The Highland Council’s Magazine Summer 2018 Highpoints Issue 11 Sàr Phuingean TThehe ttruthruth aaboutbout ttoiletsoilets PPg8g8 HHeadingeading fforor tthehe HHighlandsighlands - tthehe ttouristourist boomboom PPg4g4 Discover the HighlandAR Legends, innovative app brings augmented realityy to the city Pg14 Award winning Highland beaches Pg7g7 www.highland.gov.uk Contents 3 Highland Archaeology Festival 4 Heading for the Highlands Bill Lobban 6 Way made easier Highland Council Convener 7 Scottish beach awards 8 The truth about toilets Welcome Welcome to the latest edition of Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, 10 New aff ordable homes underway our Highpoints magazine. the Highland Games and the 10 750th new home milestone Never has the Highlands been so Black Isle Show are all going 11 Supporting parenting skills in prison popular as a tourist destination. from strength to strength. The The value of Sterling, the long Archaeology Festival begins in 12 Grow with us spell of great weather and the September and we are delighted 13 Làithean Cultar (Culture Days) safety of the Highlands, together to be welcoming the European with the success of the NC500 Pipe Band Championships to 14 HighlandAR Legends are all contributory factors. Inverness and the Gaelic Media 16 Developing a sustainable waste solution However, the friendly welcome, Awards to Aviemore next year. our rich heritage, breath-taking Our beaches continue to attract 17 Phasing out single use plastic scenery, national parks and major awards and we have (yes) 18 Reducing our waste unique cultural off erings, makes the best public toilet provision in people fall in love with our the UK! 19 Success for Council projects beautiful region and will mean An innovative new app which 20 New role for listed building visitors will keep coming back uses augmented reality to bring 22 Apprentice has her eye on the top job for more. local legends to life in a trail of This issue of Highpoints eight artworks across Inverness 24 High-fi for Highland towns highlights a range of initiatives is already proving to be a major 25 Inside Housing Development Awards underway to support hit with tourists and tour guides. improvements to tourist This is also helped by the free 25 Blas Festival infrastructure and some of the Wi-Fi which we now have in 25 2018 Quality Awards vast range of attractions we have Inverness and all our major on off er. towns across the Highlands 25 Celtic Media Festival Improvements to parking, – a tremendous resource for 27 Adopt an HER Record paths, roads and other facilities visitors, businesses and local are benefi ting both tourists communities. Contact us and locals in many areas. Highland is truly one of the most Successful events such as the attractive places to visit, live and Write to: Mountain Bike World Cup, do business, in the world. Corporate Communications The Highland Council HQ Glenurquhart Road Inverness IV3 5NX Email: corporate.communications @highland.gov.uk Phone: 01463 702020 Highpoints will be published online and some hard copies will be made available in service points and libraries. The magazine is produced in-house by our Corporate Communications Team and printing costs Unveiling of the 8th plaque of HighlandAR Legends at are sponsored by advertising. Falcon Square with Jackie Cuddy and Darroch McNaught Listening ~ Open ~ Valuing ~ Improving ~ Supporting ~ Partnering ~ Delivering 2 3 Heading for the Highlands Things to do in the Highlands www.highland.gov.uk/tourism Colin Simpson, Highland partners can deliver projects. The Storr Council’s Principal Tourism All projects must be able to and Film Offi cer describes a demonstrate community support Thanks to international marketing and must address an existing and social media, the Isle of Skye range of initiatives to address tourism pressure, rather than has seen a vast increase in visitor Highland’s growing tourism developing new tourism facilities. numbers over recent years. First industry. The Highland Council submitted amongst the natural features that The last few tourist seasons have 12 Expressions of Interest in has rocketed in terms of visitor been good ones for Highland the fi rst round, most of which numbers is the Storr, which has tourism with certain destinations progressed to full applications seen a 600% increase in just 10 and some individual sites seeing which will be considered by years. The current infrastructure at marked rises in visitor numbers. the fi rst formal assessment the site was not built to cope with In particular, a number of natural panel in September. this dramatic increase and has led to negative publicity about sites have seen signifi cant The range of projects being increases that have led to Skye in national and international proposed include increased press, with CNN Travel recently pressures on infrastructure such car or coach parking and as single track roads, parking and ranking Skye number 1 in the ‘top related traffi c and parking 12 places to avoid in 2018’ list. toilet facilities. An