网曝吃瓜

Charting Corpach: Interactive and Stylised Maps for the Marina

Charting Corpach built on a previous collaboration between the Thomas Telford Corpach Marina and the Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research. The project provided practical training in the creation of interactive maps and designed a stylised map for printing and website publication.

Background:

In 2024, the completed an Innovation Voucher with the . The output from that project was a report which suggested new activities and services for the Marina. Since the completion of the project, have hired a marketing and development officer who has implemented some of the outlined ideas.

This project seeks to build on and secure the legacy of this work through training sessions to assist in implementing some of the ideas.

Charting Corpach was designed to:

• Support the growth and sustainability of a community run organisation by assisting them in creating a better tourism offer and in increasing their knowledge capacity.
• Support community-led destination tourism management by enabling to maintain and expand the map themselves.
• Support the wider locality and businesses close to the Marina through their inclusion on, and subsequent promotion from the maps further enhancing 's regenerative community aspirations.
• Enhance the community tourism offering of the locality.
• Encourage tourists to linger in the area, engaging in slower and immersive tourism that better connects them to place and local culture.

Project task:

Funding was received from the 网曝吃瓜 Tourism Knowledge Exchange Challenge Fund to enable Research Associates and from the to use their experience from previous knowledge exchange projects to:   

• Provide training sessions around creating and publishing interactive Google MyMaps. This included how to create and best use the software, how to add points and routes, how to add photos/videos/links.
• Produced training documents to support ongoing use of the map.
• Created a stylised map of the Marina and immediate area for interpretation use.

Corparch local map

Project outcomes:

The training enabled to create the Corpach local area map and the Loch Linnhe approach interactive maps and provided them with the knowledge to take ownership of the product now and in the future.  

In addition two interactive Google MyMaps and one stylised static map were produced.

“Working with Kendra and Katie at 网曝吃瓜 has opened our eyes to the possibilities of digital mapping and introduced us to an exciting piece of software we were previously unaware of. They have helped us bring our marina, local area and wider region to life through interactive maps, including a Loch Linnhe map that will support our efforts to attract more boaters to the area and encourage collaboration with other marinas. The skills and knowledge we have gained through this process have been invaluable and will continue to benefit our community and visitors for years to come.” 

Siobhan Maclean, Customer and Community Relations officer, Thomas Telford Corpach Marina

Corpach Marina local map

Keeping Nether Lochaber On the Map

‘Keeping Nether Lochaber ‘on the map’’ was a collaboration between the Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research and the Nether Lochaber Community Association that built on an earlier Interface Innovation Voucher funded project which produced a digital tourism map with inbuilt audio trail. Funding was sought from the 网曝吃瓜 Tourism Knowledge Exchange Challenge Fund to secure the legacy of this work by empowering the Nether Lochaber Community Association to maintain and expand the map and trail, and to help local businesses utilise the map to attract and retain tourism custom. It also allowed the outputs from a partner artist-led project to be represented on the map, along with additional heritage points.

Background:

Nether Lochaber is a community council area comprising a series of villages and large uninhabited area just south of Fort William. The is a local volunteer body that aims to improve local facilities.

The ‘Discover Nether Lochaber’ digital tourism map was developed by as part of a suite of projects and events supporting the larger , whereby the are seeking funding to redevelop a disused barn into a community hub/café/gallery/event space.

It filled a gap in the local tourism offering by gathering together information about what there is to do within the confines of Nether Lochaber and intended to showcase to visitors what they could do locally.  Information on the original map included walking and cycling routes, 360° photos and videos, and links to audio stories gathered and presented as part of a self-guided audio trail on This was published on the website and instructions on how to embed it on a website were also prepared for use by local businesses.  The project ran concurrently with ‘’, an artist led program that created a series of prints and accompanying poem inspired by the area. 

Project task:

The impetus for this collaboration was to facilitate a suite of handover activities allowing the volunteers at the to continue to develop the map and audio trail with confidence, promote its use amongst the local business community, and augment the map by adding a layer of heritage points and a layer derived from the outputs of ‘’.  

