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April 08 Dunnet Cliffs Makeover Begins To Brighten Up Tourist Season For 2008 The North Baths and the Trinkie outdoor swimming pools have been getting a white coat of paint over the years to make them look fresh but now a section of cliffs at Dunnet Head is getting a makeover. In a bid to make the cliffs stand out for passengers on boat trips and for people walking a huge section of the cliffs are being painted white. The famous white cliffs of Dover are reckoned to attract huge numbers of tourists so officials thought it might do the trick if the white cliffs of Dunnet were made famous in Caithness.
Sandtex, one of the leading masonry paint companies, has been commissioned, much to the delight of the tourist board and the on looking Orcadian public, to quite literally paint the cliffs currently not-so-white rock faces. The White Cliffs of Dunnet may be considered by tourists as an iconic sign of the regeneration that is currently going on in the county. Pollution has taken its toll over the years as seabirds make a considerable mess on the cliffs around nesting sites. Consequently Sandtex’s has been sent to the landmark’s rescue with a team of decorators to whitewash the cliffs. Hopes are that this procedure to restore the coastline’s facia will aid in the regions attempts to boost the tourist trade for 2008 and for several years to come. A consultation exercise will be undertaken in the Autumn to gauge the views of local people and what affect it has had on the tourist trade. Bus tours to the white cliffs of Dunnet will be begin around the middle of May by which time a significant section of cliffs will have been painted white. A significant section of cliff has already had first coating and the team of specialists is now well underway with the second and final coating. Work should be completed in a about three weeks. The total cost of the project is not being revealed and officials were remaining tight lipped over the expenditure. Some councillors have been against the project stating that the money could have been used on the east coast cliffs and not the north coast where the wind drives the rain more severely onto the cliff face and therefor likely to wash off faster. The project looks likely to cause more controversy once the final cost is revealed. Some locals have already condemned this end of the financial year spending as a total waste of money. If it is successful it is likely to be like the Forth Bridge and require to have a team painting all the year round or when the weather allows. |
