Thurso campaigner’s delight at latest Caithness attraction and event staged there
A disability campaigner from Thurso gave her opinion of a new Caithness attraction, the John O’Groats Mill, and an event staged there.
Louise Smith from Thurso attended a Lyth Arts Centre sponsored event at the community venue on Saturday (June 28) when she went to a special screening of the film Overbooking, which deals with the environmental effects of global tourism.
“I was lucky enough to participate in a very thought-provoking evening at the newly restored John O’Groats Mill,” said Louise.
“This was my first visit to this beautiful building, and I was impressed with the measures taken to make it accessible to me in my electric wheelchair.
“A self-operated wheelchair lift takes the disabled visitor to the lower level, where invitees to the ‘Overbooking’ film event sat chatting at small tables feasting on tasty traditional Mallorcan soup with chicken and vegetables by Wick’s The Printers Rest. Then at 7pm, up to the second floor via another lift, where the film showing started.”
This was the first film in a series of four to be shown over the next year, titled ‘Climate Beacons’ and themed around climate action.
“Overbooking is about the harmful impact of excessive tourism on the Spanish island of Majorca. Hosted by Dr Guillem Colom-Monte of the University of Glasgow, joined in conversation by Caithness writer Gail Althea Brown, the film charted the devastation of Majorca, from the 1950s to the present day, by over-tourism.
“Mass tourism effects described included the observations about the proliferation of low-paid jobs for cleaners and the exclusion of locals from the housing market due to overpricing and short-term lets to tourists.
“The post-film discussion moved to the Caithness example of the North Coast 500 with its campervan and Airbnb impact, where this manufactured route tourism has arguably dumbed-down the area’s heritage with visitors racing between selfie opportunities.”
Louise said that the audience consensus was that a combination of tourism tax and self-regulation could help the NC500. “This could be via a limit on numbers or a ban on campervans, similar to that in Spain, where they are limited to designated areas.
“This outreach event by Lyth Arts Centre was a great example of the arts working with the community.”
More info on the John O’Groats Mill is available at: johnogroatsmill.com/
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