The team were able to:

• Host training workshops and develop training materials for the on how to curate, record, and upload new stories to the audio trail, and how to edit and update the Google My Map.
• Collaborate with other community groups and projects to enhance the map by adding additional points of interest, including heritage and historical sites.
• Prepare materials for and participate in a community open day showcasing the map, raise awareness of outputs from the previous project, and promote its use and dissemination.
• Produce training documents to support ongoing use of the map beyond the funded project period by local tourism businesses and community groups.

Project action and activities:

The project started with an online meeting between the partners to discuss the proposed programme of activities and the  staff were then able to:

• Meet with the artist leading ‘’ to discuss strategies for representing her work on the map and to include the Heron's light poem on the Discover Nether Lochaber digital map. .
• Present the project at a community event hosted by the , promoting the digital map to both businesses and the wider community through demonstrations, posters and leaflets.
• Prepare materials to support two in-person training sessions. The first looked at approaches to story gathering and some of the practicalities involved in creating high-quality recordings. The second focused on editing audio recordings and publishing stories on the Geotourist platform.  The training sessions were backed up by the provision of related materials created specifically for this project, including:
  • A copy of the PowerPoint presentation used during the training sessions with a summary of what had been covered, useful hyperlinks, and inbuilt training videos
  • A ‘how to’ guide
  • A video guide on how to edit and update the digital map
• Concurrently carried out desktop research into local heritage sites to be added on the map, including history, photographs and access instructions.

Project outcomes and results:

Whilst showcasing and raising awareness of the the knowledge exchange opportunities between 网曝吃瓜 and local business, the project also delivered: 

• Two in-person training sessions were delivered with members of the , training materials comprising a ‘how to’ guide, PowerPoint presentation, videos, two new layers on the digital map, new artwork for posters and QR codes about the new and updated map.
• Increased digital and storytelling skills within the boosting confidence and capacity.
• Supported community-led destination management by enabling to maintain and expand the map and audio trails themselves.

Example of a listing on the new heritage layer

Lifting the lid on Scotland’s connections to the Sri Lanka tea industry

‘Lifting the lid on Scotland’s connections to the Sri Lanka tea industry’ formed part of a larger project aiming to promote the historic role of Scottish Highlanders in the development and management of tea plantations. It complemented a British Council ‘Connections through Culture’ project which will create an exhibition to be held at the Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka, adding value by facilitating a 网曝吃瓜 Research Associate to carry out primary research, collaborate with Highland Archives to accession some of the research outcomes into their permanent collection, and seek additional funding for further activities.

Background:

Scottish planters were integral to the development of the tea industry in Sri Lanka. The Scot James Taylor established the first large-scale tea plantation and many Scots worked on the plantations until their nationalisation in the 1970s. Their cultural impact on the area manifests through architecture, art, publications and placenames. A significant proportion of this population came from, and in many cases has returned to, the Scottish 网曝吃瓜, and there is a network of these individuals and their families in the area around Inverness.

, celebrating its centenary year in 2026, was interested in developing an exhibition space within its headquarters and so a partnership was formed with 网曝吃瓜 to create a display on this subject. This history is not well known within Scotland and so the project also aimed to partner with Highland Archives to add the results of the research to their collection, which already contains a small amount of relevant material.

Tea plantation fields in Sri Lankan - Nuwara Eliya, (Hill Country). Ian Murdoch/ Shutterstock.com

Project task:

The aim was to gather material on the lived experience of individuals living in the Scottish 网曝吃瓜 today with familial links to the tea industry, and to use this in conjunction with archival and other research to create exhibition materials for display in the Tea Research Institute. The collaboration with Highland Archives took the form of co-designing information sheets and permission forms that would allow any recordings and transcriptions derived from these interviews to be formally accessioned within their collections. We also submitted a funding application and prepared other fundraising documents for dissemination to private businesses and other potentially interested parties.     

Archival research

Project actions:

The project started with and co-designing permission forms, and trying to recruit potential interviewees through personal networks, targeted social media posts on community and industry pages, and industry contacts. Unfortunately these attempts were unsuccessful. Though a great deal of interest was shown in the project and it prompted some interesting discussions, none of the candidates who came forward met the criteria of having specifically Scottish connections. As a contingency, we have used the family history book ‘Tea with the Camerons’, which comprises a series of essays by individuals belonging to several generations of an Inverness-shire family who worked in the industry. This has been combined with desktop and archival research. We have begun to draft display materials based on this.   

