THE Isle of Staffa is set for a £1.6 million investment to improve visitors’ access to the famous island.
The revamp is said to be one of the most complex projects undertaken by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), with work beginning at the end of the summer tourist season.
The small island is seven miles west of Mull and manages to attract up to 100,000 tourists a year.
Staffa plays hosts to a smorgasbord of tourist attractions, including its puffin colony, Fingal’s cave and its hexagonal basalt rock columns which were formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.
NTS say the works will centre on the island’s footpaths, jetty and steps up to the top of the island in a £1.6m revamp.
The concrete steps will be dyed the same shade as the natural rock of the island.
The new project will require boats and helicopters to transport the materials and workers to and from the island.
According to the BBC, Will Boyd-Wallis of NTS said this year’s works were expected to last to September and would force access restrictions to the island.
Boyd-Wallis said the "very challenging and hugely costly" project would be finished in early 2023. He added that it would be a priority to avoid disrupting the summer tourist season.
Boyd-Wallis said: "You also don't want to do it in summer because of the bird breeding season.
"There are lots of protected birds on Staffa - puffins and storm petrels."
