Tourism experts from Caledonian University have been tasked with assessing the feasibility of converting an historic church into a mountain biking and sports resource centre for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

The team from the Glasgow university’s Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development have been commissioned by the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, to analyse the financial and market viability of Category B-listed St Martin’s Church in Castlemilk.

The church is set next to the Cathkin Braes Country Park, which is being developed by Glasgow City Council’s Land & Environmental Services into the city’s first international standard mountain biking course.

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Caledonian University says the building has the potential to provide facilities for users of the new mountain bike tracks and Cathkin Braes Country Park, located on the southern edge of Glasgow.

The University’s Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development explored the potential of the building and reported back to the Trust and architects.

The aim is to ensure the building has a lasting legacy beyond the Commonwealth Games.

The Moffat Centre considered the visitor attraction potential for mountain biking, the local market assessment for such a facility, the economic and market feasibility of the business case and the relationship to local community requirements.

The Moffat Centre undertakes research in tourism, hospitality, events and travel.

It has delivered strategies and planning in at regional and national levels and has undertaken high profile business training and development activities nationally and internationally.

Glasgow 2014 will be the 20th Commonwealth Games and will be held from 23 July to 3 August.

(IT)