Re: Corrour Station Bunkhouse

Rab C Nesbitt said:

"Hugh Spicer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Does anyone know what is happening to the (now sadly closed) Corrour
Station
Bunkhouse ?

Quoted message said:

See

http://www.corrour.co.uk/englisch/restaurant.html

Hmmm. I note it says:

The Bunk House at Corrour, a former railway building, has been closed
for some time due to difficulties with the servicing, which
difficulties are made worse due to the fact that the building lies
between the two rail tracks at Corrour.

I wonder in view of the recent accomodation crossing saga, is this a
case of the railway authority being awkward about access?
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

"Phil Cook" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Rab C Nesbitt said:

"Hugh Spicer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Does anyone know what is happening to the (now sadly closed) Corrour
Station
Bunkhouse ?

Quoted message said:

See

http://www.corrour.co.uk/englisch/restaurant.html

Hmmm. I note it says:

The Bunk House at Corrour, a former railway building, has been closed
for some time due to difficulties with the servicing, which
difficulties are made worse due to the fact that the building lies
between the two rail tracks at Corrour.

I wonder in view of the recent accomodation crossing saga, is this a
case of the railway authority being awkward about access?
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

The couple who were running Corrour Restaurant are confirmed now as running
Glenfinnan Dining Car (see...
http://www.road-to-the-isles.org.uk/glenfinnan-station.html
)

They have only been there a short time but already the food and welcome are
great, and great value. (Home made soup, salmon toasties, amazingly good
coffee for the Highlands.)

There is also a Sleeping Car beside the station at Glenfinnan, run by
someone else. Convenient for the Glenfinnan Munros. Loch Sheil etc. etc.

I understand from other sources that the Corrour Estate have shut everything
(Bunkhouse, Restaurant, Toilets etc,..) at Corrour Station not wanting to
encourage Walkers but focusing on Deer.

Words fail me ... anyone from the Corrour Estate care to comment or let me
know I have understood incorrectly?

Yours aye

Rab

Rab C Nesbitt said:

I understand from other sources that the Corrour Estate have shut
everything (Bunkhouse, Restaurant, Toilets etc,..) at Corrour Station not
wanting to encourage Walkers but focusing on Deer.

Words fail me ... anyone from the Corrour Estate care to comment or let me
know I have understood incorrectly?

I had heard the above explanation. I've also heard that it was closed down
for sanitary reasons - it had ceased to comply with hygiene standards with
regard to effluent. [censored] or conspiracy....

I also understand that the estate are planning to bulldoze a road in from
Corrour Halt to get at the plantation on the east side of Loch Treig which
may or may not be a cause for the closure. Why not drop the Tetrapak family
a line? It's "their" land.

Duncan

Herewith, verbatim, main contents from an email from Ken Bowlt, Corrour
Factor

"
Our Ref: KSB/AM COR/21 COR/22
Date: 24th May 2005

Dear Mr Williams

Dr Rausing has passed your email below to me, as factor of Corrour
Estate, asking me to respond to you on the issues which you raise with
regard to the Station House Restaurant and Bunkhouse at Corrour.

Firstly, with regard to the closure of the Station House Restaurant,
difficult trading conditions meant that it had been operating at a loss
for some time. Steps had been taken to try to improve this, with opening
hours being reduced, but from Monday 28th February, because of the
losses it continued to sustain, it closed altogether. We continue to
review the operations at Corrour and if we could find a way to open the
Station House so that it operated in a commercially viable and
sustainable way, then this is something which we would seriously look
at. As I am sure you will understand, it is very expensive to provide
and staff facilities such as the Corrour Station House in a remote
location such as Corrour. In addition, visitor numbers are limited and
so the footfall is somewhat restricted. Nevertheless, the estate is keen
to see these facilities utilised if at all possible and if a way can
sensibly be found to re-open the Station House, then this would be
looked at.

