Badenoch aims to cash in on cultural riches
Badenoch is set to become a “brand” and try and cash in on its rich cultural hertiage.
A steering group has been put together to take the project forward and by December an interim working group should be in place to organise the marketing strategy.
“Significant” visitor attractions such as Newtonmore’s Highland Folk Museum and the village's Macpherson Museum; Kingussie’s Ruthven Barracks and the Highland Wildlife Park by Kincraig will all play their part in a joined-up campaign to boost visitor numbers throughout the area.
Fiona McLean, Am Fasgadh Regeneration Company's cultural outreach officer, outlined the vision to community representatives at a meeting in Kingussie.
She said: “At present there is a web presence for Kingussie and the other main villages in Badenoch, while national tourism websites, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Cairngorms Business Partnership incorporate Badenoch on their websites as a part of Badenoch and Strathspey.
“Visitor numbers to the area are included in overall Badenoch and Strathspey figures, although anecdotal evidence suggests that the majority of visitors to the area bypass Badenoch to visit the Aviemore area . . . ”
It is the need to highlight the unique Badenoch heritage - and the huge amount of it, from Neolithic to the present day - which the new organisation will seek to address.
“There are a number of sites in existence which have cultural heritage signficance of differing scales,” Ms McLean continued. “At present, though, few of these sites are interpreted or actively promoted.
“They include what has been noted by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland as the most significant souterrain in Scotland, at Raitts, by Kingussie. There are currently proposals to make this a national Adopt a Monument site.
“The souterrain is also close to the township of Raitts on which the Highland Folk Museum township reconstruction is modelled, as well as a remaining section of the old Wade Road.
“Near Laggan, Dun da Lamh is also considered to be an outstanding example of a prehistoric fort.
“There are numerous other sites of signficance and interest. What is notable about all these sites is that they are representative of a Highland history which spans chronologically from pre-history to the present day.”
Throughout Badenoch, the meeting heard, were examples of prehistoric sites, including standing stones, round houses and stone circles.
“There are a number of old and more recent routes criss-crossing the area, including drove roads and military roads with their associated barracks and bridges.
“Ruined townships are scattered throughout the area, as is the evidence of former cultivation and sites of worship and graveyards.
“More recently, there is an example of a planned town at Kingussie, rural villages, crofts, estates and castles. Examples of an industrial age are evident, along with a railway and associated buildings, and memorials from the two world wars.
“Equally important is the intangible cultural heritage and people of Badenoch. The notable people of the area include James ‘Ossian’ Macpherson, who was born at Ruthven and who built Balavil House near Kingussie.
“The 250th anniversay of the publication of the Collected Works of Ossian (1765) will be in 2015.”
Led since the spring by Am Fasgadh Regeneration Company (Kingussie) Ltd. - ARC - the project already has the support of Strengthening Communities Badenoch and Strathspey.
Possible aims:
Increasing community involvement in local cultural heritage
Improving the quality of cultural heritage attractions
Communicating and interpreting the heritage attractions which can be accessed
