North Highland Initiative gets on track with new seasonal ranger service
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North Highland Initiative (NHI) has thrown its support behind the creation of 10 new seasonal access ranger posts for the Highlands.
The posts – covering all parts of the north including Caithness – are being developed as part of Highland Council’s £1.5 million visitor management strategy.
NHI is confident that the new seasonal access rangers will help with visitor management when lockdown ends and travel restrictions are lifted by the Scottish Government.
The organisation also believes the new ranger service will help support its own work on enhancing the visitor experience and community infrastructure in the area.
David Whiteford, chair of NHI, said: “We fully support the decision of our partners at Highland Council to make significant investment in the Highland Visitor Management Strategy, including the creation of 10 new seasonal access ranger posts. We also share their long-term vision for the economic growth and recovery of the north Highlands, which relies on tourism income to support livelihoods.
“NHI is continuing to work with Highland Council, VisitScotland, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and community representatives during lockdown to help address visitor management concerns and infrastructure investment in preparation for the re-opening the north Highlands to visitors this summer and beyond.
“It's critical now more ever that we understand the need to be responsible custodians of our amazing but fragile environment. We’ve seen record numbers of visitors travel to the north Highlands over the past 12 months which has highlighted the areas that need developing to support the travel industry and local communities.”
Highland High Life, who are delivering the new ranger roles, have confirmed that the remit for these roles is still to be decided. The draft visitor management plan is up for discussion at the council's Tourism Committee on Tuesday (March 17).
In preparation for the safe reopening of tourism and hospitality this summer, NHI is already actively promoting its own Highland Time campaign to encourage responsible and sustainable tourism and help extend visitor dwell time in the north, whilst respecting the fragile landscape and local communities.
Backed by internationally renowned Scottish actor, James (Jimmy) Yuill from Golspie, NHI’s Highland Time campaign urges visitors to slow down, explore away from the beaten track and focus on wellbeing experiences, such as walking, hiking and swimming, as part of their travels.
The campaign also champions the north Highland region as a prime destination for eco-travel, encouraging travellers to be mindful of their environmental impact.
Key messaging surrounding the campaign includes leaving no trace of litter, spending extra time in the region, travelling conscientiously, and stepping away from the car to look for alternative ways to travel, including the use of local expert tour guides.
Visitors are also being encouraged to immerse themselves in local communities, experiencing the culture, traditional music, arts and food and drink around the North Highlands.
Since March 2020, NHI has continued to deliver over £58,000 of funding to support 68 local community projects around the area through its community support programme.
The organisation is also working with Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) to deliver a Community Infrastructure Support Programme (CISP), which has already awarded over £8500 to 13 projects across the region.
CISP was launched to help local people, community groups and businesses develop sustainable infrastructure in the north Highlands following record numbers of visitors to the region in 2020. Grants of up to £1000 have been awarded to communities in Caithness, Sutherland and Ross and Cromarty which have been unable to receive other government support packages and those ineligible for emergency grants.
This funding is addressing priorities such as litter and waste capacity, environmental improvements including public toilets and motorhome waste, creation of designated visitor parking areas, more effective signage and public information boards for visitors.
A key focus of the CISP scheme is supporting initiatives that can demonstrate a focus on the development of sustainable and ‘green’ infrastructure in the North Highlands. Successful applications will fall into NHI’s primary areas of activity; food and farming, tourism and community support and leadership.
NHI was established in 2005 as a direct result of Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay’s involvement in bringing together the farming community, local businesses and the tourism industry to address the challenges facing rural communities in the far north of Scotland. The initiative also works to build and develop a regional identity for the area.
As part of the overall objective of the charity, NHI operates across the counties of Caithness, Sutherland and Ross and Cromarty to assist in making the area a place where businesses and communities are sustainable. The three key areas of activity are food and farming, tourism, and community support and leadership.
For more information about the NHI Community Infrastructure Support Programme, and to apply for funding, please visit: http://www.northhighlandinitiative.co.uk/support-programme-infrastructure
More information about the Highland Time campaign is available on the NHI website www.northhighlandinitiative.co.uk/highland-time as well as on social media, including Facebook and Twitter.
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