A £510,000 project to upgrade Moray's rural tourism infrastructure is moving forward.

The 'Coast to Country' proposals form phase two of Moray Council's staycation-ready projects.

Created by Moray Council and partners including Moray Speyside Tourism Business Improvement District, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), and a number of community trusts and associations, the plans aim to create a network of facilities that contribute to tourism and relieve pressure on local beauty spots.

They include a new motorhome facility in Cullen; motorhome parking in Ballindalloch and Craigellachie; upgrade and reopening of toilets in Findhorn and Ballindalloch; a new car park and footpath to Bow Fiddle Rock; car park improvements at Ben Rinnes, Ballindalloch, Hopeman and Craigellachie; and enhanced tourism and community signage.

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Moray Council will submit a bid next month to the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) requesting £278,616, with the remainder of the funds coming from the Coastal Communities Fund, HIE and in-kind contributions from community partners.

If successful, it will improve visitor experience in Moray and reduce the negative impacts on local communities from the accelerated growth of staycations. If approved, it's expected that works could be completed by April 2022.

Details on all the proposed upgrades are available within the consultation material, which is being staged as a virtual exhibition and available to download.

Convener of Moray Council, Cllr Shona Morrison, said: "These are ambitious plans which demonstrate that by communities and organisations working together there is a real opportunity to improve infrastructure to make Moray attractive to visitors while mitigating issues like parking pressures and waste disposal.

"I'm particularly pleased to see the inclusion of additional electric vehicle charging points and improvements to make our beauty spots more accessible. I'd encourage those with feedback on the proposals to have their say on these Moray-wide upgrades."