Orkney is hugely important to Historic Environment Scotland. We have 38 sites
on these islands that we are responsible for. That's over 10 percent of the entire
estate, so it's hugely important in numbers terms, but it's hugely important
because of the sites we have here. We are in a World Heritage Site, there are
four sites within that area, so it's hugely important for a whole number of
reasons and we think it's important but visitors think it is as well and last
year 150,000 people came to visit our sites here on the islands. This year already
we're close to that number. This is one of a number of visits that the board is
making to different parts of Scotland. Here in Orkney we're taking the
opportunity to do a number of things. We spent some time discussing with local
archaeologists what's happening here, including the new recent digs at Ness
of Brodgar, and all the other archaeological work that's been going on
here over many years and continues to happen. We've met with partners and
stakeholders and the really important part of our work here is working
with Orkney Islands Council and many others to take forward a collective, joined-up
approach to the tourism opportunities and addressing some of the tourism
challenges. We're visiting some of our sites. We've been to Maeshowe and tried out the
new bus service and had that firsthand experience. We've been to Ring of Brodgar and
had the outstanding tour from Elaine and Sandra, our rangers, which was fantastic, and
here we are at Skara Brae. But we're not just looking at our own sites, we
spent the morning on Hoy, visiting the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre which
Historic Environment Scotland will be assisting by way of a grant towards the
renovation and expansion of that project. And last but not least, and definitely not
least, spending time with our own staff. We employ close to 50 people here
in Orkney and it's important we actually spend some time with them sharing
with them our thinking, but more importantly listening to what they have
to say to us, because they're the people who live, work and breathe these islands.
The future is incredibly exciting. I think that in some ways the world's focus is on Orkney and its
archaeology. It feels like that anyway and working in partnership with Historic
Environment Scotland and now seeing the board and talking about the future
you know it's just, I think we have such great possibilities and prospects.
We've succeeded in working together in a vast range of project
activities, the Stromness THI the Kirkwall THI. Many, many individual property
projects and also looking very, very proud and pleased to work with Historic
Environment Scotland to find a solution to the Maeshowe access, earlier this
year, which was, I think, a fantastic example of two organisations working
together with different assets and coming together to a very successful solution for the community.
I'm delighted that they're here, because I think it's
essential that the whole board really get a flavour of what they're discussing.
Not just the challenges, but mostly to see the opportunities.
I think if we pull together I think we can preserve the monuments better. We can give a better
interpretation to them, we can give a better visitor experience and actually
give people something that they will go home and never forget in their lives.
There's no substitute for actually seeing in real life what we hear about in the office in
Edinburgh. It's really important for the board to come and see the properties in
care that we look after, to see the archaeology and the support we give. To
meet our staff - that's really a vitally important part of our work as a board.
We take a number of things from visits like this. One is that what we do here,
and what our staff do here, is outstandingly good and that's shown by
the numbers of people who come and visit. The second thing we take is that we
have a hugely important role to play, not just at our own sites, but contributing
towards the wider tourism opportunity that Orkney has here. And the third thing
is the plans are on these islands for a refreshed strategy, a coordinated
approach to tourism. We've got hugely important role to play
contributing into that bigger picture, working in partnership with lots of people
across these islands. So we've got a great story to tell here, our facilities are
really good, we've got an even bigger role to play in helping take forward the
tourism opportunities on these islands for many years to come.