Forargyll.com awards

Forargyll.com has recently announced the winners of a public vote taken amongst Argyll residents and tourists in twelve wide variety of categories including ‘Best Tourism Initiative'. 

From these awards a number of interesting conclusions can be made. Generally people supported community led events rather than big festivals; the arts and culture generally featured highly. 

There was only one category (Best Arts Programme) that was specific to the Arts. Some categories relating to wildlife, the environment and some web related categories effectively ruled out music and the arts (even to the most enthusiastic and catholic arts voters!). The organisers found that all the finalists in the overall ‘Best Achievement for Argyll' category represented traditional music and/or Gaelic culture, and that eleven out of fourteen possible winner and runner up positions were taken by the Arts! 

This is not in anyway to decry the winners and finalists from other areas, but re emphasises findings from other reports on tourism. Figures given by the Scottish Executive itself indicates that 7% of tourists come to Scotland for traditional music; research carried out during the Highland Year of Culture showed that traditional music came second out of eighteen possible reasons to visit the Highlands. The perception of residents was not much different -they placed it at third out of eighteen. Yet most of the categories below traditional music in priority for the public get substantially more funding. Even in the narrow, and cash strapped, Arts budget, traditional arts do poorly. Of the Scottish Arts Council budget, despite the unique ‘selling proposition' and potential for traditional arts only 1% finds itself invested in traditional arts. 

Whatever tourist attractions are in an area they do need the air of publicity to fan the flames of tourism. Sadly to many community groups have to stay small and localised because councils and funding bodies invest inadequately particularly in the area of marketing, publicity and professional staffing. The quality and skills shown by many local groups deserve to be more recognised. Councils who see their way to investing in the voluntary sector will see ‘extra tourist beds' in spades. Those who do not will not only lose in the battle for tourists, they also risk making their area less attractive to live and work in. 

The finalists in the forargyll.com awards for ‘Best Tourism Initiative 2009' were: 

JURA PASSENGER FERRY

It is sometimes forgotten by those in the Central Belt, or those who hold the purse strings, that many remote tourist destinations -however strong their attractions - are highly dependent on convenient transport. The importance to an island like Jura of a new passenger ferry was firmly emphasized by the massive public support given to them in the forargyll.com awards, when they won the ‘Best Tourism Initiative' Category. 

When George Orwell came to Jura to write 1984 he described it as being "an extremely un-gett-able place" ...Not any more! After a very successful first year the ferry started a full operation season in 2009. With spectacular scenery and the occasional spotting of wildlife, nipping back and forth between Jura and the mainland has never been so quick, enjoyable, comfortable and easy. Operating between Tayvallich at the head of Loch Sween and Craighouse on Jura, the crossing takes just under one hour direct from pier to pier. 

A ferry service is vital for a small community and makes the island attractive for people to live and work on, thus preventing a community from becoming smaller and smaller making it harder for the people to have a life there. The communityseems to have made a clear statement: "The Jura passenger service is here to stay".

The ferry service and website is supported by ‘Initiative at the edge', which has encouraged and supported a community-led, multi-agency approach to achieving a sustainable future for selected areas designated as the most economically and socially fragile in the Highlands and Islands. 

FIDDLE FOLK/LOCHGOILHEAD FIDDLE WORKSHOP

This Cowal based charity was in a ‘close second place' to the Jura Passenger Ferry in the ‘Best Tourism Initiative' Category and also managed to pick up the ‘Best Community Initiative' Award and the ‘Best Arts Programme' Award. Their Gaelic arm Fèis Cheann Loch Goibhle were joint winners of the ‘Best Homecoming Event' category. They are a small group of, mainly, volunteers who raise money to put on about 10 professional concerts a year for local communities in Cowal and Mid-Argyll;  arrange fiddle teaching in five local schools and holds weekly workshops for adults, as well as monthly musical get togethers for youngsters. Fèis Cheann Loch Goibhle also runs an annual ten - school tour; puts on residential music and outdoor activities weekends; and, in 2009, also arranged an ambitious Ceilidh Trail concert tour over two weeks in Ireland and Argyll with young aspiring musicians. In 2009 a total of 3,300 people benefited from FiddleFolk's projects, including 1,200 children. For many of these children it will have been their first opportunity to play a musical instrument or to hear top quality live music.

Although tourism is not their raison d'etre they have heightened the awareness of Cowal as a cultural tourism area, and have, particularly in the traditional music scene, put Cowal firmly on the tourist map. By arranging events in partnership with groups such as Cowalfest and Cowal Open Studios they have ‘punched way beyond their weight' and brought over £250,000 of tourist income to the area in 2009.

WALKING THEATRE COMPANY


Glendaruel's Sadie Dixon-Spain, who runs the successful Walking Theatre Company, was short listed earlier in 2009 for the Leadership Award in the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards The Company  had a high-exposure in 2009, being involved in a large number of Homecoming projects, such as the The Hidden Jewel and events at Dunollie (which were themselves short listed in the Best Community Event category.) As Catherine Gillies, project manager of the Macdougall Trust said at the time: ‘It is also a huge tribute to The Walking Theatre Company from Cowal which is consistently showing itself to be both a huge asset within Argyll and excellent ambassadors outside the area.' They were involved in a number of successful Homecoming events in 2009, many of which attracted higher than ever tourist numbers. 

The Walking Theatre Company is based in rural Argyll and for a fledgling group now in its third year it has built a startling track record.  A working company of 10 professional actors the group produces acclaimed work all over Scotland. Their unique brand of interactive ‘walking' theatre takes the audience on a journey not only through the drama but through a wealth of dramatic and dynamic landscapes and narratives. Their  reputation for producing high-quality low-budget theatre is growing, and they create bespoke work for any event and group, from country fair to corporate event.  With a growing repertoire of 15 interactive plays ranging from Shakespearian adaptations, children's plays, hosted murder mysteries to dramatic historical romps, The Walking Theatre Company brings a buzz to any event. 

At the end of January the Company is running a Murder Mystery weekend extravaganza at the Argyll Hotel Dunoon. On the Friday night, the scene is set as you enjoy your supper.  On Saturday you have the opportunity in your own time to complete the mystery trail around Dunoon and on Saturday night join our award winning actors for a merry gala supper where anything can happen

 MULL EAGLE WATCH 

Not only are ardent bird watchers going to be attracted to Mull as a result of the ‘Eagle Watch', as the exposure that the island will receive from the new BBC documentary will give a new perspective to the island, and local hoteliers and tourist businesses with any sense will ‘piggy back' on the publicity generated by the project. The tourism impact on the island might be compared with the impact that the ‘Ballamory' children's TV programme had on Tobermory some time ago.

 The Isle of Mull has become known to many as ‘Eagle Island' thanks to the healthy population of golden eagles and white-tailed sea eagles on the island. It is also the title of the excellent documentary which Mull wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan made for BBC TV's ‘The Natural World' on the island's wildlife during a year on Mull.

Sea eagles have now ‘come home' to Scotland. They were originally reintroduced to the UK by the Government's Scottish Natural Heritage after being persecuted to extinction by 1918 in Scotland. By the early 1980's a few of the sea eagles had dispersed from Rum and were seen on the neighbouring Isle of Mull. The first successful breeding attempt since extinction on Mull in the 1880's took place on the island in 1985 and the population has slowly increased since then. Rangers take guided trips to the area from Easter through the autumn each year. This allows thousands of people to observe the birds at the nest, whilst minimizing disturbance in this working forestry plantation. Although started as a conservation project, it shows that, with sensitivity, conservation and quality tourism can go hand in hand. 

Details of all the award winners and finalists can be found at www.forargyll.com