View Full Version : Save Caithness Campaign
rob murray
03-Dec-10, 11:45
I recently started a new thread, The New Caithness Clearances, which raised the issue that, out with the ongoing Dounreay decommissioning process, there seems to an ongoing drip feed loss of local jobs, the latest case being the potential loss of jobs in the tax office in Wick. I attempted to see what people thought about this but the thread only received 28 posts from a handful of people. So in an attempt to seek wider thoughts I have re posted the thread under a new title as perhaps the original thread title confused people...or maybe the situation now and in future doesnt bother people..or maybe the apathy or cynicism is deeply ingrained
Basically my thoughts are, that unlike what is happening in Moray with RAF Kinloss , Caithness has a broad time line to diversify and re build the local economy whilst Dounreay is being wound down. Due to population and the existing economic base, the economy must be diversed and mixed, which includes a mix of public and private activities. One poster asked that people should post ideas, so the logic behind this thread is to encourage ideas and debate.
Ideas
1 At a political level, actively lobby to retain existing government jobs. ( this means a united political front and no political agendas, evidenced in cross party collaboration relative to other major economic changes, notably Ravenscraig / Bathgate etc )
2 At a political level, actively lobby to relocate government related services to the area. ( John Thurso successfully fought the case to relocate work to the Wick Job Centre saving jobs and creating further employment opportunities ) Political decisions dictated that vehicle stuff was to be done in Swansea, Child benefit in Billingham ( very large complexes ) etc etc so wh not Caithness ?
3 Create a single agency to manage business support / business funding, at the moment these activities are carried out by a plethora of “competing agencies”, HIE CASE, Highland Council, DSRL, Pentland etc.
4 Simplify procedures involved in applying for business support / funding ( dealing with multiple agencies /multiple funding routes is confusing and time consuming ) actively promote funding availability to all local firms / provide sustained on going support if required
5 Make funding available to all local business ( HIE for example run an account management system, they have cherry picked 500 companies Highlands wide that they will only work with…there are 15,000 companies within the entire HIE area !! ) in other words, the SNP enforced changes / funding cuts, have forced HIE down this route
6 Create a small EEC / ERDF funding team charged with actively finding projects and funding routes. The initial driver in re vitalizing Eire in the 80’s came from a similar approach. European money is available and money is money. At the moment there is no centralized approach towards this activity.
7 Continue to identify, capitalize and support Dounreay spin offs : success stories to date involve ISaT, Dounreays IT team, being outsourced into CSC a multi national corporate, Dounreay pensions operating as a stand alone company and the former learning and development team operating as Naver Training. There has to be further potential, ie lab related work, but all spin offs need on going support.
8 Appoint a private company to market the area, network and attract inward investors. Offer three year rent / rates holidays, training and recruitment subsidies, but with time bound claw backs kicking in if they come for grants and leave. In theory most of this is available already but secured through a multitude of agencies. All these agencies however, work on the premise that potential inward investors approach them first, go at this another way…find clients and actively sell the area to them.
Well there’s some thoughts, over to you all !!
You've certainly put a lot of thought into your post; maybe calling an open meeting and inviting the public, existing agencies, employers etc, to attend with their input would be much more productive in gaining attention to your concerns than posting on the org.
Many people read these threads but that's not saying they are the right ones. Many people agree that something should be done but don't instigate anything themselves. Many people expect other people to do something about everything but do not put forth any ideas or solutions beyond the usual "someone should do something".... that needs motivation.
My thoughts are that getting people (whose intentions are positive, meaningful and useful) together in one room and thrashing out a way forward.
A local forum won't reap many beneficial responses......
rob murray
03-Dec-10, 14:24
[quote=Torvaig;793944]You've certainly put a lot of thought into your post; maybe calling an open meeting and inviting the public, existing agencies, employers etc, to attend with their input would be much more productive in gaining attention to your concerns than posting on the org.
Many people read these threads but that's not saying they are the right ones. Many people agree that something should be done but don't instigate anything themselves. Many people expect other people to do something about everything but do not put forth any ideas or solutions beyond the usual "someone should do something".... that needs motivation.
My thoughts are that getting people (whose intentions are positive, meaningful and useful) together in one room and thrashing out a way forward.
Ok, if many people agree that something should be done....but dont / or wont instigate anything themselves, have you considered that the same people may not know "enough" about whats impacting upon the current situation, yes the majority of people expect others to do things for them as they have no "power"...one of my points is to highlight that "others" in many ways, are hamstrung by existing approaches, so other approaches are needed.
There are many positive people in Caithness, and excellent businesses, however, we have had years of putting "positive people" in rooms, so whats happened ? We really need "systemic changes", at a high level.
