3. Tourism & Recreation in the Scottish Highlands
3.1 Tourism Revenue
Revenue generated by recreation and tourism is very important to the Scottish economy. In the Highlands the reliance increases because traditional revenue sources, such as farming are in decline. Table 1. illustrates the income generated by different type of recreation in Scotland.Table 1. Estimated Revenue Generated by types of Countryside Recreation for Visitors to Scotland in 1989
Activity £m pa
Hiking 272
Water Sports 210
Golf 131
Inland Fishing 90
Mountaineering 55
Sea Fishing 37
Shooting 25
Horse Riding 17
Skiing 11
(Source: Darge & Briggs 1991)
Tourism generated through these activities is dependent upon the high quality of the environment and it is regularly stressed that this must be maintained to continue attracting visitors. "Tourism is without doubt crucial to Scotland. Currently more than 9 million tourists take trips here each year. Over 80 million day trips are also taken. The spend which follows these trips is estimated at around 2.5 billion. Approximately 185,000 jobs are tourist related. Research has shown that the quality of our environment is one of the main factors which persuade people to holiday in Scotland. It is vital, therefore that in developing our tourism industry we do not kill the goose which lays the golden egg" (Lord Strathclyde 1992).
3.2 The Pressures from Tourism
Due to their exceptional scenic quality many people hold the Scottish Highlands in high esteem, especially those who enjoy outdoor recreation. The government and many of the pressure groups concerned with the preservation of the Highland landscape have published agendas for their future.
In 1996 the Scottish Wildlife and Countryside Link published 'An Agenda for Sustainable Development.' This examines the need for sustainable mountain development in the Highlands. It is a good introduction to the issues facing the region, such as ongoing conflict between the ski developments and nature conservation. They stress the need for more effective conservation measures and are highly critical of the existing measures, especially the reliance on the 'voluntary principle' favoured by government but they recognise the role played by conservation groups. "So ineffective have been the government policies on the conservation and protection of Scotland's mountain areas, that voluntary conservation bodies have been obliged not only to engage in protracted political campaigns but, from as early as 1935, in an accelerating process of land acquisition in mountainous regions" (Wightman 1996).
The main thrust of their criticism is directed at the government who they believe consider Scotland's mountains peripheral and part of a "problem region," although this may politically motivated, as there appears to be a distrust of anything that comes from 'south of the border.' The Cairngorms Partnership (1996) and the Cairngorms Campaign (1997) have published similar booklets specifically concerned with the Cairngorms. Both consider the future of the mountains and propose strategies for their management based on a sustainable approach, placing the preservation of the landscape as their prime concern. "An unpolluted environment and unspoiled scenery are an economic asset as well as worthy of being cherished in themselves. Support should be given for the cost of conserving nature. The Cairngorms area should become a model of good environmental management in Europe and the world" (Cairngorms Partnership 1996).
3.3 Recreation in the Cairngorms
There are four other principal ski areas in Scotland, such as Glenshee and the Lecht but Cairngorm remains Scotland's premier winter resort, with up to 400,000 skier visits in a good season (Simpson 1998).
Skiing has been recorded on the Cairngorms for over 100 years, but with the construction of the road from Glen More to Coire Cas in 1960 and construction of the first chairlift in 1961 the present ski area became more recognised. Aviemore was redeveloped in the mid-1960s as the main resort for skiing tourists. Today the Cairngorm Chairlift Company (CCC) operates 17 uplift installations (Figure 5.) that can cater for up to 6000 people each day throughout the skiing season (Simpson 1998). The main ski area is centred on Coire Cas, with a lesser operation in Coire na Ciste. The main chairlifts in Coire Cas operate all year round, weather permitting, taking visitors in two stages from the Day Lodge to the Ptarmigan restaurant via the Shielding complex. The total journey takes approximately 25 minutes, climbing nearly 1500 feet and carrying around 50,000 per year (Simpson 1998).
The oldest facilities are now over 30 years old and becoming mechanically obsolete. They are very susceptible to the weather and cannot be safely operated in winds over 40mph. Visitor numbers reached a peak in the 1970's but as the chairlifts 'novelty value' has worn off skier numbers have declined. They seek more modern and less exposed facilities at resorts all over Scotland, such as the gondola at Aonach Mor. The declining price and increasing ease in travelling to ski resorts in Europe and further afield has also played a role in this reduction. To counter this decline the CCC is looking to redevelop the existing facilities.
The Funicular development is not the first attempt to develop the ski area. During the 1980s proposals were tabled to expand the ski field into the nearby Lurcher's Gully but the government rejected them. Unfortunately this "has created a strong view among the local community that conservation interests are unreasonably restraining proper exploitation of local resources" (Ives 1992).Last Updated 22-03-99
