The Scottish communities who want more tourists

The Herald Scotland

10-05-2025

Considered a hidden gem tucked in rural Ayrshire, it has tended to be overlooked by tourists as they rush to tick off castles in Edinburgh and Stirling, Dunrobin on the NC500 route and picturesque Eilean Donan on Kyle of Lochlash.
Eilean Donan is one of Scotland's most photographed castles (Image: Getty)
These days, however, the medieval ruin is no longer a passive observer to Scotland's booming tourist sector.
Instead, it sits at the heart of a thriving grassroots movement that's reshaping Scottish tourism and turned locals into unlikely visitor attraction bosses, toilet block and campsite operators, accommodation providers and 'keepers' of castles.
Driven by growing frustration that the tourist pound might be passing them by, dozens of community-led tourism initiatives have sprung up, keen to tap into what VisitScotland says is a £10.8bn visitor economy.
At the helm of everything from castle visitor centres like at Dundonald Castle, to Highland ice rinks, Moray campsites to Stirlingshire hostels, the groups are then using the profits they make from tourists, to plough back into local projects.
The result is a range of benefits to locals – from education to health, to jobs and rising demand for goods and services from local suppliers.
Unlike some areas which have bemoaned the problems of too many tourists, these communities are rolling out the red carpet, hoping to attract many more.
In South Ayrshire, while Historic Scotland oversees the castle, the community-run visitor centre has helped increase visitor numbers: last year saw more than 29,000 local and international visitors to Dundonald Castle.
Tourists now stay longer, are said to connect better with locals and are then inspired to explore the wider area.
Profits have helped the centre become a bustling hub for community events, artists and clubs, giving locals access to new cultural, educational and wellbeing activities.
It's also led to jobs training opportunities and brought new investment to the area.
Indeed, such is its success, that the charity has just been given the go-ahead to develop extra space for more community activities, events, education and to enhance the visitor experience.
It's becoming a common theme across the country, where locals who are no longer content to simply wave visitors through as they head to Edinburgh, the Isle of Skye or the latest tourist hotspot, have instead resolved to stop them in their tracks.
Read more by Sandra Dick:
According to SCOTO - the Scottish Community Tourism network which champions community-led tourism projects and has just marked its third anniversary – often they are providing key services like toilets, tourist information hubs, affordable hostels and campsites, that were once in the hands of public bodies.
'Scottish community empowerment legislation has meant more and more communities are becoming active players across the visitor economy, and often filling gaps left by public sector cut backs,' says Carron Tobin, executive director of SCOTO.
'We have communities through social enterprises and charities providing visitors with all sorts of facilities and experiences – stay, eat, buy, do, find and enjoy – and often as a means to an end.
'Community-led tourism allows communities to bring new money into the local economy to tackle local priority issues, like addressing population drift, supporting local producers and makers, retaining pubs and shops, upgrading local infrastructure, celebrating and conserving local culture and ultimately achieving much greater community cohesion.'
SCOTO points to The Callander Hostel, run by Callander Youth Project Trust and which offers visitor accommodation alongside training for young people who might otherwise have left the area in search of work.
Further north, Aviemore Ice Rink, run by Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust, provides an all-weather visitor attraction that encourages visitors to spend money in the village, and ice sport skills for locals.
In Moray, the community-led Findhorn Village Conservation Company took control of a mounting problem with campervans and motorhomes to run their own campsite and toilet block.
The income from visitors then helped to cover the costs of new paths and infrastructure, and protect fragile sand dunes.
At Wick, a local development trust which took over the lease for Wick River Campsite from Highland Council has plans to invest profits back into local regeneration projects and upgraded facilities.
And on Arran, local group Arran Communities took control of the public toilets to ensure they remaining open, were clean and cared-for.
Back in rural Ayrshire, Friends of Dundonald Castle, one of the pioneers for community-run tourism - now has 15 staff and over 65 passionate volunteers who have turned the imposing stone walls of the 14th-century castle into a year-round hub of activity.
Dundonald Castle has become a focal point for community events such as archaeological digs (Image: VisitScotland/Friends of Dundonald Castle)
According to Dr Kirsteen Croll, the Visitor Centre General Manager, income from visitors brings benefits to locals that many tourists probably don't even realise they are contributing to.
'The impact of Dundonald Castle extends far beyond visitor numbers,' she says. 'The site has become a cornerstone for meaningful connections across local sectors.
'The project has helped bring investment into rural areas like Dundonald, sustained jobs, skills, and small businesses. It has encouraged visitors to stay longer and explore wider while connect them to Scotland's cultural identity and landscapes.