I also assumed that a local forum would recieve beneficial responses...I am an eternal optimist ! Mind you I never thought that this thread would match the Portgower vampire lol lol
Well done RB. And T you are correct in your thoughts about the 'room'.
The Politicians are representatives of the people/ many are good and on the ball, but others are just there to be there!
I have had experience of this type of thing. When people get fired up and get after their reps., things can happen. It's the Power of the People!
Pls see Rich's post on the other site....
Golf Courses.....Canadians and Americans love the ruggedness of Golfing in Scotland and Ireland! I have spoken to several, and actually golfed with people who have been to Dornoch/ they loved it! One complaint was that the fees and the accomodation was quite expensive.....
What about a new course in Caithness where the people could have their exercise and also be able to afford it. And just for fun...A Tim Hortons for the Canuks and a Dunkin Donuts for the Yanks!
Can you see all the add on business here?!
And I know the cynics will do their usual thing and slag this BUT.....the money that has been spent for nowt in the North on manufacturing etc...I am thinking of that big building near Brora. You could have an Ocean Course, I mean right on the cliffs with a backie to hold them! Am funning but serious.
So it's up to the people now..
Has anyone thought of writing to Donald Trump??? With a copy to the Newspapers.......What would be wrong with that/ you might even get some publicity!
One of the Greatest attributes the Scots have in their inginuity. The saying 'We are limited by our own imagination', perhaps was coined by the Scots.
Go for it!
Things seem to have to got worse since the county councils were amalgamated into one.
Travelling to Inverness to attend council meetings is not possible for many residents here and we often get information after the decisions have been made, it also makes for a loss of identity.
I have long campaigned for better use of Wick airport, if flights were cheaper the facility would be much more used and any expansion could create new employment.
The Wool Board should be taken to task also, they urge the use of fleeces for insulation but pay so little for them that many farmers leave them to rot, there is also a huge call for spun wool which could create a whole new mini-industry.
Why is there no Craft Trail in the county? There are many residents producing excellent items across the crafting spectrum, also there is no centralised outlet for crafters to sell their produce.Could we have a dedicated showroom at John o' Groats with affordable rates for locals?
Is there the possibilty of a high profile Tourist Infomation Centre that would not only promote the area to those visitors already here and produce leaflets that could be displayed in such places as Inverness and it's airport?
There are limitless possibilities and with just a little support I am sure that many new initiatives could take off and give the local economy a boost.
Lizz,
Several years ago friends of mine were taking a trip to Scotland, and their brochure maps ended at Inverness.
So I e-mailed Scotland Tourism and Highland Council and never even rec'd a reply. I then e-mailed the Groat and again nothing.....
Some hard working people should get together, form a committee and then get some influential people on Board and go for the re generation of the North, to wit Caithness.
I know that Rich is in such a business and I dealt with Media/Public relations in a business that was not too popular. You have to sell yourselves/ make a noise/ shout we are good!
I know Caithness people and they are not really like that/ time to change/ Dounreay may be gone much sooner than some people believe!
The tourist buses pass straight through Caithness en route to Orkney. Take a look in the food hall at the Highland show and you will find loads of Orkney produce promoted there - not a jot from Caithness.
Caithness has a damn sight more archeaology (standing stones and stone circles) than Orkney but it is out of sight and forlorn in the heather.
Apprentices receive good training in the far north but when they complete their training more often than not it is their passport out of the county to seek work elsewhere.
rob murray
03-Dec-10, 20:58
Lizz,
Several years ago friends of mine were taking a trip to Scotland, and their brochure maps ended at Inverness.
So I e-mailed Scotland Tourism and Highland Council and never even rec'd a reply. I then e-mailed the Groat and again nothing.....
Some hard working people should get together, form a committee and then get some influential people on Board and go for the re generation of the North, to wit Caithness.
I know that Rich is in such a business and I dealt with Media/Public relations in a business that was not too popular. You have to sell yourselves/ make a noise/ shout we are good!
I know Caithness people and they are not really like that/ time to change/ Dounreay may be gone much sooner than some people believe!
You have made my day Sandy...we have a lot to shout about in the far north, or technically the Highland Lowlands, shouting is done through PR / Marketing channels..the branding of Caithness...I am hoarse with shouting !!
John Little
03-Dec-10, 21:02
What about this organisation?
http://www.hie.co.uk/
Like many of these organiisations that used to have a specific Caithness wing, it is now Highland-wide, and employs, for the most part, people who are not involved in any industry in Caithness themselves. Professional bureaucrats are not the best at selling the advantages of Caithness.
In the past, they have been quite good at liaising with local business, and to some extent they still do that.