increase in the management at some key number of motorhomes, some destinations such as Portree, The value of tourism to Skye of which commonly overnight Fort Augustus, Invergordon and is estimated at £133M (2016) informally outside recognised Glenfi nnan, Public convenience however this negative publicity sites has also created a need improvements or improved could be detrimental to this. for further facilities such as for motorhome facilities on Skye and To avoid visitors being deterred waste disposal. In many cases in the Arisaig, Morar and Mallaig from visiting the island any these pressures have created area. further, The Highland Council expectations that the Council has applied for funding to would address the issue, even In some cases the Council will improve the infrastructure at where it is not the site owner. lead a project, for example where several hotspots. The Old Man it relates to the extension of an In Autumn 2017 the Scottish of Storr improvement plan was existing Council car park bit in sent as an application to the Government launched a Rural other cases the local community Tourism Infrastructure Fund - Rural Tourism Infrastructure is taking the lead with the Fund that was announced by totalling £6m of capital over intention of both addressing 2 years to help improve such Scottish government in 2017. The existing pressures while also application has been accepted infrastructure. Only Local creating a community facility that Authorities and National Park for Phase 1 and will see plans go could generate further income for ahead in the very near future, Authorities can bid to the fund wider community projects. although a wider range of with The Highland Council contributing £200K, another 4 £300K from LEADER funding, and Hotel investment including the Glebe Street site £300K from the Rural Tourism soon to be developed, there has Infrastructure Fund. The last few years have seen quite been interest in the Inverness signifi cant levels of hotel building The plan involves expansion Campus and Inverness airport in some of the UK’s bigger cities to the car park and to improve for further hotel developments. including Glasgow and Edinburgh facilities by adding things such as Council offi cers have also taken but more recently the level of public toilets and litter disposal the opportunity at such events interest in Inverness has picked points. A number of designs have to promote other areas of up. This interest was boosted been produced with the preferred Highland, including Lochaber and in 2017 when international option costing £750,000, if the Caithness, where the increased commercial property experts funding can be found. To ensure numbers of visitors coming to Colliers International ranked future sustainability the Council tour the North Coast 500 have Inverness as the most attractive proposes charging visitors for infl uenced demand. market for investors in their use of the carpark which would inaugural Scottish Hotel Index. A allow investment in the parking Mountain Bike mix of strong levels of demand, facilities and other related rising rates and occupancy World Cup infrastructure such as paths. levels as well as relatively low Fort William, the multi-award The improvements will vastly development costs has increased winning stage of the mountain reduce the congestion in the area Inverness’s profi le as a ‘hot spot’ biking world cup welcomed at peak times, and have benefi ts for hotel development. 250 riders from 25 nations to for visitors by car, coach, bus, on Through attendance at a number tackle this year’s course, bringing foot, by bike and incorporate of investment events in locations 22,000 spectators to the area. accessibility needs for all. including Edinburgh and London, The Highland Council’s contractor By tackling the safety and the Council has promoted Rapier supplied free wifi for the congestion issues we hope the city as well to potential Mountain Bike World Cup in Fort that visitors and local residents investors and operators. As well William in June as Fort William’s will have much more positive as interest in city centre sites free wifi “High-Fi” went live. experiences. By improving facilities at the Old Man of Storr the value of tourism to Skye will not only increase from income generated from the parking spaces having an economic impact, but also from the eff ects that will diff use visitor tension and provide a better attraction, which in turn, impact positively on visitor satisfaction surveys which help boost the value of tourism for the island. 5 National Park, over Rannoch Moor, into Glen Coe Paving the way and ends up in Fort William. The route brings in an estimated £16Million each Anyone tackling the popular West Highland year to businesses along its route. Way will fi nd the going underfoot a bit easier The Council and Scottish Natural Heritage have thanks to the council funding improvement part-funded the project which cost £40,000 and a works to a section along the old military road second phase is due to start in the autumn.