attractioNs & museums


Mansfield Museum nets Guardian award


peTe hayMaN


Mansfield Museum has held off competi- tion from five other UK attractions to be confirmed as the winner of the Guardian Family Friendly Award 2011. Te Nottinghamshire museum has been


labelled as a “surprise” winner of the award, which aims to recognise attractions that are the most welcoming to families. Other shortlisted sites were the Corinium


Museum, Cirencester; the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent; and Kilmartin House Musuem, Argyll.


Loch Ness project gets green light ToM WaLker


A landmark project that aims to improve the tourism offer at Loch Ness has been approved by Te Highland Council. Councillors approved plans


for a new £2.5m visitor cen- tre and harbour off the A82 at Brackla, which have been put forward by Jacobite Discovery and will occupy a prime site overlooking Scotland’s most renowned stretch of water. The Jacobite Discovery


Project has been designed by Cameron Webster Architects and will include a visitor cen- tre and a ticket office, as well an “extension” of Inverness-based Jacobite Cruises. It will also act as new headquarters for the


company’s cruise business, which welcomes around 150,000 customers a year. Te busi- ness operates out of offices and harbours at Tomnahurich Bridge and Clansman Hotel.


Te plan is to be implemented between 2011-16


New Lanark public consultation launches


peTe hayMaN


Historic Scotland has launched a 13-week public consultation into its new man- agement plan for the New Lanark World Heritage Site, South Lanarkshire. The new document has been drafted


and agreed by the historic environment agency, the New Lanark Trust and South Lanarkshire Council. Gordon Mackie, co-ordinator of the New


Lanark World Heritage Site, said the plan sets out how the site can be preserved and enhanced between 2011-2016.


Glasgow Science Centre launches new programme


ToM WaLker


Glasgow Science Centre in Scotland is to develop a new public programme and expand its corporate events operations. Te developments form part of the cen-


tre’s strategy to enhance its offer and will also coincide with the Glasgow attraction’s 10th anniversary celebrations. The centre has also added three new


zones to its Science Mall exhibition area this year – the 650sq m (6,997sq ft) Be Creative zone; the Alice in Wonderland exhibit and the MindWorks zone.


8 Te proposed visitor centre will also act as new company headquarters Jacobite director Rod Michie said: “We’ve


involved the public at all stages of the design process and worked hard to ensure this facil- ity enhances the visitor experience. There is no doubt this region can make


much more of Loch Ness by offering higher quality facilities and improved service.”


New visitor centre planned for Snowdonia peTe hayMaN


Plans for a visitor facility on the site of the Ogwen Warden Centre – between Bethesda and Capel Curig, North Wales – have been unveiled. Anglesey-based architects


Dewis have drawn up designs for the centre, which will sit at the “gateway” to Cwm Idwal in Snowdonia National Park. Te project is being fronted


by the Cwm Idwal Partnership – including Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA), the National Trust and the Countryside Council for Wales. Facilities will include office space for site managers and enterprises; an interpreta- tion area and a refreshments outlet. SNPA director of land management Emyr Williams said: “Te old facilities here are not


Anglesey-based architects Dewis have designed the new visitor centre


fit for purpose and don’t meet the expectations of today’s visitor. Trough this initiative, our intention is to create an attractive gateway to Snowdonia, which will improve people’s under- standing and enjoyment of Cwm Idwal.”


Welsh heritage sites to end free entry scheme peTe hayMaN


A scheme allowing Welsh residents aged under 16 or over 60 to apply for free entry to heritage attractions run by Cadw is to be ended. Welsh heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones said the initiative had ‘not wholly’ met its aims


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital


and that policy will now be to focus on increas- ing the number of disabled visitors and those from ‘under-represented’ groups. Jones said a community events programme


and ‘learning festivals’ would be expanded, along with the introduction of ‘Open Days’.


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


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