Being a player in cultural tourism here, I can say that Caithness is badly promoted by all of the organisations who have a particular remit for tourism. The Highland wide local plan (consultation closed yesterday) which is the blueprint for the next 10 years of planning, economic strategy etc makes only a sketchy reference to tourism in Caithness. Watch for consultation on the Local Plan, to make sure this gets real prominence.
Caithness, being so distinct from the rest of the Highlands, needs its own marketing. The rules of both HOST and VisitScotland, I think, preclude their bringing out any separate brochure or other material on a specific district within their region, so we are again lost in the plethora of promotion for misty glens, Loch Ness monster etc which pretty well markets itself anyway.
The old adage - If you want something doing properly ..... etc holds here.
If anyone want to start serious discussion of promotion of Caithness, count me in - we don't need any more talking shops, but people on the ground who want to do positive things.
Caithness Explorer is the best thing we have on the tourism side, and that is North of Scotland newspapers.
Joint marketing with groups in Orkney - more in common with us than the rest of the Highlands.
Appropriate to bring this into the discussion for comment
http://www.caithness-business.co.uk/article.php?id=1995
Appropriate to bring this into the discussion for comment
http://www.caithness-business.co.uk/article.php?id=1995
Ty... Could add up to 30% over 10 years....3% per year...rather dismal? And we are in a downturn,which is going to get worse before better......
Methinks Caithness is an entity unto itself, and need special 'treatment'.
Well written report....Sector intelligence/ stimulate, challenge and encourage/ The Pentland Firth......but what does it all mean/ how will this change things?
Caithness has a damn sight more archeaology (standing stones and stone circles) than Orkney but it is out of sight and forlorn in the heather.I've seen that same claim on this forum many times and I always find it surprising. Do we really have more or better than Orkney? Can we really complete with the Ring of Brodgar, the Standing Stones of Stenness, Maeshowe and Skara Brae? And that's naming just a few of the better-known ones.
I'm not contradicting you because I just don't know. :confused
Duncansby
04-Dec-10, 22:20
It is surprising, but Caithness does have slightly more scheduled ancient monuments than Orkney; I used to work for Historic Scotland and was surprised when I discovered that. But whereas Historic Scotland has over 30 sites in Orkney in its care there are only what about half a dozen in Caithness? I was just having a look on the Historic Scotland website and only 2 of their Caithness properties were listed on their map and the Camster Cairns weren't there! Caithness certainly has lots of sites which would attract those interested in archaeology - they just perhaps aren't as well publicised as they could be. There are also several private businesses in Orkney which make the most of their achaeology, are there any equivilants in Caithness? I can't think of any.
It is surprising, but Caithness does have slightly more scheduled ancient monuments than Orkney; I used to work for Historic Scotland and was surprised when I discovered that. But whereas Historic Scotland has over 30 sites in Orkney in its care there are only what about half a dozen in Caithness? I was just having a look on the Historic Scotland website and only 2 of their Caithness properties were listed on their map and the Camster Cairns weren't there! Caithness certainly has lots of sites which would attract those interested in archaeology - they just perhaps aren't as well publicised as they could be. There are also several private businesses in Orkney which make the most of their achaeology, are there any equivilants in Caithness? I can't think of any.
No, most of the monuments are on private land and you have to find them on a 1:40000 Scale OS or similar Map. When you do get one of those there a bliddy hundreds of them :lol:
Duncansby
04-Dec-10, 22:28
lol I meant on Historic Scotland's map (http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertyresults.htm) which they use to show people where their properties are located.
lol I meant on Historic Scotland's map (http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertyresults.htm) which they use to show people where their properties are located.
Oh. O.K. 2 then :eek:
All this talk of monuments and standing stones is lovely but its not going to replace Douneray is it?....We need something BIG up here and I mean BIG...What, I dont know, but to save Caithness I just know it needs to be big.
But having thought about it how do the Western Isles and the Smaller Isles survive? They have no big industries and yet apart from their teens leaving they seem to survive dont they?
Not sure what the answer is but at the end of the day I just know that Caithness will survive, the only clearances as far as I can see maybe the incomers who came here for Douneray money and will move on to the next gold mine.
C3...:eek:
Duncansby
04-Dec-10, 22:50
I understand what your saying but tourism is one of the most important sectors for the Highlands and Islands and is worth over £700 million a year. If we can attract more visitors and keep them here for longer that would help create jobs. But of course the big problem with tourism is its seasonality. Attracting businesses into the county or encouraging businesses to start up in the county would help create all year round employment. I'm not sure it necessarily has to be a big business though, lots of smaller operations which can grow may be just as effective.
