Fife Coast and Countryside Trust
The decision to form Fife Coast and Countryside Trust was taken in April 1999 by Fife Council and it’s partners, after identifying an opportunity to co-ordinate and improve the management, enhancement and promotion of certain aspects of Fife’s countryside.
Fife’s countryside makes an important contribution to the quality of life of local communities and is a key component of the regions tourism industry. Parts of the countryside present exciting opportunities to improve and develop these aspects of life for the benefit and enjoyment of those living, working and visiting Fife as well as enhancing the natural environment.
The Trust’s founding partners: Fife Council, Kingdom of Fife Tourist board, Scottish Enterprise Fife and Scottish Natural Heritage, recognised this potential. However, for it to be brought to fruition there was a need to seek and develop new more flexile ways of operating that the partners could not achieve alone. Following extensive research it was decided that the most appropriate way forward would be through the formation of a new independent organisation.
Fife Coast and Countryside Trust officially came into being on 1st March 2001 with the Trust Manager, Amanda McFarlane appointed in June 2002. It is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status (charity number SC031247). It is also VAT registered (VAT No 828 8251 03).
The Trust Manager reports to the board of Directors who currently are:
Board of Directors
Mr Robert Balfour
Mr Gerry McMullan
Ms Alice McGarry
Mr John Christie
Ms Katherine Leys |
Mr Graham Scott
Mr David Somerville
Mr William Taylor
Mr Grant Ward |
The objectives of the Trust are wholly charitable. They are defined in the Memorandum of Association as being for “the conservation, preservation and improvement of the countryside and access to said countryside in the Fife local Government area for the benefit of the public at large to advance their education and provide recreation facilities by:-
- Providing, developing and improving the facilities of the countryside and of the natural resources of Fife
- Seeking to preserve and conserve the heritage of Fife including it’s landscape, wildlife, history and culture.
- Interpreting and encouraging informed, responsible public access to the landscape and the wildlife resources of Fife; and
- Securing the sustainable use, management and enjoyment of the countryside of Fife.
Our Achievements so far.
The Trust is now in it’s fifth year of operation and since it’s formation has been instrumental in securing over £3 million through domestic and European funding. Two major EU funded projects delivered by the Trust are the North Sea Trail which links over 3,000Kms of footpath in seven countries bordering the North Sea, and Destilink, a network of sixteen countries which examines best practice in sustainable tourism destination development throughout Europe.
The Trust has also led two major access feasibility studies. The first examined a potential northern extension of the Fife Coastal Path from the Tay Bridge to Perth working in partnership with Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust and Scottish Enterprise Tayside. The second study explored the creation of a ‘Pilgrims Route’ from St Andrews to North Queensferry.
July 2006 saw the Trust enter a new phase with a greatly extended remit covering the Fife Ranger Service, the Countryside maintenance team and related staff. The two year pilot project with Fife Council has seen the Trust’s staffing capacity grow from four to thirty seven. Trust staff have been seconded from Fife Council to FCCT for the period of the pilot.
FCCT also played a key role in the £1 million redevelopment and design of the Harbourmaster’s House in Dysart. This building now includes Fife’s first Coastal Centre, along with a shop, a community use room with state of the art IT and broadband internet access as well as a 32 seater Bistro and the Trust’s HQ.
The building, which is managed by FCCT, was formally opened on September 3rd 2006 by the Rt Hon Gordon Brown and has already received a Silver award in the Green Business Tourism Scheme and four stars in the VisitScotland visitor attraction scheme. Although we have not yet reached the first year anniversary of the opening, it is estimated that the Harbourmaster’s House will have received over 15,000 visitors in its first twelve months.
Amanda McFarlane
Trust Manager
Tel: 01592 656085
email: amanda.mcfarlane@fife.gov.uk