'Bloody history to draw more tourists'
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THE past is to meet the present in the Badenoch Great Place Project development plan to capitalise on the area's literary, environmental, cultural and even bloody history.
The project led by Dr Oliver O'Grady aspires to develop economic opportunities while at the same time safeguarding and promoting Badenoch's history.
To do that local engagement events have taken place in Newtonmore and Kingussie to determine objectives and priorities to spend the £352,000 fund from the National Lottery.
They have been identified as a heritage trail, a website and an app to guide visitors to local facilities and attractions.
Dr O'Grady said: "Our vision for this cultural heritage is that by the end of 2020 Badenoch will be renowned as a place within the Cairngorms National Park with a strong character identity that is based on its distinctive cultural heritage, well-managed and communicated to people to an exemplary standard.
"We haven't decided these aims in isolation, there was community consultation process with workshops being held last year."
Dr O'Grady highlighted some of the heritage that Badenoch can boast of including 60 listed buildings and seven nationally-designated scheduled monuments.
Among the figures the project will feature is James Macpherson, the author of the Ossian epic poems and among the first ever poets to earn an international reputation.
Another is John "Red" Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, who was killed by Robert the Bruce when they were both guardians of Scotland.
The progress on the project was praised by Bill Lobban at Highland Council's latest Badenoch and Strathspey area committee in Grantown.
"It is a fantastic project and it is really great to see you involving kids in schools because really – they are the future – and I think their involvement is paramount to this whole thing.
"You mentioned a route through Badenoch and I think it is really important that we link this up to the Snow Roads route which is coming basically to the east side of the Cairngorms and comes all the way back and into Grantown and this would provide a circular route all the way down.
"Visitors could effectively leave the A9 heading north go through Ballater end up in Grantown and then go all the down through the southern part of Badenoch – which with the best will in the world is not at its best economically at the moment.
"We should do whatever we can to support economic development there."