The Bunkhouse has always been run in conjunction with the Station House
Restaurant, being serviced by the same staff, and so when the Station
House was closed, this unfortunately meant that the Bunkhouse had to be
too. However, the Bunkhouse at Corrour, a former railway building, had
already been closed due to the difficulties with the servicing of the
building, which difficulties are made worse due to the fact that the
building lies between the two rail tracks at Corrour. There is a
particular problem with the drainage from the Bunkhouse, which, in order
to remedy, requires excavations under the track, and the cost
indications have been prohibitively high. However, we are reviewing this
and if it were, at some stage, to prove possible to re-open the Station
House, then it would seem logical to try to have the Bunkhouse up and
running once again.

You mention that there has also been speculation about bulldozing a road
from Corrour Station to the east side of Loch Treig. Let me try to clear
that up. What we are considering, in conjunction with Scottish Natural
Heritage, is carrying out some long overdue maintenance to the track
known as the "Road to the Isles" which comes into the estate from
Rannoch in the south-east, travels north-west to west, leaving the
estate just to the south of Loch Treig. If we are able to agree matters
with Scottish Natural Heritage to enable this work to be carried out,
this would be taken forward as a completely separate exercise and would
have no bearing on the closure or indeed any subsequent re-opening of
the Station House facilities.

Over the last year, there has been further major new investment at
Corrour in staff, staff accommodation and in conservation and the
environment, but like any well run estate, we have to work out where
best to invest money for the long term. In terms of conservation and the
environment, the estate has been progressing with a long term Forest
Plan, the local deer management group are in the throes of preparing a
Deer Management Plan which Corrour would play its part in and the estate
itself will be working with others with a view to preparing a
Bio-Diversity Plan. It is hoped that all of these exercises will ensure
that Corrour is managed in the long term with the best interests of
conservation and the environment foremost in mind.

The estate continues to extend a warm welcome to walkers, whether they
are staying at the Youth Hostel, to whom we have just given a long lease
at a peppercorn rent, up the line at Tulloch, or are just coming for the
day. The Station House will continue to be manned on a "caretaker" basis
and our estate staff will always do their best to help walkers with
advice or shelter. We are 100% committed to open and responsible access
for all.

I hope the above clarifies the position for you, but if you require any
further information, please do not hesitate to revert to me.

Regards.

K S Bowlt

"

Any comments ?

Yours aye
"Rab"

"Duncan Irving" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Rab C Nesbitt said:

I understand from other sources that the Corrour Estate have shut
everything (Bunkhouse, Restaurant, Toilets etc,..) at Corrour Station not
wanting to encourage Walkers but focusing on Deer.

Words fail me ... anyone from the Corrour Estate care to comment or let
me
know I have understood incorrectly?

I had heard the above explanation. I've also heard that it was closed
down
for sanitary reasons - it had ceased to comply with hygiene standards with
regard to effluent. [censored] or conspiracy....

I also understand that the estate are planning to bulldoze a road in from
Corrour Halt to get at the plantation on the east side of Loch Treig which
may or may not be a cause for the closure. Why not drop the Tetrapak
family
a line? It's "their" land.

Duncan

Rab C Nesbitt said:

Any comments ?

Well ....

Quoted message said:

The estate continues to extend a warm welcome to walkers

these are not the words of a landlord keen to expel unwanted
unwashed from thier land. The fact that you get a reply, let
alone a civil one, is also a good measure.

IMO. I have been called naive (among other things)

Chris

"Chris Gilbert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Rab C Nesbitt said:

Any comments ?

Well ....

Quoted message said:

The estate continues to extend a warm welcome to walkers

these are not the words of a landlord keen to expel unwanted
unwashed from thier land. The fact that you get a reply, let
alone a civil one, is also a good measure.

IMO. I have been called naive (among other things)

Chris

Cynical mode in response to Chris= Bowlt suspected his private reply might
end up on a public forum.

Nick

Nick Pedley said:

Cynical mode in response to Chris= Bowlt suspected his private reply might
end up on a public forum.

<sigh>
Too true, methinks :-)