Clearances tourist trail idea hailed
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A TOURISM trail which would highlight the impact of the notorious Clearances on the Highlands, while also generating increased tourism for the region, has won the backing of a Ross-shire MSP.
Gail Ross, the SNP member representing Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, praised the idea as a great way to educate the wider world about the huge effect the Clearances has – not just in Scotland but in fuelling the Scottish diaspora across the globe.
She said: "There has been several ideas proposed for a trail for tourists and locals which would tell our story of the atrocities that happened during the Highland Clearances and I think the time is right to turn these proposals into reality."
"Tourism is a vital sector in the Highland economy, however, I’m worried that at present we’re not giving enough information to visitors to come to our area and really explore.
"More research on length of stay is needed, but anecdotally communities throughout the North are concerned that the NC500 is more of a race than a tourist route, with visitors spending very little time, or money, in our communities.
"The trail would be excellent not only in economic terms, but also to educate people of the traumatic past of the Highlands.
"I’m concerned that the Clearances are being simplistically seen as purely a consequence of ‘economic improvement’ as opposed to the brutality and sadness of the times.
"Communities were wiped out overnight, whatever the reason for this, they should not be forgotten."
"A trail would enable visitors and locals to see for themselves the communities which were lost as a result of the clearances and encourage folks to spend more time getting to know the precious past of the Highlands."
