North Highlands watersports business offer boat tours and slow tourism
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A savvy duo have been surfing bigger and bigger waves since they opened up their business, North Coast Watersports, in 2019.
Iona Mclachlan (22) and Finn MacDonald (21) began their venture in Thurso after travelling the globe made them realise that Scotland was truly the place they wished to call home.
Offering activities such as surfing and paddle boarding, they have capitalised on the growing tourism trade that has been taking place in the area from the North Coast 500. North Coast Watersports was also voted as the best outdoor business in the UK in 2021 at the Journal Magazine Awards.
Now, after receiving a grant from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), alongside winning a ScottishEdge Grant of £15K, the pair are taking watersports to the next level by offering snorkelling, wildlife tours and fishing trips by boat.
Speaking about the new addition to their outdoor adventures Thurso-born Iona said: “We were able to pay for the boat, and equipment with the help from HIE which covered around £33K of the cost.
“The money from ScottishEdge helped us to get the qualifications we needed and provided us the funds to make sure the boat was at the correct safety standards for taking paying customers out. It was amazing to win this award, and it has been such a help.
“Since we opened we have wanted to continue to add activities to the north. We want it to become a top destination for marine tourism – there is so much to offer here.”
Having a background in watersports has been a big help for the pair in setting up their venture. Iona was the 2019 ladies surfing Scottish Champion and Tiree-born Finn is a previous under 18s champion.
They have been able to create new job opportunities in the area by employing local freelancers to help them out during the summer months, and have collaborated with other businesses in the area by offering bespoke adventure weekends.
Having been swamped with tourists during 2020 and 2021, the pair were surprised that they had a quieter summer in 2022. They are now hoping that this year will bring people who are interested in slow tourism, rather than the quick drive by on the NC500.
“I think there has been a mixed response to the NC500 up here”, Iona commented.
“People here are used to it being quiet and just them, and then all of a sudden it has been filled with people.
“I think we need to recognise tourism as a big economic driver in the area, but we also want to encourage tourists to stay in one location for a period of time, rather than briefly passing by and scooting from location to location.
“This means that they will support the local shops, cafes and activity centres in the area.
“We’ve had families who came to visit the area for a week and booked onto different activities each day with North Coast Watersports. They had a great time, and it was a good experience for all of us.
Speaking of the future she added: “Our plan now is to market this location as a top tourism spot for water activities. People don’t think of the north of Scotland when looking at that – we need to show them what a great spot this is, and how they can enjoy it.”
