Tourism and renewables leaders have discussed how to make the Highlands a “world-leading” sustainable destination.
The inaugural Tourism and Renewables Conference, hosted by Highland Tourism CIC and Highland Renewables, took place on Friday.
A variety of speakers, as well as two panels took place at the conference, held at Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness.
Deputy first minister Kate Forbes told an audience of more than 150 people “our decisions will determine the decades to come”.
Bringing together two key economic sectors in the region is part of its mission to put the Highlands on a “world stage”.
‘We need to start now’
Highland Tourism CIC and Highland Renewables chair Yvonne Crook said there is no time to waste for both sectors.
After bringing together renewables and tourism leaders, she believes investment is the next step.
© Sandy McCook / DC ThomsonMs Crook said: “We saw a fantastic response to our very big vision.
“We’ve had a lot of investment from our sponsors, so we were particularly keen they were please with the outcome of today.
“We need investment to continue to this vision. We have already invested £750,000 of private sector money and that will come above £1 million in the coming months.”
Ms Crook also believes it’s time to “wake up a sleeping giant” in the region’s tourism industry.
WATCH: Christianna Logan highlights how SSEN Transmission is working with communities in the Highlands
She added: “If I’m honest, the Highlands has been a far too sleepy tourism industry for a long time.
“Although we don’t have all the answers right now, it’s time to work together.”
The event was held in partnership with DC Thomson, with The Press and Journal and Energy Voice media and community partners.
The ‘starting point of something special’
Key speaker and brand expert Alistair Gronbach is hoping the event can kick start a relationship between tourism and renewables in the Highlands.
He said: “It’s definitely the start of something and that will appear very quickly with investment coming in.
“It’s also a wake up call. There’s a sense of urgency and we need to start doing the right things and lead the way.
“With our brand, we need to be thinking the way of a visitor, why they should come here and how we’re represented.”
© Sandy McCook / DC ThomsonMr Gronbach, who spoke on the branding of the Highlands at the event, believes other countries “would bit your hands off” for what’s on offer.
He added: “We’re very lucky, our region’s brand is world famous. Everyone has an image of what Scotland is about and that’s the Highlands.
“Our landscape, scenery, we need to use those assets to our advantage while adding new stories.”
Highlands is a ‘green energy powerhouse’
GreenPower director of development George Baxter said the conference showed him a “strong sense of togetherness” between both industries.
Mr Baxter was part of the renewables panel, which spoke on key points including repopulating the area through high paid jobs.
The panel also included: Iain Robertson, head of development services at Statkraft UK; Jonathan Milne, chief corporate affairs officer at Ardersier owner Haventus; Calum MacPherson, the chief executive of Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport; Christianna Logan director of customers and stakeholders, SSEN Transmission and Steve Dunlop, chief executive of FOR EV.
© Sandy McCook / DC ThomsonBaxter said: “The tourism and renewables sectors working together is now an obvious thing which needs to happen.
“For a long time there has been misconceptions that the two are somehow opposing forces, which isn’t the case.
“A lot of strength is in the idea that we can work together for the people of the Highlands.
“We need to be proud and celebrate our natural resources and cut through misinformation about the impact of renewable infrastructure.”
READ: ‘A challenge but also an opportunity’: conference to hear Highlands and Islands’ critical role in reaching net zero
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