Ice Factor Kinlochleven closes in unpaid rent dispute

The future of Scotland's national indoor ice climbing centre is in doubt after the building's owners terminated its lease in a dispute over unpaid rent

Kinlochleven Community Trust (KCT) said it had started legal proceedings against Ice Factor Kinlochleven.

It comes four months after the closure of Snow Factor at XSite Braehead, Renfrewshire, which was also owned by parent company the Ice Factor Group.

KCT said the centre would be closed for the immediate future.

A spokeswoman said: "KCT will actively look for a new tenant to take over the building and continue to use it as the national ice climbing centre for the greater climbing community."

Ice Factor Kinlochleven opened in the Highland village in 2003. It is housed within a 130-year-old former Victorian smelter.

In July 2015 the centre was damaged by fire.

The clean up took almost a year and involved melting and removing walls of ice and cleaning thousands of individual handholds.

Ice Factor Kinlochleven has been contacted for comment.

Stuart Younie, chief executive of Mountaineering Scotland, said the closure had come as a shock.

He said: "It is really disappointing for the staff and people who use the facility.

"It plays a key role in terms of the local economy and wider Highlands."