Personally, knowing the attitude of southerners, I'd say even if you built an 8 lane motorway from Inverness you would be struggling to attract big business's. For many, Inverness is way, way too far north. Our best bet for the future is oil finds in the north atlantic and a terminal somewhere between Dounreay and Durness. I can just see the planning meetings for that :eek:
It is surprising, but Caithness does have slightly more scheduled ancient monuments than Orkney; I used to work for Historic Scotland and was surprised when I discovered that. But whereas Historic Scotland has over 30 sites in Orkney in its care there are only what about half a dozen in Caithness? I was just having a look on the Historic Scotland website and only 2 of their Caithness properties were listed on their map and the Camster Cairns weren't there! Caithness certainly has lots of sites which would attract those interested in archaeology - they just perhaps aren't as well publicised as they could be. There are also several private businesses in Orkney which make the most of their achaeology, are there any equivilants in Caithness? I can't think of any.Thanks for the information Duncansby.
Is there any way to find all the scheduled ancient monuments in Caithness from the Historic Scotland website? Or from any other website.
I did a search for Grampian and North and saw that only two sites in Caithness appeared on the map. There were 6 pages of results listed but you have to click on each one to find out where it is. I can do that but a list would be quicker obviously.
Get a set of OS maps for the area, you will be amazed at the number of monumets.
Was in Tesco in Wick yesterday and met a friend who'd heard the Government pulled the plug last week on some big new investment - an archive or something - next to the airport. No money left, he said.
KEEP_ON_TRUCKIN
05-Dec-10, 09:36
Was in Tesco in Wick yesterday and met a friend who'd heard the Government pulled the plug last week on some big new investment - an archive or something - next to the airport. No money left, he said.
That would be the National Nuclear Archive then ?
I understand what your saying but tourism is one of the most important sectors for the Highlands and Islands and is worth over £700 million a year. If we can attract more visitors and keep them here for longer that would help create jobs. But of course the big problem with tourism is its seasonality. Attracting businesses into the county or encouraging businesses to start up in the county would help create all year round employment. I'm not sure it necessarily has to be a big business though, lots of smaller operations which can grow may be just as effective.
We have the tourists - they pass through en route for Orkney. Instead of moaning about how much better the archaeology is in Orkney, we ought to be showing them what we have here. There are 2 exciting excavations planned and funded for the coming year, both on brochs - each will leave these important monuments in a more visitable state, and will add to the interest generated by the Broch Centre in Aukengill.
The Caithness Archaeological Trust is working very hard to present Caithness archaeology, working with a number of other community groups to achieve a higher profile for Caithness heritage.
Our story is a little different to that of Orkney, and has to include the Victorian antiquarians who worked here on the rochs and chambered tombs. They are much derided now, but were pioneers and some of the best of their day, including the redoubtable Alexander Rhind, of Sibster, who leaves his name to posterity in the Rhind lectures and the Rhind papyrus/ This remarkable man died at the age of 30, leaving important papers on the Caithness monuments.
What we have in Caithness are amazing relict landscapes, full of all sorts of monuments, whose surrounding contexts are not always destroyed by agriculture, and this opens the way for a different type of study to what we see in Orkney, and should be seen as complementary and not competitive.
I would invite anyone working in the field in Orkney to make links with Caithness - we are only divided by a short stretch of water, which was no more an obstacle to our ancestors than it is to us.
That would be the National Nuclear Archive then ?
Yes, that's what he said.
Be interesting to see how the local Liberal Cons explain this one.
http://anticap.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/steve-bell-13-10-2010-007.jpg?w=512&h=384
SunnyChick
05-Dec-10, 11:26
IWell there’s some thoughts, over to you all !!
Have you thought about putting up a facebook page?
My mum once chatted to a lady in the woollen mill in fort William who was buying Caithness glass. Mum asked were they not going to wick as (at that time) there was a factory there with a shop and cafe. They had been to Orkney, driven through wick and never stopped... Even then when the Glass factory was producing top class products. What's in the factory now?
Caithness needs to do with coach operators what invergordon has done with cruise ships. They have developed the business and interest of cruise ships there massively. We shuold be working with coach operators to do the same.
We need to fill the empty shops in our streets. We should fill them in the summer with whatever we can, If it has to be done rent free, rates free,quirky little art shops, craft centres, community coffee shops like calman do in Inverness.
Make the most of the beautiful produce we have here in Caithness, proper farmers markets in the summer, get the talent we have, music, writing, poetry to perform in the streets. Engage with the young people to provide entertainment and fun. Music, vibrant and local, traditional and modern should be filling our squares, high streets and pubs.
Look at the film industry... Not multi million pound blockbusters necessarily but surely we have locations to suit.
