This is the first glimpse of how a £25million “world class” visitor resort planned for the Highlands could look.
The masterplan for the leisure and tourism complex in the shadow of Ben Nevis will be presented to the public next month.
It shows it could include a five-star hotel and spa, a bunkhouse, up to 50 lodges and a campsite set in 7,300 acres of national forest land next to Britain’s highest peak.
The Nevis Forest and Mountain Resort could create scores of jobs – and underline Lochaber’s status as The Outdoor Capital of the UK.
The area around Fort William also includes the access road from the A82 Inverness-Glasgow road to Nevis Range resort, which attracts thousands of visitors every year for winter sports, mountain biking, climbing and hill walking.
The joint Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise development is being viewed as a 20-year scheme, but the project team is hoping to be able to apply for planning permission in summer next year.
The proposals were welcomed by local people last night.
Councillor Thomas MacLennan, who is chairman of Highland Council’s Lochaber area committee, said: “I welcome this proposed development for Leanachan Forest, which is a tremendously underused resource for Fort William and Lochaber.
“The community needs to engage, become aware of what’s on offer and see what we can do to make this come to fruition to improve the visitor experience and create much-needed jobs.”
And Lochaber Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Lesley Benfield, said: “It is a very impressive project, which will further enhance the existing facilities and attractions that bring tourists to the area.
“It will fit in very well and add another level to the visitor experience.”
The vision for the project is to create a venue which is “a world class destination in its own right and from which all the attractions of Fort William and the wider Lochaber region can be explored”.
It also aims to “provide new development and investment opportunities, which will support the local economy and the whole of Lochaber”.
And the project team is inviting local people, businesses and communities to give their feedback on the proposal.
FCS project team member, Robert Grant, said: “We’re aiming for a resort hotel that complements, rather than competes with, existing provision in the area, and consultation has highlighted a general agreement with the principle of a resort complex.
“The majority of participants would welcome the facilities and the additional tourist numbers that it could bring.
“We’re still listening, though, and have already taken on board the feedback we’ve received.
“This latest version of the proposal includes some changes to the bunkhouse as well as some new elements, including the Lochaber Rural Complex site and ski range and we’re now looking for further comment.”
An FCS spokesman said it was not possible to put an exact figure on the cost of the project as some elements might be taken forward and others slightly altered.
However, he said: “If all the parts of the project were to come together then indicative investment would be around £25million.”
He was also unable to say how many jobs it would create, but said: “Clearly, there would be a good boost for local employment.”
HIE head of tourism, Chris Taylor, said: “We are pleased the Nevis Forest and Mountain Resort masterplan is progressing.
“It is important that local people have their say as this project has the potential to substantially increase visitor numbers and strengthen the economy of the wider Lochaber area.”