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National double-header boosts far north tourism





Manchester’s Luis Eyre seems to defy gravity as he hangs on to his board during his championship-winning performance at Thurso East on Sunday.
Manchester’s Luis Eyre seems to defy gravity as he hangs on to his board during his championship-winning performance at Thurso East on Sunday.

CAITHNESS has been put on the map as a place which can play host to national competitions and events as thousands of visitors enjoyed an action-packed weekend in the far north.

Over 2000 took in the action at the Scottish Ploughing Championships at Stanstill Farm, Bower and the UK Pro Surfing Championships at Thurso East. Both events provided a welcome offseason boost to the far north tourist trade.

Highland Council Caithness civic head Gail Ross said the success of both events had helped promote the county to a wider audience and had put the county in the frame to stage other prestigious events in the future. "The obvious benefit of hosting these two events is that they’ve helped to put Caithness on the map," she said.

"Not only that, they have given local people a boost as well, to see these championships taking place here.

"The fact that organisers have looked at the area as a viable location to host these big competitions is a tremendous advert for the area.

"We are well placed to host championships of any kind. We have the skills and talent of our workforce and there is excellent infrastructure in place.

"We aim to work with organisers to hold these events and if we don’t have something they require we have an excellent reputation of working towards their needs." Lonely Planet recently named Scotland as the third most unmissable location of 2014 due to the Year of Homecoming and Glasgow’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games.

Mrs Ross said Caithness would be doing all it could to make the county an unmissable location next year for tourists, revealing she was in early talks about staging a repeat Harbourfest at Wick Harbour.

"We are in the initial talks of planning another Harbourfest, which we hope will be incorporated into Lifeboat Day and Caithness will play a big part in the Year of Homecoming," she said.

"Lonely Planet reckons Scotland is going to be the third most-sought after destination in the world and my aim is to make Caithness the number one destination in Scotland."


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