Learn about the history of the area, promote it, Caithness is probably the last wilderness left in the uk. It has a uniqueness about it, it has a stark and startling beauty which sometimes people don't see. Show them it,the beaches,the flow country, the birds and animals.
Move towards doing everything as sustainable as possible too. Eco - tourism, seeing as much environmental research, prototype stuff as possible done here in Caithness.
Realistically big business is not going to come to Caithness if it has to include delivery and such costs so I think that outsourcing has to be the focus of the drive for investment. This is not impossible to achieve but piddling little contracts are not the only way. If the met police are delivering their it support, and a whole lot of associated work from Inverness then it can be done. Approach the BIG IT players especially those who already work in remoter areas and push the benefits of Caithness.
Provide quality training for people to do these jobs, to interact with tourists, to talk about history. Not poorly thought out, half hearted training that is delivered because someone says so. We have been guilty of that in the past.
Caithness has a beauty all it's own, once you have visited it many of us love it with a passion that surprises us. It works it's way into your soul.
Oh and lobby lobby lobby, powers that be must be made to promote Caithness to, money from Europe as Rob said, lottery money, WADF money every penny we can get to be used to promote the county.
Duncansby
05-Dec-10, 15:20
Is there any way to find all the scheduled ancient monuments in Caithness from the Historic Scotland website? Or from any other website.
There is a map based site where you can see all of the listed buildings, scheduled ancient monuments and those listed on the national monument record called Pastmap (http://jura.rcahms.gov.uk/PASTMAP/login). Or you can email Historic Scotland and ask for a list of all the scheduled ancient monuments in Caithness at hs.inspectorate@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
we ought to be showing them what we have here.
Exactly my point.
rob murray
05-Dec-10, 20:02
My mum once chatted to a lady in the woollen mill in fort William who was buying Caithness glass. Mum asked were they not going to wick as (at that time) there was a factory there with a shop and cafe. They had been to Orkney, driven through wick and never stopped... Even then when the Glass factory was producing top class products. What's in the factory now?
Caithness needs to do with coach operators what invergordon has done with cruise ships. They have developed the business and interest of cruise ships there massively. We shuold be working with coach operators to do the same.
We need to fill the empty shops in our streets. We should fill them in the summer with whatever we can, If it has to be done rent free, rates free,quirky little art shops, craft centres, community coffee shops like calman do in Inverness.
Make the most of the beautiful produce we have here in Caithness, proper farmers markets in the summer, get the talent we have, music, writing, poetry to perform in the streets. Engage with the young people to provide entertainment and fun. Music, vibrant and local, traditional and modern should be filling our squares, high streets and pubs.
Look at the film industry... Not multi million pound blockbusters necessarily but surely we have locations to suit.
Learn about the history of the area, promote it, Caithness is probably the last wilderness left in the uk. It has a uniqueness about it, it has a stark and startling beauty which sometimes people don't see. Show them it,the beaches,the flow country, the birds and animals.
Move towards doing everything as sustainable as possible too. Eco - tourism, seeing as much environmental research, prototype stuff as possible done here in Caithness.
Realistically big business is not going to come to Caithness if it has to include delivery and such costs so I think that outsourcing has to be the focus of the drive for investment. This is not impossible to achieve but piddling little contracts are not the only way. If the met police are delivering their it support, and a whole lot of associated work from Inverness then it can be done. Approach the BIG IT players especially those who already work in remoter areas and push the benefits of Caithness.
Provide quality training for people to do these jobs, to interact with tourists, to talk about history. Not poorly thought out, half hearted training that is delivered because someone says so. We have been guilty of that in the past.
Caithness has a beauty all it's own, once you have visited it many of us love it with a passion that surprises us. It works it's way into your soul.
Excellent and very well put ! Four years ago I put a conference together, which was well attended. The conference was called "Whats your Story", the basic theme was how to use information communication technology's to create tourism experiences. A basic point : say you were an overseas visitor keen to learn about the sutherland clearances, lets say that using the internet you deduced that the heart of the clearances lay in Strathnaver, lets say the tourist/s went to Strathnaver..what do they see there...nothing...there is nothing to see. Now lets say the tourist would like some information on Strathnaver...ie its past lay out, buildings, people etc...where would they get the info from ? Usually this is catered for by the use of some laminated information boards...what if the tourist dialled an 0845 personal tour guide line....and heard all the info maybe delivered by Sean Connelly ? Dont laugh if you tale a tour of wall street in new York thats they they do it...the tour guide is Sigorney Weaver....there is a hell of lot that can be done with ICT to create "tourism " products / services.