We also scoped out further funding possibilities with the primary aim of conducting some Scotland based activity to mirror that happening in Sri Lanka. We submitted an application to the Turtleton Trust and uploaded the project details to the Ludlow Funding Gateway, where it will be matched with funding organisations with relevant interests. In addition, we worked with the 网曝吃瓜 Economic Development Team to explore further funding pathways, including approaching private businesses in Scotland and Sri Lanka, through consular links and philanthropists, and created and disseminated project materials based on these discussions.   

Project outcomes:

• Information sheets and permission forms for conducting oral history interviews, that can be drawn on for future projects.
• Research on the links between the Scotland 网曝吃瓜 and the Sri Lanka tea industry that will be used as the basis for the exhibition.
• Completed funding application to the Turtleton Trust.
• Project information documents and funding ‘ask’ submitted on the Ludlow Funding Gateway and to private funders.
• Enhanced working relationship with Highland Archive, with potential for follow-on project.
• Attempted recruitment of interviewees has enhanced awareness of the project amongst industry stakeholders.
• When exhibition is launched, it will support tourism in the Sri Lankan Central 网曝吃瓜.
• Raise awareness of the historic connections between Scotland and Sri Lanka among audiences in both countries, with knock-on effects for tourism in each.   

RETURN 25-26

Regenerative Economic Transfers for Universal Resilience in the North (RETURN) is a 2025-28, €1.6 million international initiative, co-funded by the Northern Periphery and Arctic programme to address one of the most pressing challenges of modern tourism: ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism directly support local communities and nature conservation.

The programme brings together tourism research institutions, tourism organisations and environmental non-governmental organisations in Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Ireland, Faroe Islands, and Greenland. 网曝吃瓜 is named as an associate partner as, post-Brexit, Scotland is no longer eligible to be part of North Periphery and Arctic funding.

The ultimate outcomes will be new models of tourism revenue transfers—including different tourism taxes, visitor contributions, and voluntary payments—to ensure that the financial benefits of tourism contribute directly to the common good of the host communities.

Background:

网曝吃瓜's participation in resulted from discussions between 网曝吃瓜 & the lead partner, the University of Lapland. 网曝吃瓜 were able to utilise the Knowledge Exchange Innovation Fund to enable small-scale involvement to help shape the project.

Steve Taylor and Kendra Turnbull, from the are 网曝吃瓜’s representatives on the project.  

Project action and activities:

• The overall aim of the will be to identify, evaluate, and document tourism revenue transfer models, to develop a comprehensive understanding of these models, pilot test some of the models and provide toolkits and training materials for them to be enacted and adapted to support local communities, nature conservation, and climate.
• 网曝吃瓜's will assist in this process by attending and contributing to the monthly partner meetings and the in person project meeting, sharing their knowledge and research.
• The 网曝吃瓜 Knowledge Exchange Tourism Challenge Fund has funded the 网曝吃瓜 staff time, with main travel expenses and conference fees being met by the project.
• 网曝吃瓜 presented at both the in person meeting in Cork, Ireland, and the Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference, Dublin, in January 2026.

Project outcomes and results:

The project runs until 2028 so the outcomes of the project are still in process. For the academic year 2025-26 the project has:

• Written and presented ‘Mapping Tourism Revenue Transfer Models for Regenerative and Resilient Destinations: A Systematic Literature Review’, which outlines and evaluates different types of tourism revenue transfer models. In depth case studies of each best practise tourism revenue transfer model are being prepared. This process will feed into the training and guidance documents produced through the next years of the project.
• Undertaken community workshops in the main partner countries to evaluate tourism, regenerative tourism and tourism revenue transfer model use. The results of the workshops will determine how tourism revenue transfer models could be adapted to suit different needs.
• Launched a pilot study in Kinsale, Ireland, to test a voluntary donation tourism revenue transfer model.
• 网曝吃瓜 have assisted and consulted on the above.

Partner meeting Iceland, January 2026

Kendra Turnbull, from joined project partners in Cork, Ireland for the second in person meeting of the partnership.

Kendra Turnbull, 网曝吃瓜 presenting at the Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference, Dublin.

