The History of Falls of Shin
The former Falls of Shin visitor centre, previously owned by Mohammed Al Fayed, nicknamed “Harrods of the North”, was destroyed by fire in May 2013. This left a huge hole in the local economy and many jobs were lost overnight.
Several months of stakeholder meetings followed the disaster, after which Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust applied for project funding to rebuild the popular attraction. The Trust then worked with the community, stakeholders, funders and design team (CH Architecture) to develop the project. Falls of Shin, in its new form, was officially opened in May 2017 with a day of celebration for the local community.
The Trust owned the award-winning attraction on behalf of the community, with external operators running the restaurant and gift shop for several years.
The Falls of Shin Visitor Attraction was a finalist in the Scottish Rural Awards for two years running, and the building received recognition in multiple architecture awards. In 2020, Falls of Shin was commended for excellence in community involvement in the Scottish Civic Trust ‘My Place’ awards.
In 2023 The Falls of Shin Restaurant, play area, car park and motorhome facilities were sold to Pure Leisure.