Aaldtimer
05-Dec-10, 20:24
..."Sean Connelly"...??? Shome mishtake, shurely?:lol:
Agree totally with what Rob is saying and how he suggests action against yet more jobs leaving Caithness. Other counties seem to be able to fight for whats best for their inhabitants, isn't about time Caithness stopped being the underdog and showed a bit of fighting spirit to keep some employment here. I will certainly be e-mailing JohnThurso. The more voices the better to save jobs. I did her that the council are next to be cutting back so we need to be heard by the government now, not after the fact.
By the way I noticed the Dounreay Re-generation group having a lovely evening at the Tourism awards (Groat supplement) Nice to see who I have only heard about as the people who will help keep and re-generate jobs in Caithness.
rob murray
06-Dec-10, 10:28
..."Sean Connelly"...??? Shome mishtake, shurely?:lol:
It was just an example...but why not...
Duncansby
06-Dec-10, 11:07
The names Bord. James Bord. ;)
rob murray
06-Dec-10, 11:10
My mum once chatted to a lady in the woollen mill in fort William who was buying Caithness glass. Mum asked were they not going to wick as (at that time) there was a factory there with a shop and cafe. They had been to Orkney, driven through wick and never stopped... Even then when the Glass factory was producing top class products. What's in the factory now?
Caithness needs to do with coach operators what invergordon has done with cruise ships. They have developed the business and interest of cruise ships there massively. We shuold be working with coach operators to do the same.
We need to fill the empty shops in our streets. We should fill them in the summer with whatever we can, If it has to be done rent free, rates free,quirky little art shops, craft centres, community coffee shops like calman do in Inverness.
Make the most of the beautiful produce we have here in Caithness, proper farmers markets in the summer, get the talent we have, music, writing, poetry to perform in the streets. Engage with the young people to provide entertainment and fun. Music, vibrant and local, traditional and modern should be filling our squares, high streets and pubs.
Look at the film industry... Not multi million pound blockbusters necessarily but surely we have locations to suit.
Learn about the history of the area, promote it, Caithness is probably the last wilderness left in the uk. It has a uniqueness about it, it has a stark and startling beauty which sometimes people don't see. Show them it,the beaches,the flow country, the birds and animals.
Move towards doing everything as sustainable as possible too. Eco - tourism, seeing as much environmental research, prototype stuff as possible done here in Caithness.
Realistically big business is not going to come to Caithness if it has to include delivery and such costs so I think that outsourcing has to be the focus of the drive for investment. This is not impossible to achieve but piddling little contracts are not the only way. If the met police are delivering their it support, and a whole lot of associated work from Inverness then it can be done. Approach the BIG IT players especially those who already work in remoter areas and push the benefits of Caithness.
Provide quality training for people to do these jobs, to interact with tourists, to talk about history. Not poorly thought out, half hearted training that is delivered because someone says so. We have been guilty of that in the past.
Caithness has a beauty all it's own, once you have visited it many of us love it with a passion that surprises us. It works it's way into your soul.
A great post full of do-able ideas, there is an empty business park outside Wick and a mothballed relatively modern building in Girnigoe Street ( ex DHSS ) so the buildings exist to house back office outsourced support work...what were the new buildings outside Wick build for but for this type of work....bundle in a recruitment / training / capital off set package...then shop it around ! But...target companies who deliver high end services not the low end crap that the last operator on the business park offered. Also will the planned upgrade of Scrabster allow cruise ships to berth there ? if so this will spark off interest in commercial tourism, ie people will respond to tourist needs.
As far as outsourcing is concerned try to concentrate on companies who have contracts which are security sensitive. That way there is less chance the work will be undercut by people taking it abroad. It's much harder to do security checks for foreign nationals.
We have to make the high street appealing tho. That's massively important. So FILL THE SHOPS.
rob murray
06-Dec-10, 11:52
As far as outsourcing is concerned try to concentrate on companies who have contracts which are security sensitive. That way there is less chance the work will be undercut by people taking it abroad. It's much harder to do security checks for foreign nationals.
We have to make the high street appealing tho. That's massively important. So FILL THE SHOPS.
Good point : one of the UK's biggest outsource supplier, Vertex's growing market is within the public sector, for example Vertex Dingwall employ over 260 people dealing with a wide range of non geo centric services. In other words services where you dont need to deal with things on a face to face basis. The lead client for Dingwall is Westminster Council who over five years ago had to make savings...now many other large councils will be in the same place...current government ideology is to make savings so this will be a growing market. Whats stopping agencies actually approaching Vertex to sound out relocating work to Caithness ( county wide )
To get high streets more attactive we need a mix of more wage packets and tourism spend. To paraphrase Bill Clinton...."its the economy stupid" so all efforts have to be centred on creating a vibrant diverse, mixed sustainable economy
Duncansby
06-Dec-10, 12:16
Also will the planned upgrade of Scrabster allow cruise ships to berth there ? if so this will spark off interest in commercial tourism, ie people will respond to tourist needs.
