Gail Ross backs Scottish Government funding to kick-start tourism in north
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP Gail Ross has welcomed a Scottish Government funding package to kick-start tourism as communities in the north Highlands prepare for another influx of visitors this year.
The money will help provide more seasonal rangers and temporary toilets as well as car-parking and campervan facilities to help rural areas when coronavirus restrictions are eased.
The work – supported by £2.75 million to be administered through the NatureScot Better Places Fund – comes after countryside hotspots saw a marked increase in domestic tourists last year, leading to concerns in some parts of the north over littering, antisocial behaviour and a lack of services.
Mrs Ross said: “This year thousands of people will be rethinking their holiday plans, and many will plan on coming to Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, so this investment from the Scottish Government to ensure there are enhanced services is very much welcomed.
“Not only will it provide a warm welcome for tourists visiting but will encourage them to come back again and again, which will only be good for the local economy."
The SNP MSP added: “Caithness, Sutherland and Ross has long been supported through the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund and I’m pleased that the fourth round of funding will open imminently for applications so our community can continue to reap the benefits.”
Measures announced in the Scottish Parliament this week by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon include the "stay at home" regulations being lifted on April 2 and replaced with guidance to "stay local". Further easing from April 26 will include all retail premises and tourist accommodation, as well as a limited reopening of the hospitality sector and the lifting of all restrictions on journeys in mainland Scotland.
NatureScot's chief executive Francesca Osowska said: “We are committed to helping everyone to be able to enjoy Scotland’s outdoors. This new £2.75 million will allow us to further invest – through round two of our Better Places Green Recovery Fund – in visitor infrastructure, and the skills needed to build and maintain improvements so that we can all access and enjoy nature easily and safely.
“Investing in nature, including in visitor management, is a key part of a green recovery.”
Earlier this month Highland Council agreed a £1.5 million plan to help tackle a lack of tourism infrastructure in the region. The long-term Highland Visitor Management Strategy will see improvements to passing places, lay-bys, road signs and verges, as well as money for public toilets, seasonal access ranger posts and litter and waste collection services, among other measures.