A plan to make Nairn beach more accessible to wheelchair users has been launched by a group in the town.
Led by mum Amelia Williamson, she said her eyes had been opened to the problem after taking her daughter Beth’s wheelchair onto the coastline.
Since then, she has been supported by people in the town to help get more wheelchair users onto the beach with their families.
Ms Williamson said: “My daughter was diagnosed with progressive Ataxia when she was 13 in October 2022, and since then she had to use a wheelchair.
“It was then that I noticed that there are lots of difficult and unsuitable places in Nairn to go in a wheelchair. It is exhausting.
“So I took Beth to the beach and got all the way to the sea. But then I could not push her back up again. I ended up carrying her and then going back for her wheelchair.”
It was then that Ms Williamson noticed more and more people who were sitting on the Links and not making it down to the beach.
As soon as the campaign launched, one emotional grandmother told her: “I will be able to play with my grandchildren in the sea.”
After a visit to the wheelchairs at Dornoch, the Nairn Wheelchairs Group was set up and it now has more than 3,000 members.
A Just Giving fundraising page has now been set up to provide access to the beach on all terrain wheelchairs.
On the fundraising page, the group said: “Nairn is famous for its amazing beaches, everyone loves long walks, splashing in the waves, building sand castles and looking for sea gems.
“Unfortunately though, this is not the case for people who use wheelchairs, and it’s not uncommon in Nairn to see locals and visitors alike parked in their wheelchairs on the grassy edge of the beach, watching their family and friends.
Nairn beach plan for wheelchair users
“Sadly, there is currently no way to access the beach by wheelchair.”
It continued: “There are specialist beach-accessible wheelchairs with big inflatable tires so you can go right into the sea.
“Over 46% of people with disabilities have mobility challenges, so it’s not surprising that beach wheelchair projects have been popping up all over Scotland over the last few years.
“Dornoch beach wheelchair project, for example, has been a huge success with over 160 beach wheelchair outings last summer. We had great fun trying their wheelchairs out.
“Nairn can be the same! Let’s work together to raise the funds needed to support this fantastic project.”
The group plans to start with two wheelchairs – one for adults and one for children. They will be housed in a shed with a hoist to allow people to get into the wheelchair in privacy.
To donate to the appeal, click here.