That's a good point - the people on the cruise ships that do come in seem to just take a trip out to the Castle of Mey. It would be great to get them to stay for longer and visit more of the county. But of course for them to spend money on the high street we need to have a high street that is likely to appeal to visitors. The Marina in Wick should bring in more visitors too.
Also will the planned upgrade of Scrabster allow cruise ships to berth there ? if so this will spark off interest in commercial tourism, ie people will respond to tourist needs.
The modern day cruise liners have no need to berth. Leith docks cater for the smaller cruise liners, but the larger vessels all anchor off the Forth Railway Bridge at Hound point, and are ferried ashore, to waiting buses that head in many directions on a multitude of tours. The majority head to the city for the usual visitor attractions.
To facilitate this what would be needed is a up to date bus company to take the visitors to all the beauty spots of Caithness.
I seem to remember when the Faeroese Ferry used to berth at Scrabster on a Sunday, Woolworth's opened especially for the influx of visitors. More of that kind of thinking is needed. If you want visitors, you need to work at it.
The visitors are here and not only in summer. the biggest problem is that the majority are not made aware of what is available in the county and it's surrounding area.
Most of the places of interest we have found over the years we have had to go and search for ourselves with some pointers from residents.
A case in point, a few weeks ago we were headed out west to watch The Rut, we met up with a charming couple from Cornwall who had been scouring the area looking for Red Deer, pointed them in the right direction and when we reached the same location, they were there mesmerised!
They will now go back with some wonderfull memories and hopefully share them with others headed in this direction.
That is just a very basic example, with a little effort what is known to the few could become a great attraction.
Another thought that has crossed my mind on many occasions is that there is a dearth of estates offering facilities fo those who prefer to hunt with a camera.There are several further south that seem to be doing very well with that approach.
said stuff
Agree with you and others about promoting the area. To do it properly costs money. But one thing our ultra-conservative (with a small c) leaders here won't do is spend a brass farthing on anything, because they just don't get it.
Welcomefamily
06-Dec-10, 20:55
It needs a proper holiday complex.
http://www.welcomefamily.co.uk
As a former hotel owner up here, it needs something like that, not caravans but lodges, but it needs the facilities with possible a in door play park like woodlands.
http://www.woodlandspark.com/
Forget wilderness people dont want it, as a psychologist the most important part is understanding your customers, or understanding the customers you want and working out how you are going to get them. To a kid down south, the thought of wildnerness is possibly the most boring thing you could offer.
The most sucessful holiday companies have the motto Happy Children Happy Holiday, start with the children and the rest will follow, people would come up here, I quickly turned 1 night coach tours into 4 night stays.
A large holiday park not only brings jobs, it bring people back to the area as the first visit was a great experience, they return. We turn so many people away during June, July and August because they cant get accommodation. No more museums, there plenty down south.
A large holiday complex can generate extensive revenues for the local community
All these bright ideas yet when folks up here have the chance to tell their councillors and Highland Council officials what they want, what happens? Nothing. Hardly anyone bothers to attend ward forums. There was a joint one recently to discuss the future of this area with a rep. from Highland Council to explain their plans, get opinions and answer questions. Handful of people turned up.
Why should HC bother to find out what Caithness wants if Caithness can't be bothered to tell them when they have the chance?
There are endless HC online consultations - how many of you look at them and tell the people who can do something what you want? Not many I bet. No point moaning on here, or even making suggestions, if you don't take the opportunities when they're offered.
rob murray
07-Dec-10, 10:27
All these bright ideas yet when folks up here have the chance to tell their councillors and Highland Council officials what they want, what happens? Nothing. Hardly anyone bothers to attend ward forums. There was a joint one recently to discuss the future of this area with a rep. from Highland Council to explain their plans, get opinions and answer questions. Handful of people turned up.
Why should HC bother to find out what Caithness wants if Caithness can't be bothered to tell them when they have the chance?
There are endless HC online consultations - how many of you look at them and tell the people who can do something what you want? Not many I bet. No point moaning on here, or even making suggestions, if you don't take the opportunities when they're offered.
