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Thurso-led tourism project aims to put ‘communities first’





A tourism initiative that aims to put “communities first, visitors second” is looking to expand after seeing success in Thurso and beyond.

The scheme is based around workshops involving local businesses and community groups to discuss problems and opportunities specific to their area.

Thurso was among the first locations to pilot the tourism scheme.
Thurso was among the first locations to pilot the tourism scheme.

Thurso was one of two pilot locations for the Press Pause projects, and it has developed a new online guidebook to the town and surrounding area, as well as repositioned itself as the Hub of the North in recognition of it being the northernmost town on the UK mainland.

Following the success of the pilot, the organisers are keen to hear from other communities across the north Highlands who want to use this tailored approach to make tourism work better for them.

The Press Pause projects, run by SCOTO CIC and supported and funded by the North Highland Initiative (NHI) with additional grant support from Highland Council’s Community Regeneration Fund via Wester Ross Biosphere, are bringing together communities to identify issues and opportunities and support the creation of a plan to take back control of tourism locally.

Genevieve Duhigg, chair of NHI, said: “Drawing these groups together has been hugely positive and a way of allowing communities to develop and manage tourism in their areas in a way that works for them.

“Some of the issues identified were common to many regions: from challenges around staffing and motorhomes, to opportunities for increased accommodation provision and community-controlled marketing and information provision that would allow local people to choose and control how the area was promoted.”

Genevieve Duhigg, chair of North Highlands Initiative.
Genevieve Duhigg, chair of North Highlands Initiative.

The ten areas now involved include Wick and Thurso, as well as Tongue, Durness and Brora in Sutherland, and Lochcarron, Plockton, Ullapool, Shieldaig and Dornie.

Each community is able to access additional funding from NHI to progress quick wins, including festivals and guidebooks, murals, maps and trails.

Genevieve Duhigg added: “These workshops have been terrifically successful in getting different interests around the table, focusing minds on local issues and finding solutions. They have enabled communities to scope out and take forward innovative and effective projects that will allow them to better control the tourism in their own area, creating a community-first; visitor-second approach that supports them to thrive.”

Carron Tobin, executive director of SCOTO, said: “I’m delighted with the appetite for these Press Pause projects. We piloted this with Thurso and Lochcarron, and the format we’ve developed enables groups to find solutions to the challenges presented by tourism and capitalise on the opportunities in a way that works for the needs of local people.

Carron Tobin, executive director of SCOTO.
Carron Tobin, executive director of SCOTO.

“We know that there are other communities across the north Highlands that are interested in getting involved in Press Pause and would urge them to get in touch.”

In total, 31 communities across Scotland have benefited from Press Pause workshops to date.


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