'Brave' is great advert for Scotland
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
by Rob Gibson MSP
THE star-studded Highland launch of Disney’s Pixar film Brave graced Eden Court’s La Scala cinema last Sunday. Along with a Highland host I much enjoyed the animated adventures of Merida the princess with a mind of her own. It’s a must see for families. Of huge note were the local performers including Julie Fowlis and the Black Isle 10-year-old, Peigi Barker. They along with Thurso’s Jim Sutherland gave hugely of their musical talent to this tale of destiny demanded by the film’s feisty young heroine.
With more names on the credits than live in Evanton, which a few of us sat through to see the local musical names near the end, Hollywood certainly offers huge numbers a job.
Animation of Pixar standards conveyed the native pine woods, lochs and cliffs of the story in glorious detail and colour. I believe that many visitors will want to take a look at Scotland and the Highlands when they view Brave in the 70 countries which follow the USA and Scotland premieres.
A FORTNIGHT ago I attended an inspirational business launch near Loch Ness.
Called Makar, it is a design and build prefabrication factory in the woods at Torbreck.
Makar is the old Scots word for quality and excellence. We have a national poetry makar, Liz Lochhead. The Highland Makar is Neil Sutherland who uses native timber and the natural construction methods. His homes and work spaces stretch from Argyll to Sutherland and Stornoway to Brechin with several of these in Ross-shire.
Neil told the gathered crowd including Enterprise Minister Fergus Ewing MSP that when others were heading for London from university he and his wife Maggie, who runs the Natural Vegetable Company on their six acres, wanted to make a contribution to rural Scotland. They posed themselves the question – much as I did years before – what do we want Scotland to be like in 20 years?
The real breakthrough for timber construction is to prefabricate sections off site. Building one house was an achievement, building a community of ecologically friendly homes and work places is the current challenge.
I thought about the planned village of Ullapool a couple of centuries ago and think ahead where the benefits of modern technology and local materials can make new communities. One is in planning near Evanton. Build one and lots more will follow. I hope Highland Council houses can be part of such schemes.
COMPARABLY building a nation with the confidence to grasp the possibilities of its sustainable future is also a challenge for us all.
Imagining that future is key to addressing the big debate about the powers Scotland needs. It’s at the heart of the referendum debate 2014. Among the most pressing questions will be the sustainable use of our natural resources.
The latest food and drink export figures are at an all-time high of £5.4 billion in 2011. Our top food and drink overseas markets were France (up 18 per cent to £825m) and USA (30 per cent increase £726m). Strong growth was achieved in Asia, with 44 per cent increases in both Singapore (£319m) and China (92m).
Electricity by demand coming from renewables shows Scotland has beaten its target of 31 per cent by the end of 2011. Indeed 35 per cent electricity now comes from renewable sources.
There has been a rise of 67 per cent in renewable generation since the SNP Government came into office in 2007 – an extra five GigaWatt hours. A Scottish Renewables report of March 27, 2012 suggests that renewable energy now supports over 11,000 jobs in Scotland.
Whether it is the film industry, the best of timber building, food and drink or renewable energy Scots sell to and buy from many nations across the world. We are an international player and Ross-shire folk stand to gain jobs and credit from such Scottish success.
www.robgibson.org
