North Highland Eco-travel
Make the most of your mileage and stay for longer in the North Highlands
The North Highland Initiative has unveiled a new tourism campaign for 2020, aiming to encourage visitors to spend more time exploring the region. And, the key is to travel with the environment in mind.
This new campaign, titled ‘Highland Time’, is built around responsible tourism. Highland Time champions the North Highland region as a prime destination for eco-travel, encouraging travellers to be mindful of their environmental impact.
Therefore, the campaign is working to encourage leaving no trace of litter, spending extra time in the region, travelling conscientiously, and stepping away from the car to look for alternate ways to travel. Visitors are also encouraged to immerse themselves in local communities to experience the culture, traditional music, arts, food and drink of each county.
The wild, rugged and varied landscapes of the North Highlands offer ‘the ultimate natural remedy to modern life’. Therefore, visitors are being encouraged to slow down and explore what lies alongside the popular North Coast 500 route (CLICK HERE). There’s a strong focus on well-being experiences, such as walking, hiking and wild swimming.
The campaign was launched with a short film by Ullapool-based photographer and videographer Steven Gourlay, showcasing just some of the ways in which visitors and local residents alike can enjoy the North Highland region in greater depth.
David Whiteford, Chair of the North Highland Initiative, welcomed the company’s new 2020 strategy as ‘a real opportunity to work together to change the face of tourism throughout the region.’
He says, “The North Coast 500 has been absolutely phenomenal in bringing visitors to the area, extending the tourist season and boosting the North Highland economy. Highland Time, therefore, is a natural progression to the NC500’s success.
“Life often moves at a slower pace here in the most northerly counties of Scotland. This does not, of course, mean that opportunities for business growth and development are reduced – quite the opposite. However, this slower pace of life is one of the biggest draws for first-time visitors travelling not only to drive the North Coast 500, but to explore the North Highland region as a whole. It is also a major reason often cited by those who choose to relocate to the North Highlands. The lifestyle we are able to enjoy here is one which I myself, and thousands of others, wouldn’t change for the world.
“While we don’t want to discourage visitors from completing the NC500 route in its entirety, our Highland Time campaign encourages more in-depth exploration of each of the five counties which make up the North Highland region.
“Slow tourism encourages travel at a reduced pace; one that is sustainable and responsible. Those are already key messages for the North Coast 500, and messages which we will continue to spread across the North Highlands in 2020 and beyond.”
For more details about Highland Time, please visit www.northhighlandinitiative.co.uk/highland-time
And for more information on the North Highland Initiative visit www.northhighlandinitiative.co.uk
