A dramatic building celebrating the motor sport heritage of the Rest and Be Thankful is the focus of a new exhibition in Helensburgh
The heritage centre is planned for the summit of the glen – home of famous hillclimb events – and would feature famous names such as such as Jim Clark, Sir Jackie Stewart, Alan McNish, David Coulthard and John Cleland, the touring car champion who opened the exhibition on Thursday.
The project is the brainchild of Douglas Anderson, the man responsible for the return of the Monte Carlo Rally to Scotland in 2011. – he hopes the building will breathe new life into the popular viewpoint and stopping place, as well as boosting tourism and jobs.
“The location has great significance in motorsport terms because of the famous hillclimb races,” said Mr Anderson.
“It was seen as the ultimate test for drivers in many ways because of the steepness and conditions and many greats like Jackie Stewart raced there.
“The idea is to mark that connection within a permanent exhibition space but the project itself is more. The building will be a multi-use facility which could be used by the local community for film, business and cultural events and there will also be retail and a restaurant area.”
The proposed building, nestling within the contours of the mountainside, has been designed by KennedyTwaddle Architectural Design.
The exhibition includes a scale model of the building, architectural drawings and a ‘fly-through’ video clip. Members of the public are invited to comment on the project.
Mr Anderson says that meetings with Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, VisitScotland, Transport Scotland, MSPs and local politicians have been very positive.
Aileen Morton, Argyll and Bute Council’s policy lead for tourism, said: “This is a really innovative idea; a visitor centre taking in the stunning scenery of the Rest and Be Thankful would surely be very popular.
“The council is supportive of anything which takes advantage of the area’s natural beauty. If Douglas Anderson’s vision can be realised we would welcome the additional tourists the attraction would bring into the area.”
The glass-fronted building would sit below the car parking area and the developers say it may also provide respite for diverted drivers if the A83 major road succumbs to further landslips.
Award-winning architectural designers Chris Twaddle and Gary Kennedy say the attraction is respectful of the natural beauty of the site.
“We wanted it to be sympathetic to its context but we also wanted to frame the view and accentuate the natural amphitheatre of the valley. It is subtly quiet but exciting, visually,” said Mr Kennedy.
The exhibition is now in Helensburgh and Lomond Civic Centre in East Clyde Street, Helensburgh; it will subsequently go on tour round Scotland.
Below are projections of how the building would look, as well as pictures from the launch on Thursday; the launch pictures are reproduced by courtesy of Andy Thomlinson , who retains the copyright.
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