Keeping tourist hotspots safe and sound

Stòras Uibhist has recruited Liz Willoughby as their Visitor Management Ranger to help the estate over the summer months.
A key part of the new job will be to help support the safe use of the Hebridean Way by patrolling hotspots and offering assistance to walkers and cyclists. Liz will be concluding her work by producing a report on the Uist stretch of the Way with recommendations and costings for improvements required as a result of such high visitor numbers.
The Visitor Management Ranger will also cover a range of other duties including organising community beach cleans, supporting visitors to follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and helping the RSPB at peak times.
Liz is a recent graduate from the Glasgow School of Art and is looking forward to continuing her artistic output here in Uist. Her degree collection, ‘Na Mara’, used marine plastics washed ashore to create jewellery, which will tie in nicely with her beach clean work. She plans to hold a series of interesting community art events to repurpose the marine waste collected and more information will be shared over the coming weeks.
Liz told Am Pàipear: “I’m so excited and grateful to be returning to Uist with this amazing opportunity. I loved Uist from the first time I visited and now can’t wait to return to get to know the people and develop community art workshops using washed up marine waste. I also appreciate the pressure tourism puts on rural locations and how important the Visitor Management Ranger position is in helping everyone to enjoy the great outdoors whilst respecting the landscape.”
You can see Liz’s work here: https://gsashowcase.net/liz-willoughby/.
The post is fully funded by NatureScot and will run until the end of October.