Day 1 presentations and discussions included an overview from the Municipality of Tromsø on their tourism carrying capacity and sustainability report, the findings from, and planning for the project work packages and a presentation from Kendra Turnbull on a Scottish tourism revenue transfer case study.

On Day 2 the partners investigated and discussed the tourism revenue transfer pilot project and travelled to Kinsale, which will be the pilot location.

Day 3 saw the partners attend the Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference in Dublin. The project presented ‘Mapping Tourism Revenue Transfer Models for Regenerative and Resilient Destinations: A Systematic Literature Review’ and Kendra Turnbull presented ‘Tourism and Community Regeneration: Cases from Rural Ireland and Scotland’.

project partners in Cork.

Go Tourism Golspie

The Go Tourism Golspie project was a collaboration between the Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research and Go Golspie Development Trust, designed to support the Golspie Tourism Strategy 2030 by enhancing local tourism and building community capacity. Through online collaboration and an on-site meeting in June 2025, the partners developed key outputs including a stylised map and leaflet, a redesigned website with six themed subpages, and a new Instagram account supported by an image bank and Linktree. The work was structured around six themes—heritage, outdoor adventure, recreation, nature, coastal walks, and local flavours—creating a cohesive approach across print, web, and social media. These outcomes strengthen Golspie’s appeal, encourage sustainable and immersive visitor experiences, and provide the Trust with tools to continue delivering on its long-term tourism strategy.

Background

In 2021 the Go Golspie Development Trust commissioned the ‘Golspie Tourism Strategy 2030’. The comprehensive document outlined an ambitious plan with the overall vision that “By 2030 Golspie will be a destination of choice for outdoor activities, heritage and adventure tourism, and memorable experiences will be delivered by a welcoming local community”. The impetus for this project is to build on that strategy with an aim to create tourism offerings to support the vision.

Whilst steps have been made towards the actualisation of the Strategy, Go Golspie are restricted in capacity as they are primarily a voluntary run community association. The development of the tourism strategy has to be balanced alongside ‘traditional’ community development, in which Go Golspie has been very active with community projects focusing on buildings, playparks, food and transport. The currently available online and offline tourism information is limited and does not showcase the full complement of what there is available to do for visiting or potential tourists. Go Golspie wants to develop the information available ensuring that they are able to promote their locality externally and internally.

Project task:

The project was a collaboration between the Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research, 网曝吃瓜 and the Go Gogolspie Development Trust

The impetus for this collaboration was to help build on the ‘Golspie Tourism Strategy 2030’ by drawing on CRTR knowledge to help the Trust to develop its tourism offering.

The overall aim was to build capacity and to create tourism offerings to support the vision.

The outcomes will be:

• Enhance the community tourism offering of the locality.
• Encourage tourists to visit the area, raising and sharing economic benefits.
• Encourage tourists to engage in slow immersive tourism, better connecting them to place and thus more sustainable tourism practices.
• Support the implementation of the ‘Golspie Tourism Strategy 2030’

The output is a stylised map and leaflet, updates to the Go Golspie website, creation of a tourism focused Instagram account.

Project action and activities:

The project began with online meetings to establish parameters and set targets. A Google Drive was established with collaborative information gathering documents including a Google My Map to accurately ‘pin’ different tourism services or points of interest. 网曝吃瓜 were granted access to the Go Golspie website.

Both partners then worked to populate the documents and map on the Google Drive. 网曝吃瓜 collected information and examples from different tourism websites and leaflets and used them to create possible structures to present the Golspie information.

The two partners met in person in Golspie in June 2025. Over a period of two days the project outputs were discussed in detail. The changes required to the website would be co-created while 网曝吃瓜 focused on the chosen design and layout of the map and leaflet. An Instagram account was chosen as the preferred social media outlet and a new account established.

Six tourism themes were chosen to create a cohesive presentation across the website, the leaflet and Instagram:

• Rich Heritage and Historic Sites
• Outdoor Adventure for all
• Recreation and Sports
• Nature on the doorstep
• Coastal Beauty and Scenic Walks
• Community and Local Flavours

Project outcomes and results:

On the website the home page ‘Welcome to Golspie’ was redesigned and the ‘Things to see and do’ page adjusted to feature the chosen tourism themes. New sub pages were created for each theme.

