Discovering Slighe Gorm - The Blue Corridor
Marine heritage forms a large part of our community history in every corner of the Highlands and Islands. From Arran in the South to the Shetland Isles in the North, it continues to form a core part of cultural identities, traditions and folklore in communities across the region and creates a strong sense of place for those who live, work and visit here. Truly, it represents the very fabric of the ‘spirit’ of the Highlands and Islands.
As such, gathering and providing a platform for the stories of people from maritime and coastal communities is incredibly important to preserving this strong heritage for future generations. Today, we are delighted to highlight a project led by the North West Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark, working together with local communities, which is making waves in world of storytelling.
THE NORTH WEST HIGHLANDS UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK
A CRADLE OF GEOLOGY
Stretching across an expanse of 2000 square kilometres from the Summer Isles to Durness, and beyond, the North West Highlands Geopark is an area of outstanding natural and cultural heritage. Home to some of the oldest rock formations in Europe (over 3,000 million years old!), the Geopark was awarded UNESCO status in 2004 and represented the first of its kind in Scotland.
The North West Highlands Geopark is internationally renowned for its remarkably complex geodiversity and features an incredible array of world-class landscapes including striking mountainscapes, serene woodlands, ancient peatlands, towering sea stacks and stunning beaches all within its bounds. With this unparalleled variety, the Geopark has been host to a variety of geological and archaeological discoveries at sites including Smoo Cave and Inchnadamph Bone Caves. Amazingly, this UNESCO Global Geopark is the discovery site of the earliest evidence of life in Europe with the fascinating discovery of stromatolites occurring within Torridian sandstone approximately 1.2 billion years ago.
SUPPORTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES
While the landscape certainly holds its own distinctive character, the Geopark is home to a network of communities steeped in centuries of unique community heritage shaped by the land and sea which surrounds them. At its core, the community-led charity North West Highlands Geopark Ltd actively strives to engage and involve local communities every step of the way in celebrating the extraordinary natural and cultural heritage of the area.
Additionally, the UNESCO Global Geopark seeks an active role in fostering the development of sustainable social and economic development, including slow tourism, to support local communities and contribute to achieving its vision – for the region to be a thriving and sustainable rural economy.
THE SLIGHE GORM PROJECT
The Slighe Gorm, Blue Corridor, project forms part of an exciting three-year programme of inspirational and educational activities which will all help people to Access, Connect and Take part in (ACT) the fascinating heritage of the North West Highlands Geopark. At its heart, the ACT Geopark programme sets out to encourage people to connect with awe-inspiring local landscapes through artist commissions, storytelling and citizen science. From its onset, this project represents a remarkable opportunity for the Geopark to engage locals and visitors alike in celebrating community heritage rooted in traditional industries including crofting, aquaculture and fishing.
Starting in October last year, Marine Heritage Researchers selected by the North West Highland UNESCO Global Geopark were tasked with gathering local stories in communities spanning from Loch Broom to Kinlochbervie on the West Coast and further north to the communities between Durness and Skerray. These stories all, in their own right, form part of the area’s truly unique maritime and coastal heritage.
A series of digital assets developed by the Geopark will allow locals and visitors alike to interact with and explore community maritime heritage at their own pace through the eyes of local storytellers. These outputs, including the Slighe Gorm community map, visitor trails and a new microsite, mean more people than ever will be able to engage with the landscape and seascape of the Geopark. Ultimately, these new platforms developed by the Geopark will crucially be able to ensure the legacy of these incredible stories for future generations to discover.
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?
The North West Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark is inviting anyone who is interested to hear more about the Slighe Gorm project to an online talk led by their Marine Heritage Researchers on the 11th May at 12pm. Tune in to hear the researchers share their fascinating insights into local marine heritage and be among the first to explore the Slighe Gorm community map.
If you are like us and are keen to learn more about the stories of this incredible project, please register with the link below!