Corrieshalloch Gorge

National Trust for Scotland

Planning

In April 2023, NTS opened the first visitor facilities at Corrieshalloch Gorge. I planned interpretation adjacent to the building and along pathways between it and the suspension bridge constructed by the estate's owner - the engineer Sir John Fowler, consulting engineer for the Forth Rail Bridge.

The key interpretive message for visitors is that Corrieshalloch Gorge exemplifies our changing relationship with the landscape of the Scottish Highlands over centuries. ‘Corrieshalloch’ in Gaelic translates roughly as ‘ugly, dirty or nasty hollow’ or ‘troubled or agitated waters’. This negative perspective is later replaced by the Victorian-era’s fascination with experiencing the ‘sublime'. And thus a bridge is built over the gorge at its most dramatic location (and not at simply the easiest place to cross). The storytelling concludes with the scientific values we place on such landscapes today and the role of national agencies like NatureScot and NTS in protecting them.