The café bar restaurant will help operators cater better for the diverse demands of their growing customer base of sightseers, skiers and snowboarders, and mountain bikers.

Located at the foot of Aonach Mor the restaurant will replace the existing small coffee shop, now more than 20 years old.

Building the new restaurant will also provide an alternative bad weather venue for functions held at the Snowgoose restaurant bar at the gondola top station.

It will also enable the resort to increase the size of its ski hire by utilising the site of the old cafe building.

The development costs are being assisted by a £100,050 ($158,200) funding package from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and £32,990 ($52,200) from the Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme, funded by the Scottish Government, Forestry Commission Scotland and the European Regional Development Fund.

Marian Austin, Nevis Range managing director, said: "This new restaurant is an integral part of our plan to grow and diversify the business.

"Since opening in 1989 as a ski area and all year round visitor attraction, we have diversified into mountain biking, which led to us becoming the venue for a round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

"The success of the world cup resulted in the UK leg of the Motorcycle Trial World Championships coming in June 2010.

"Last year we also launched the Nevis Bike School and built a new red graded mountain bike cross-country trail, the only one in the UK accessed by gondola.

"Earlier this year we opened our high ropes courses, High Wire Adventure."

Austin added: "The new restaurant has been in planning for several years now and it's taken us all that time to secure the funding, planning and leases.

"We are delighted to be able to source so much of the project from local businesses.

"A N Fraser is the main contractor, the boiler is being installed by HWE, and the timber frame is coming from local larch processed by BSW at Kilmalie sawmill."

She concluded: "As a business we cannot stand still, we've got to keep listening to our customers and innovate and diversify.

"As a business located in the 'Outdoor Capital of the UK' we are continually working to provide outstanding outdoor experiences for our visitors."

Alison Gainsford, head of business growth for HIE's Fort William area office, commented: "Highlands and Islands Enterprise has firmly supported Nevis Range's aims to develop and grow for many years and the new restaurant is a welcome addition to what is already a world class attraction.

"Nevis Range has proved that Lochaber has a huge amount to offer the outdoor enthusiast and we are delighted to be able to help fund a new activity that will both attract additional visitors to the area as well as serve the local community even better."