Brief
The National Trust for Scotland asked for a design strategy that minimised the impact of visitors while maximising their appreciation and understanding of this highly visited and much climbed, yet ecologically sensitive area.

Design
The visitor facilities comprise a group of buildings designed in the vernacular form of a clachan (a small highland village). Individual buildings are domestic in scale, sitting low in the landscape and using materials chosen for their environmental credentials. The use of locally sourced biofuel for heating, coupled with extremely high insulation levels, and the conservation and on site treatment of water are also proposed as part of the "light footprint" approach. It is further intended that the management and running of the facilities will reflect and reinforce the environmental philosophy of the buildings and their infrastructure.