The Leaflets were created and 1400 copies printed. The master documents were placed in the Google Drive for any future alterations by the Trust.

An Instagram account was created and a bank of images stored in Google Drive. A Linktree was established to connect users directly to the tourism themed pages of the website.

“I am astounded by how much has been accomplished in such a short time. Your hard work and inspiration have truly driven this project forward, and I have really enjoyed working with you. Your guidance and expertise have been incredibly inspiring, and I have learned so much from you. These insights will be invaluable as I continue to work on the website and Instagram account.”

Jayne Gutteridge, Go Golspie Development Trust Director

Adventure Activities Glencoe: A new way forward

Knowledge Exchange Challenge Fund project between Woodlands Glencoe and 网曝吃瓜 Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research

The collaboration was driven by a decline in sales of the company’s core adventure activities over the past two to three years. In response, the project conducted in-depth research and provided recommendations for the development of new products or enhancements to existing offerings, aligned with current and emerging market trends.

A comprehensive review of the company’s marketing strategy for adventure activities was also undertaken, alongside strategic guidance on transitioning towards a regenerative tourism business model.

All findings were compiled into a detailed report and presented to the company, with the goal of equipping them with the insights and tools needed to innovate and adapt. These outcomes are intended to inform both the company’s day-to-day operations and its long-term strategic planning.

The Western Edge

Knowledge Exchange Challenge Fund and Interface Innovation Voucher project between Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust and the Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research

A panoramic view of Ardnamurchan Lighthouse on a sunny day with blue skies

As part of a broader initiative to develop a feasible yet impactful marketing strategy, the project worked in partnership with Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust to enhance the site’s tourism offering. The aim was to encourage visitors to spend more time on-site and increase revenue-generating opportunities.

To achieve these objectives, the project delivered a series of targeted outputs:

• New audio trail: Stories of Ardnamurchan Lighthouse
  • Hosted on the Geotourist platform
  • Supported by on-site promotional materials including posters, leaflets and QR code signage
  • Developed using community-contributed stories and local voices
• Social media improvements and training
  • Introduction to Meta Business Suite for more effective content management
  • Reactivation and optimisation of the site’s Instagram account
  • Bespoke video tutorials providing personalised social media training
• Social media content bank
  • A curated library of post templates, images, links, and content ideas for future use

The audio trail launched at the end of the tourist season in October 2024 and has already received over 600 views. Additionally, both the Facebook and Instagram accounts have seen an increase in engagement and traffic.

Ritchie Dinnes, Director of Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust, commented:

“I can confidently state that the Lighthouse Trust are delighted with the achievements of this initiative. The knowledge and coaching provided by Kendra and Kelly have enabled us to move forward with a far greater understanding of how we can utilise social media to market our site to a wider audience."

Regenerative Tourism at the Telford Corpach Marina

An Interface Innovation Voucher project between the Thomas Telford Corpach Marina and 网曝吃瓜 Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research

The project focused on identifying opportunities for the marina to adopt practices aligned with the principles of regenerative tourism. The goal was to enhance the products, services, and experiences offered to visiting sailors, while also generating positive impacts for the local community.

To achieve this, 网曝吃瓜 Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research conducted site visits, held meetings with marina directors, carried out desk-based research and gathered input through a community survey. The findings were compiled into a detailed report for Thomas Telford Corpach Marina, which included:

• Recommendations for new services, activities, and visitor opportunities
• Operational practices aligned with regenerative tourism principles
• Guidance on accessing regeneration funding and developing a supporting business plan
• A critique of the current website with suggestions for improvement
• Analysis of the community survey results

AI Translation on the West Highland Peninsulas

A Knowledge Exchange Challenge Fund project between West Highland Peninsulas and 网曝吃瓜 Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research

网曝吃瓜 Centre for Recreation and Tourism Research conducted research exploring how local businesses can engage with advanced AI translation technologies. The resulting emphasises the increasing significance of foreign language support within Scottish tourism and highlights how AI-driven translation tools present a valuable opportunity to break down language barriers, enrich visitor experiences, and promote Scotland as a welcoming destination for international tourists. The also outlines potential initiatives and collaborative opportunities for businesses to partner with 网曝吃瓜 in adopting these innovative solutions.