PLANS are underway for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) to seek funding of over £11,000 to develop a new pathway to increase access to an “awe-inspiring geological feature” at Lough Navar Forest.

It is hoped that better accessibility to the imposing, six-storey tall Cliffs o’Braade would serve to attract new visitors to the area.

A report presented to the Council’s Regeneration and Community Committee outlined that staff at the Marble Arch Caves UNESCO Global Geopark are proposing to apply, on behalf of FODC, for £11,250 from the Landfill Communities Fund to improve access to the north-facing cliff - or scarp - of Glenade sandstone that is roughly 30 metres tall.

The Cliffs o’Braade, described in the report as “an awe-inspiring geological feature”, can currently be accessed by a forest road.

However, the report reveals that the dramatic natural landmark remains “rarely seen” by visitors to Lough Navar, as there are no parking facilities or signposting.

Previously, the Marble Arch Caves UNESCO Global Geopark developed, and continues to manage, a walking trial that encircles Lough Achork, which is located only 300 metres from the Cliffs o’Braade.

“This is a popular walking trial with both recreational walkers and fishermen,” the report states.

It has been proposed that funding is sought to develop a trail to link the existing route at Lough Achork with the forest road that accesses the Cliffs o’Braade.

According to the report, this would lead to the creation of a circular walking path that would allow visitors to use the facilities, such as parking, picnic area and bins, at Lough Achork and also to visit the cliffs.

It states that this would provide an opportunity for both visitors and local people to “witness an outstanding example of the geographical heritage of the area”.

The report claims that facilitating and subsequently promoting access to such “an imposing and grand feature” would most definitely serve to attract new visitors.

“By using the Cliffs o’Braade as a stand-out geological feature, we can further educate and increase awareness of not only the geological heritage of the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, but also the historical, cultural and natural heritage which is so closely linked to it,” the report’s author claims.