Thanks, I didnt know HC had such a thing, I will certainly look at their site
also didnt know about ward meetings...and I bet a lot of people dont either, but no excuse, time to get involved. But thats my one of pionts actually the whole development infrastructure seems fragmented, given the economic chaos impending in Caithness, a single "agency" / one stop shop would seem a better way of progressing things ?
rob murray
07-Dec-10, 10:31
That's a good point - the people on the cruise ships that do come in seem to just take a trip out to the Castle of Mey. It would be great to get them to stay for longer and visit more of the county. But of course for them to spend money on the high street we need to have a high street that is likely to appeal to visitors. The Marina in Wick should bring in more visitors too.
When the liners are in Invergordon the vast majority of visitors go on bus tours. Not surprising when you see Invergordon High STreet ! However in reality if we do get tours in then you may see private individuals investing in tourism related shops...issue is the tourism season is short.
Thanks, I didnt know HC had such a thing, I will certainly look at their site
also didnt know about ward meetings...and I bet a lot of people dont either, but no excuse, time to get involved. But thats my one of pionts actually the whole development infrastructure seems fragmented, given the economic chaos impending in Caithness, a single "agency" / one stop shop would seem a better way of progressing things ?
There's a permanent link to Ward Forums on the .org front page and in fact the minutes of the last meeting have just been posted.
http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/yourward/ward04/wardforum/2010-11-15-w04-act.htm
As you can see, grand total of 10 members of the public from the whole of Caithness [disgust] . I was embarrassed that a senior Council official had travelled from Inverness with a carefully prepared presentation for such a small audience. This was to explain the whole Plan so in a way was a one-stop shop. The opportunity to comment is now officially ended although I think they will take late responses
http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/planning/developmentplans/localplans/HWLDPProposedPlan.htm
Action should start at the bottom with Community Councils but very few "public" attend their meetings and from press reports they struggled to get members elected recently. Chairs of Community Councils meet together and attend Ward Forums to pass local opinion (when there is any!) up to Highland Councillors and HC officials.
If people don't start taking an active interest we'll lose all this. Why should they bother organising meetings if people don't bother to attend? Sorry, but I get really cross about folks coming on here complaining about the Council when the opportunity is there to do something and they won't get off their backsides to attend local meetings. Glad you at least, Rob, are prepared to take an interest.
rob murray
07-Dec-10, 18:36
There's a permanent link to Ward Forums on the .org front page and in fact the minutes of the last meeting have just been posted.
http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/yourward/ward04/wardforum/2010-11-15-w04-act.htm
As you can see, grand total of 10 members of the public from the whole of Caithness [disgust] . I was embarrassed that a senior Council official had travelled from Inverness with a carefully prepared presentation for such a small audience. This was to explain the whole Plan so in a way was a one-stop shop. The opportunity to comment is now officially ended although I think they will take late responses
http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/planning/developmentplans/localplans/HWLDPProposedPlan.htm
Action should start at the bottom with Community Councils but very few "public" attend their meetings and from press reports they struggled to get members elected recently. Chairs of Community Councils meet together and attend Ward Forums to pass local opinion (when there is any!) up to Highland Councillors and HC officials.
If people don't start taking an active interest we'll lose all this. Why should they bother organising meetings if people don't bother to attend? Sorry, but I get really cross about folks coming on here complaining about the Council when the opportunity is there to do something and they won't get off their backsides to attend local meetings. Glad you at least, Rob, are prepared to take an interest.
Many thanks for the information, and I hope others have learned from your post in terms of where to access information etc
Many thanks for the information, and I hope others have learned from your post in terms of where to access information etc
Thanks Rob but I suspect from the lack of response by others that nothing will change. Most of these meetings, from local CCs to the bigger ones, are really interesting - they don't know what they're missing :roll:
One thing that has baffled me is Dounreay. I know it was an old nuclear reactor. But has anyone been pushing to build a modern one on the site? How about four of them?
True prosperity comes from creating and selling things that other people want. I would think that vast amounts of power on demand that do not produce CO2 would be a valuable commodity.
It would keep the high skilled, highly educated folks in the area, and if you build a bigger reactor complex, you could even see a much larger staff to support it.
I know that many think nukes are "dirty", but if you already have a site with some nuclear contamination, why not take advantage of it? With the rest of Britain saying "not in my back yard", maybe the area can grow it's wealth by becoming the power supply for that lovely island.
Just a though...
Bruce H
And for what it's worth, there are two very nice big reactors near me, and I would be happy if they built another.
Power stations usually are built near where there is a demand for electricity. There's not much demand here. If the Scottish Government did a U-turn and supported nuclear energy, new stations would be built near the big cities.
It's different with renewable energy. The power stations have to be built where the energy is located (unlike nuclear, whose energy source - fuel rods - is 'mobile'). There's a lot in the Highlands and Islands. That's why they are building a bigger transmission line - the existing one isn't big enough to transport it.
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