The Falls of Shin Visitor Centre, near Lairg, has been damaged in a fire that broke out earlier this week, it has been confirmed.
The blaze at the centre, which includes a cafe, gift shop and outdoor play area, means the facility will remain closed while it is cleaned up and the damage is assessed.
The Falls of Shin Visitor Centre.
The centre is run by the Salt and Salmon Company, which was set up by Tom Bannerman and his partner Annie Rose Munro.
Tom Bannerman and Annie Rose Munro.
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Mr Bannerman said that it had been a sad start to the new year.
The fire, thought to have been electrical, broke out on the morning of Monday, December 30, when no one was in the building.
“We got an alert from our security system and called the fire brigade. They were there in time and were able to put out the fire,” said Mr Bannerman.
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A spokesperson for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said a call was received at 12.35pm regarding a “small fire” at the Falls of Shin Visitor Centre.
Units were called from Dornoch, Tain, and Invergordon; there is a fire unit in Lairg, but it was unavailable. Firefighters remained at the scene until around 3pm.
Mr Bannerman said that there was smoke damage to the building.
“We will not be open for a while,” he said. “We have to go in next week and assess the damage and then get everything cleaned up and ready to go again.”
“The plan was to be open in January and to take a week off in February if things slowed down. We wanted to give local people who have supported us a place to go for coffee and cake, and dinner in the winter. It is a real shame that this has happened.”
Around six events were due to take place at the centre in January but these have now been cancelled.
Mr Bannerman added: “We would like to thank the amazing fire brigade for getting to us as quickly as they did and for carrying out their brave duties.
“We are sorry if you had plans to visit us over the next month and look forward to seeing you when we reopen.”
The existing Falls of Shin Visitor Centre was developed by the Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust after fire destroyed a previous, larger building on the site in May 2013.
However, the trust struggled to find an operator for the facility, and in July 2022 it was sold to the Pure Leisure Group, a holiday park company owned by John Morphet.
Mr Morphet then leased the visitor centre to the Salt and Salmon Company, who took it over in March 2024.
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