ANNEX D: SITE BRIEF

Corgarff, A939,

Location

The lay-by is located on A939 some 3km south of the Lecht Ski area, Grid Reference NO254098. See attached Map 1.

The site is within the and on the northern edge of . Aberdeenshire Council is the roads authority.

Ownership

The lay-by is maintained by Aberdeenshire Council. The adjacent landowner is Allargue Estate.

Background

The A939 forms part of the Tourist Route which runs from to via , and Grantown-on-Spey. This route was resigned in 2011. The road is also nationally known as the ‘Cockbridge to Tomintoul’ road because it is often the first in Britain to close due to snow and as such makes it into the national news.

As one of the classic Scottish ‘snow roads’ the route is often sought out as a test piece by cyclists, motor cyclists and classic car drivers: it is a well published option on the Lands End to John o’ Groats route. It forms the main link road between Strathspey and Strathdon/.

The current lay-by was developed to encourage motorists to stop and engage with the landscape. It comprises a tarmac surface comfortably allowing six or more cars to park. A short path has been created to a viewing stone sculpture with two portals bored through the stone to encourage the visitor to look more closely at the landscape. The stone was the winning entry of a previous design competition and is secured into the ground with a steel rod. It is now showing signs of wear and is in need of an upgrade. The stone has suffered minor damage to the viewing portals, and the fencing and verges are in poor repair. The site contains two functional, but unsightly, litter bins. See Figs. 1 – 6.

Anecdotal evidence indicates that the lay-by is well used but that dwell time is short.

The lay-by is subject to extremes of climate both wind and snowfall. During snowfall it needs to be accessible to snowploughs.

Interpretation and Information

The site offers exceptional views of; Castle, Ben Avon, in the heart of the wild land of Cairngorms National Park and the complex pattern of muir burn on local hills. On a clear day it offers the opportunity to experience the exceptional scale of the moorland and of Cairngorms National Park from a roadside viewing point.

The route has been important for centuries. The original medieval tower house of Corgarff was built around 1550. The castle was pressed into service for a period of about 95 years straddling the two Jacobite rebellions: a frontier posting for government redcoats to guard the Wade Road to Fort George and then into the mid 19th century to enforce the excise on illegal whisky distillation. The castle is now owned by Historic and open to the public.

The lay-by is close to several local businesses; Allargue Arms Hotel and Goodbrand and Ross to south and Lecht Ski area to north.

Landscape Context and overarching objectives for the design.

From this layby there are dramatic views of the strath and up into the wide elevated glen contained by steep hills and rounded summits. The experience of this landscape is large scale. The site is perched on the side of the hill and is open and exposed. Below the white painted sits on a pronounced alluvial fan, a striking landmark feature in a pivotal location.

Whilst the views are dramatic, the shapes in this landscape are subtle and rounded and emphasised by the simplicity of the heather moorland.

Objectives for design

 proposals should reflect the smooth and sweeping forms of the ridgelines and slopes, and the simplicity of land cover  proposals should respect and respond to the open prospect and scale of the landscape avoiding the introduction of small scale constructions or a clutter of ‘furniture’ or different materials.  Some sense of shelter would improve the quality of the experience in extremes of weather, but proposals should retain the ability ‘to feel the wind’ as an essential part of the appreciable sense of wildness that can be experienced here.

Design considerations

The design should address the following:-

 How to encourage road users to stop and engage with the outstanding landscape and cultural heritage of this location

 How to encourage visitors to enjoy and experience other facilities and attractions along the route

 Treatment of existing stone sculpture

 Maintenance of access to the lay-by for snow ploughs

 Treatment of litterbins

 Improvements to fencing, verges and paths

 Pre-arrival signage

 Ongoing maintenance of the facility in a remote location prone to extremes of wind, temperature and exceptional snowfall.

Those designs most likely to work in this location will use natural locally-sourced materials, subtle forms, create opportunities for inspiring interactions, have longevity in this environment and have a high level of ‘buildability’.

Buildability:

Construction will be a significant part of the design challenge for this site and should be integrated into the design process. The design should take account of;

 altitude, weather, seasonality, and in particular extremes of weather and drainage issues e.g. snow accumulation, snow melt, ponding water, icy surfaces, high winds  likely availability and suitability of materials and products e.g. locally sourced rock, soils, plants, availability of suitable trade products such as for earth reinforcement  soil characteristics e.g. stability, risk of erosion and/or vegetation failure  scale and dimensional criteria  the space required for operations and storage  level of design complexity and learning required  the level of expertise required and likely available expertise e.g. skills to build walling in local stone to a local style or reflecting nearby rock strata.  plant and equipment required  on-site/off-site construction  requirement for temporary works

Map 2 is a topographic survey

Figure 1. Lay-by from North

Figure 2 Lay-by from south

Figure 3- 5 Stone Sculpture Detail

Figure 6 View of Corgarff Castle Map 1 Corgarff Lay-by