Community-led tourism is about putting the community first and the visitor second.

“If you’re going to visit the Highlands and islands, then become a temporary local while you’re there.”

That is one of the messages from a tourism group representing a growing number of communities doing something about the impact of increasing visitor numbers in their area.

Since it was founded three years ago, Scottish Community Tourism (SCOTO) has been encouraging communities to embrace community-led tourism.

What this means is putting communities first when it comes to tourism, and the visitors second.

“I know that might sound controversial,” said Carron Tobin, executive director of SCOTO.

“But if it’s not working for the community, then something needs to change.

“Recalibrating tourism to make it community-first is absolutely critical.

“If it’s good for the locals, then it’s good for visitors.”

Ms Tobin said SCOTO has grown in response to more communities acquiring assets such as pubs, hotels and churches, and turning them into places that help them use tourism to help the community - whether it’s retaining young people or providing permanent living wage jobs.

But the movement has also developed in response to community frustration over how tourism has evolved in some parts of the country.

As visitor numbers have increased and become more concentrated in parts of Scotland, including on the North Coast 500 in the Highlands and on some of the islands, Ms Tobin said “communities often feel tourism happens to them rather than with them.”

“With the likes of the NC500, which was really a marketing campaign, this can be a really negative thing as communities simply don’t have the infrastructure to cope,” she said.

“Communities really do suffer when it’s really busy and a lot of them are concerned that visitors don’t take time to think that someone lives there 365 days a year. There’s a similar issue on the islands.”

The Scotsman heard from residents living on the 516-mile route last summer about how areas where they live have become part of a “box ticking” quest for tourists doing the loop. Other concerns cited in areas experiencing concentrated visitor numbers include littering, damage to the local environment, lack of housing and staff shortages.

One of SCOTO’s campaigns to counter the negative impact of tourism is a message to visitors to “become a temporary local.”

“This is very much about encouraging visitors to slow down, engage and take time to understand what has made the community what it is today and to think about what life is like for them,” Ms Tobin said.

“Then you find experiences that are authentic to the core and that show people what a different lifestyle looks like.”

One islander is providing exactly that on the Isle of Mull.

Karen Elwis, who runs Hebridean Farm Hikes on her farm on the Isle of Mull | Katharine Hay

Karen Elwis and her husband, Alister, run The Fauld, a small 174-acre farm near the island’s main town of Tobermory.

She hosts Hebridean Farm Hikes, which involve showing and telling visitors about the history of the land and the animals on it, including Highland ponies and Shetland sheep.

“It’s a really good opportunity for us to show people the reality of farming out here,” she said.

“There are lots of wildlife tours on Mull but I wanted to do something different. Our tours focus more on farm life, but they do have the odd mountain hare thrown in for good measure.”

Karen Elwis with her Shetland sheep | Karen Elwis

Having a guide not only helps with local tips on what to do and where to get the best views, but it also provides knowledge on what to look out for and how to protect the surrounding nature, Mrs Elwis said.

Some of the views at The Fauld on Mull | Karen Elwis

“When we go out onto the farm together, I can tell visitors what it is that I look for to make sure the animals are okay or why they are behaving in a certain way.

“It’s also good having a local guide so that we can pick a route over the hill that won't disturb nature too much. I want people to see the reality of farming here, but I also don’t want to ruin this landscape with overtourism.”

Mrs Elwis said she keeps her tours limited to two a day, with only small groups, so as to not disturb the animals and the land too much.

The income from tours is used for environmental projects such as creating ponds to attract wading and ground-nesting birds. The couple also run educational workshops on the farm, including as a dry stone walling courses – one of which is being held in early April.

Some island communities reached record visitor numbers last year, with Skye welcoming just short of one million, according to figures.

With the record numbers came issues for islanders, including further damage to local roads and several hour-long traffic jams to one of the island’s most visited sites: The Fairy Pools.

Across the Little Minch, tour operators on the Isle of Lewis were urged to miss out the Neolithic Standing Stones at Calanais due to fears of erosion at the site from increasing visitor numbers. The island’s main town Stornoway has recently developed a new deep port to welcome larger cruise ships to the island.

Concerns have been raised about erosion at the Calanais Stones on the Isle of Lewis due to high visitor numbers | Katharine Hay

Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, however said it was important to stress that “nowhere is full” when it comes to visiting the Highlands and Islands.

He said while some areas are concentrated with tourists in the busy months, there are other places that are less explored but accessible.

“One of the aims of the local agenda and the national agenda is to spread tourism so people can tread lightly so we don’t have these overloaded areas where infrastructure is challenged,” he said.

He said tour operators are becoming more conscious of protecting local assets and being “mindful and conscious of the community.”

“There’s a real concerted effort and recognition that being conscious of the community in the place you’re going to is critical,” he said.

“The communities also have an opportunity to be part of this experience because people want to enjoy and hear the real stories and be part of something.

“The subtle message from a local to a tourist can be deployed when it comes to treat my backyard and my home with kindness.”

Become a local: The movement behind changing tourism in Scotland's Highlands and Islands

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