'This in turn enables communities to share and benefit from the stories of their hometown.'
Read more by Sandra Dick:
The visitor shop provides evidence of the spin-off benefits for local producers: there's produce from the village butcher, a local baker and even candlemaker, Stanecastle Candles.
Packing and cleaning supplies come from a local business, even the ice cream and cheesecakes are supplied locally.
Beyond the visitor centre, the charity has worked in collaboration with others to install a new footbridge and is working with SusTrans and South Ayrshire Council to improve trail access and community infrastructure.
It offers training and work placements, there are community archaeology digs and education programmes designed to reconnect people with their heritage.
'Behind the castle walls and beneath its rich history lies a true community engine,' adds Dr Croll.
Over 200 miles north in the heart of the Highlands, Loch Ness Hub & Travel shows tourism can go far beyond postcards and packed buses.
Launched in 2020,it offers everything from e-bike hire and Highland cow tours to ticketing for local attractions and motorhome waste disposal.
Last year, £10,000 of profits were reinvested into the Glen Urquhart Rural Community Association, helping to deliver school meals and transport for out-of-school clubs.
Loch Ness Hub & Travel runs Highland cattle tours for visitors (Image: Loch Ness Hub & Travel.)
'We're deeply rooted in the community,' says Russell Fraser, chair of SCOTO and spokesperson for the hub.
'Communities are having to continually carry the heavy load in terms of delivering public services, such as public toilets, and tourism is a vital conduit to delivering these essential services.
'By empowering communities across Scotland, tourism can genuinely be delivered as a force for good.'
The group collaborates with various sectors and suppliers to bolster the local economy, including supporting regional artisans and producers.
'The visitor economy is vital, not only to Scotland as a whole, but the entire rural network
across the Highlands and Islands,' he adds.
'It provides stimulus to related industries and local supply chains, including food and drink, arts and culture, retail, construction and transport.'
Meanwhile at Scotland's southwest tip, the ancient town of Whithorn has welcomed pilgrims for centuries. Now, it's a point of reference for those seeking inspiration in community-led regeneration.
The 18-bed bunkhouse operated by charity group All Roads Lead to Whithorn (Image: Hazel Smith/All Roads Lead to Whithorn)
Formed in 2014, All Roads Lead to Whithorn began with the rescue of a crumbling Victorian town hall. It now offers accommodation, events, sports facilities, and even stargazing guides.
Its 18-bed bunkhouse signposts local services, restaurants and places to visit, and is stocked with locally sourced soap, cleaning products, meat, dairy products, bread and honey.
Hazel Smith, the Trust's chair, says the group now plays an important role serving visitors and supporting locals.
'It has grown arms and legs,' she says. 'There's so much going on here, this is Scotland's cradle of Christianity, there's history, archaeology, museums and the amazing Roundhouse project.
Whithorn Roundhouse is a full-scale replica Iron Age roundhouse (Image: The Whithorn Trust)
'But still it's quite a quiet area of the country for tourism.
'And we want more people to know about us.'
The group now runs its own visitor facilities and events, such as its Beer and Cheese Festival.
Supported by income from visitors, it has transformed a derelict Georgian hotel into energy-efficient family homes, and delivered free meals to 'in need' families.
'In a time when rural towns across Scotland face depopulation and economic uncertainty, the visitor economy is so important,' she adds.
'Our project shows how the harnessing of heritage, place and community spirit can create a thriving economy which benefits not just our visitors but the people who live and work here.'
Community group All Roads Lead to Whithorn stages an annual Beer and Cheese Festival to lure visitors to the town (Image: Hazel Smith/All Roads Lead to Whithorn)
Amid the successes, however, is a word of warning from SCOTO. 'This does need to be in balance so communities don't feel overwhelmed or negatively impacted,' says Carron.
Yet according to VisitScotland figures, there can be rich pickings for communities that do seize a slice of the country's booming visitor economy, said to be valued at £10.8bn and which supports 245,000 jobs.
It has launched a new campaign which aims to build greater understanding of how tourist spending can create a ripple effect that brings a wide range of benefits from boosting local supply chains to arts and culture, retail and transport, to social benefits for communities.
VisitScotland says behind the headline figures are impacts that support jobs, stimulates investment and sustains communities.
Read more by Sandra Dick:
According to Vicki Miller, VisitScotland's Chief Executive: "The visitor economy is much more than holidays or day trips at certain times of the year. It is a sustainable long-term benefit – it's jobs, investment, better places to live, work, visit, and happier people. "
She adds that award-winning community projects such as those at Dundonald, Whithorn and Loch Ness set a gold standard for others to follow.
'These initiatives are the perfect examples of the visitor economy in action,' she says.
'From creating jobs and attracting investment, to enhancing wellbeing and encouraging regeneration, they have each made a valuable contribution to their local communities, helping make Scotland a better place to live, work, do business, study and visit.'