Sustainable Tourism in the Highlands: 10 Initiatives That Are Changing How We Travel to Scotland

Nature is synonymous with Culture in the Highlands. My train journey from Edinburgh to Fort William was just one of the reasons to explore and learn how Scotland is protecting its natural environment and local communities by applying the best sustainable tourism practices.

Preserving the Natural Landscape

When it comes to preserving the natural landscape, one of the most significant experiences is the restoration of over 50 kilometers of trails in the Ben Nevis area, carried out under the “Nevis Landscape Partnership” project, which helped reduce erosion and protect local biodiversity on this iconic mountain, the highest peak in the United Kingdom. Nature Scot, a public agency focused on protecting Scottish nature, leads this initiative, which has already managed to increase the protected area in the Highlands by 20% since 2010. The challenge, as highlighted by its executive director, Francesca Osowska, is to develop an integrated approach between conservation and tourism. The agency emphasizes balancing tourist access with the protection of endangered species, such as the Scottish wildcat. Establishing ecological corridors between protected areas is the goal they’re working towards for 2030.

Improved Visitor Flow Management

Glennfinnan is Scotland’s most visited natural landscape, with half a million visits annually. The implementation of the parking reservation system has reduced congestion by 40%. Managing tourist flows is a major concern for the Cairngorms National Park authorities, and they are very active in promoting visitor dispersal to less-known areas, as highlighted by Visit Scotland CEO Malcolm Roughead. Technologies are important to support this dispersal; an example is the “Highland Explorer” app that suggests alternative routes to visitors in real-time. These initiatives are aimed at managing the confirmed 30 percent increase in visitors since 2019 without compromising the experience. By 2026, the goal is to implement dynamic visitor quotas for the most popular locations.

Real Eco-Friendly Accommodations

Besides being in a fantastic setting, The Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is an example of a completely energy self-sufficient and zero-waste accommodation. It holds the Green Tourism seal, issued by Scotland’s leading sustainable tourism certification organization. The goal, as highlighted by Andrea Nicholas, its director, is to promote the adoption of sustainable practices in accommodations. Since 2015, they have managed to increase the number of eco-certified properties by 50 percent. Although it can be challenging for smaller establishments due to the high initial cost of more sustainable practices, this entity plans to create a support fund for the ecological conversion of traditional B&Bs by 2025.

Sustainable Transportation

Transport Scotland leads the “Net Zero Transport” initiative and has achieved a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions with the electric bus route between Inverness and Ullapool. The Scottish Government promotes transport electrification in rural areas, resulting in tourists using public transportation 25% more since 2018. Although the challenge remains the limited infrastructure for electric vehicles in more remote areas, the goal is to establish a complete electric vehicle charging network in the Highlands by 2028.

Community Tourism

I was moved to learn about the “Staffin Ecomuseum” project on Skye. Managed by the local community, it attracts 50,000 visitors annually. It’s a wonderful example of how tourism can contribute to local development. Through community tourism initiatives like this, 500 local jobs have been created since 2017, as highlighted by the Scottish Tourism Alliance and its president, Calum Ross, an entity that promotes these types of policies. By 2025, they aim to launch a mentoring program for 20 new community tourism businesses.

Environmental Education

Another great initiative, in this case for environmental education, is the Cairngorms Wildlife Center, which, with over 100,000 visitors each year, is doing important work educating about local wildlife. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) is responsible for developing educational programs that have resulted in 80% of visitors reporting greater environmental awareness after their visit. Their challenge is to reach international tourists with culturally relevant conservation messages, and in 2027 they will launch a “youth rangers” program in all protected areas.

Local and Sustainable Gastronomy

Sustainability is also essential in food tourism, and festivals like “Taste of the Highlands” are very significant experiences. The event attracts 30,000 visitors annually, promoting local products. In this regard, I find the “Ambition 2030” strategy, led by Scotland Food & Drink to promote sustainable gastronomy, very important, which is also aligned with renowned chefs like Tom Kitchin, an advocate for Scottish, sustainable, and local cuisine. These actions are reflected in the up to 40% increase in the number of restaurants using local ingredients since 2016. Future challenges and plans include maintaining the local supply chain year-round in more remote areas and creating a protected designation of origin for Highland products by 2026.

Renewable Energy

Through its “Energy Strategy,” the Scottish government promotes the use of renewable energy in tourism. A notable example is the Isle of Eigg, which runs 100 percent on renewable energy and serves as a model for other communities. This policy has been fruitful, and currently, 60% of tourist accommodations in the Highlands use some form of renewable energy. The challenge lies in integrating these technologies while maintaining the traditional aesthetics of this territory. The goal is for public tourist facilities to use 100% renewable energy by 2030.

Certifications and Standards

Working in a coordinated manner to establish certifications and standards is also part of the Scottish strategy administered by VisitScotland under the “Green Tourism” quality scheme. A significant experience is the “Wild Scotland” seal, which certifies tour operators committed to sustainable practices. It has been such a positive strategy that since 2014, tourism businesses certified as sustainable increased by 70%. The remaining challenge is to harmonize the different certification schemes to avoid consumer confusion and develop a unified sustainable tourism standard for Scotland, which they aim to achieve by 2026.

Challenges and Solutions

There’s still much to be done, no doubt about it, and entities like the “Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group” (STERG), which addresses urgent challenges in the sector, keep this in mind. For its part, the Scottish Tourism Alliance leads discussions on innovative solutions that emphasize balancing post-pandemic economic recovery with sustainable practices or creating a think tank specifically dedicated to finding sustainable tourism solutions in the Highlands by 2025. Notable examples include the implementation of eco-toilets on the West Highland Way, which has reduced pollution by 80%, and the 30% reduction in plastic waste in tourist areas since the implementation of the “Leave No Trace” campaign in this territory.

During my trip, I could confirm that the Scottish people are committed to the sustainability of their wonderful territory. In the case of the Highlands, there are also celebrities like Emma Thompson, Ewan McGregor, Sam Heughan, Karen Gillan, and Gerard Butler who develop important initiatives. Want to know about them? Keep reading!