporadic development in Glen Nevis and subsequent mountain safety issues. This meeting sparked the interest of a range of interested parties, both local and national, and a Working Party was created.

The Working Party recognised the importance of encouraging the involvement and cooperation of the many organisations and individuals with interest in the Nevis Area. A framework was developed for future management of this fragile area, with the express aim of creating a strategy to manage and protect the environment, which includes wild land, a busy Glen and Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Thus, in 2002, the Nevis Landscape Partnership was formed.

As a membership organisation, the Partnership puts the interests of the community first, and works to reconcile the management of our cultural and natural heritage with the social and economic challenges facing the community. The Partnership continues to develop and promote a wider choice of activities and foster a ‘sense of place’ for the Nevis area.

This work would simply not be possible without the willingness and collaborative work of the partner organisations, the support of funders and the generosity of regular donators. The Nevis Strategy 2020-40 provides a framework for cooperation to support and develop initiatives within three important themes: People, Place and Community.

Join us as we celebrate the last 20 years of successes, challenges, new discoveries, exploration and collaboration, with a day in Glen Nevis followed by an evening AGM and celebrations. Take a guided walk up Ben Nevis, Dun Deardail or the Riverside path with our expert mountain guide, geologist or ranger team. Then, find us at the Highland Cinema for an evening of insightful discussion, our AGM and a buffet.

With special thanks to our supporters:

National Lottery Heritage Fund, NatureScot, sportScotland, John Muir Trust, Jahama Highland Estates, Glen Nevis Estates, Glen Nevis Holidays, Forestry & Land Scotland, Friends of Nevis and Highlife Highland.