Highlands and Islands set to receive £18m of EU cash aid

MAJOR tourism projects in the Highlands and Islands are in line for an £18 million cash boost from the European Regional Development Fund, it was revealed yesterday.

• The 2.5m awarded to Scrabster in Caithness recognises the town's place in Scotland's marine energy industry

A new visitor centre for the chambered tomb of Maeshowe on Orkney and the Highlanders Museum Redevelopment Project near Inverness, which last year was backed by actor Hugh Grant, have received cash from the European fund.

Roads, ports and other infrastructure projects have also been awarded grants through the scheme, designed to regenerate areas suffering economic hardship.

Councillor Ian Johnstone, chairman of Orkney's development and regeneration committee, said the Maeshowe investment was welcome for such an important historic site.

Its current visitor centre required tourists to cross a main road and had very limited access. The new project will provide access, education and community facilities on the mainland of Orkney.

Cllr Johnstone said: "The site has struggled for a while and there were safety implications. This will make the whole experience better, and I think the new centre will help attract visitors."

Maeshowe will receive 1.14m, while the Highlanders museum project will benefit from 924,000.

The site, at Fort George, near Inverness, houses the largest collection of historic artefacts relating to a regiment of the British Army outside London.

The project will transform it into a centre of excellence for the military heritage of the Highlands and Islands.

In November, Grant launched a public appeal to help raise 3m to redevelop the museum at an artillery fort where his grandfather, Colonel James Murray Grant, was a senior officer.

So far 200,000 has been donated to the museum, dedicated to the Seaforth Highlanders, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and Queen's Own Highlanders.

Mr Grant said at the launch: "What is great about these plans is that this will not only be a very accessible new museum that children will enjoy, but it will also be a centre for learning for people who are writing military history."

A 1.44m grant has been earmarked for improvements to visitor facilities to the Sumburgh Head Restoration and Development Project on Shetland.

Another grant, worth 2.5m, will be used to support port infrastructure improvements at Scrabster harbour in Caithness to boost the growing marine energy sector.

One of the largest grants, worth 3.36m, will go to Orkney Marine Renewables Infrastructure to support the European Marine Energy Centre on the islands.

Jim Mather, Scotland's enterprise, energy and tourism minister, said that the cash injection would help create jobs and help strengthen the economic recovery of the region.

He said: "Tourism and renewable energy are areas where Scotland - and the Highlands and Islands in particular - has real advantages over its competitors."

He added: "The development of visitor attractions like the facilities at Maeshowe and the Highlanders museum will ensure tourists continue to enjoy a superb experience when they spend time travelling across the region."