TOILET and shower facilities are set to be created at a picturesque East Lothian beach.

Improvements are being lined up for the car park at Gullane Bents, with fully accessible changing facilities planned.

East Lothian Council is set to receive about £147,000 from VisitScotland – with the final sum still to be confirmed – and aims to encourage people to cycle and use public transport to access the site.

The latest funding award comes after a successful bid from the local authority in the second round of the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF).

Previously, £240,000 was awarded for improvements to the toilet facilities at Longniddry Bents.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, East Lothian Council’s spokesman for the environment, welcomed the funding announcement.

The depute leader of the council said: “This is great news for residents and visitors to East Lothian.

"Gullane is one of our most popular beaches and, as it’s on the John Muir Way, is visited by many walkers and cyclists throughout the year.

“Having fully accessible toilet, washing and changing facilities at the car park will be a really valuable resource to visitors of all ages and abilities.”

Thirteen projects across the country, from Shetland to Fife, have been recommended for approval – subject to conditions – to receive more than £3 million to enhance the visitor experience.

Managed by VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, the RTIF was created to improve the quality of the visitor experience in rural parts of Scotland that have faced pressure on their infrastructure due to the increase in visitor numbers.

It aims to reduce the impact of visitor numbers on local communities and facilities, and create a more collaborative and sustainable approach to infrastructure provision and long-term maintenance of local facilities for the benefit of communities, as well as visitors.

Neil Christison, VisitScotland regional director, was similarly pleased to see the project moving forward.

He said: “The stunning coastline, sandy beaches and water sport activities are an amazing draw for visitors to this part of East Lothian and it is important that we support work to improve visitor facilities and the visitor experience, particularly when the tourism, hospitality and events industries are facing such a challenging time and remain closed under the current restrictions.

“We all need to play our part in being responsible visitors and improvement works like these are crucial to ensuring our visitor destinations remain sustainable for years to come.

“This funding will help the local community improve their facilities, as well as enhancing the visitor experience both for now and in the future when conditions are right and it is safe to do so.”

On what costs East Lothian Council would contribute to the project, a spokesperson for the local authority said: “We estimate we will contribute £99,000 from our capital budget for this project, although that exact amount may be subject to slight change in the design and tender process. The work does not require planning permission.”