PICTURES: £350,000 reception building ‘will truly enhance visitor experience’ at Wick River Campsite
Wick’s revamped campsite is gaining a reputation as the best on the North Coast 500, with the improved facilities leading to a “notable rise” in the number of holidaymakers staying more than one night.
The positive feedback was highlighted as Wick Development Trust issued a set of images showing how a planned £350,000 reception building will look. It will be the final phase of a three-year upgrading programme at the award-winning Wick River Campsite.
It follows on from the £450,000 facilities block that had its official opening last month.
Wick River Campsite was reopened under the management of Wick Development Trust in June 2022. The site is operating as a community enterprise and profits will ultimately go towards local regeneration efforts.
Sarah Lamb, projects manager at Wick Development Trust, said: “For our third and final phase of the development we plan to replace our time-served wooden reception hut with a brand new, purpose-built reception that will truly enhance the visitor experience at the site.
“The new reception will feature a welcoming foyer with visitor information and a small shop for camping essentials.
“At the rear there will be a communal space where guests can gather indoors to socialise, with bifold doors opening to a sheltered outdoor seating and barbecue area. There will also be a dedicated space for local food truck businesses to park up.
“The building will be fully accessible and will meet the same high environmental standards as our new toilet and facilities building. Ideally we’d like to start construction before the new year but we still need a few things to fall into place, including securing a funding package for the project.
“We anticipate costs to be around £350,000 which includes renewable energy features such as solar panels, battery storage and air source heat pumps to improve energy efficiency.”
Ms Lamb said it had been a very busy season for the site.
“Visitor numbers have steadily increased month on month this year, and we had several nights throughout July to September where we had to turn people away as we’d reached full capacity,” she said.
“One of our key goals with the campsite improvements was not only to attract more visitors to the town but also to encourage them to stay longer. Comparing this year’s figures to last year’s, we’ve seen a notable rise in the number of people staying more than one night since the new facilities were opened.
“We are seeing this in reviews too – people are letting us know they intended to stay the one night but are booking an extra because they are enjoying the site so much, which is fantastic news for both the campsite and the community.
“That extra night means guests are exploring the area, visiting local attractions and supporting nearby businesses.”
Development trust director Alistair Jack said: “Phase three is the final part of our three-year business plan for the site and is sure to make a positive impact.
“Wick Development Trust will be working with local businesses to help enhance guests’ experience when staying at the site and we hope this will make Wick River Campsite a destination site for tourists.
“People are already commenting that the site is the best on the NC500, and some – including European visitors – have said it is the best they have ever stayed at.
“This final stage truly will be the cherry on the cake for the project.”
Efforts to revitalise the campsite were recognised with two awards in September.
It was named as Social Enterprise of the Year at the Highland Third Sector Interface awards and then received the Community Business of the Year award at the 50th anniversary dinner of Caithness Chamber of Commerce.
Phase one upgrades, completed in the winter of 2022/23, included a new road layout, increased electric hook-up points and new play, barbecue and picnic areas.
