24 October 2021 Issue 2450 © ULLAPOOL NEWS
Obituary
DICK POOR
I am very sad to have to pass on the news that Dick Poor died last Saturday, 16 October, in Kirriemuir. He was 95. Dick and his late wife Bette were well respected in Ullapool; they were involved in all parts of village life during the many years they spent here. Dick was on the first board of Ullapool Museum Trust and was its treasurer for quite a number of years. He was responsible for all the funding applications and if it wasn’t for his skills in that area the project to turn what had been a Bicentenary summer exhibition in the old Established Church into a permanent museum might never have got off the ground. Dick was solely responsible for the successful application to the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) while the Highlands and Islands had Objective One status (that entailed him attending a day-long course in Inverness on how to apply).
He was also on Ullapool Village Hall committee and his tenacity, along with that of its then chair Chrissy Boyd, in pursuing funding & dealing with contractors, ensured that the latest front extension was built.
When Dick and Bette left Ullapool 20 years ago they left a big hole in the community (who can forget Bette’s 50p sales she held in the village hall to raise funds to build the swimming pool?). Bette died five years ago and I still miss her wise words. Dick was a guiding hand to all who had dealings with him. They had both been social workers and it was on Dick’s retirement as head of social work with a Scottish local authority that they moved to Ullapool where they had previously holidayed.
Though Dick’s passing is a cause of sorrow to those who knew him it must be immeasurable to daughters Lee and Joanna and their families.
Joan Michael
P.S. It would be lovely if readers shared their memories of Dick (and Bette) to next week’s Ullapool News.
*****
ON THE GLOBAL TRAIL
Highland locations part of World’s first UNESCO trail
The world’s first ever UNESCO trail, bringing together some of Scotland’s most iconic, diverse and culturally significant sites, was launched on Friday15 October, 2021.
North West Highlands Geopark and Wester Ross Biosphere are two of 13 place-based designations included in Scotland’s UNESCO Trail which covers World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves, Global Geoparks and Creative Cities. The dedicated digital trail aims to take visitors on a cultural journey across the country experiencing everything from history to science, music, design and literature to nature and cityscapes.
Designed specifically to support ambitions to make Scotland a world-leading responsible tourism destination, Scotland’s UNESCO Trail encourages visitors to stay longer, visit all year round, make sustainable travel choices, explore more widely, and in turn, contribute to the sustainable quality of life of those communities surrounding the designated sites.
The digital trail – which is available at www.visitscotland.com/unesco-trail – showcases the breadth of culturally astounding UNESCO designations on offer across Scotland, providing information and inspiration to visitors across the world. It also celebrates businesses and communities that are committed to responsible tourism business practices and promotes sustainable travel options.
Scotland is the first nation in the world to create a UNESCO trail, which has been developed through a unique partnership between VisitScotland, the Scottish Government, the UK National Commission for UNESCO, Historic Environment Scotland, NatureScot, the National Trust for Scotland, as well as Scotland’s 13 UNESCO designations, which include biospheres, global geoparks, creative cities and world heritage sites. The project has received £360,000 funding from the Scottish Government to support the strategy for the sustainable recovery of Scottish tourism.
Francesca Osowska, CEO of NatureScot and Chair of Scotland’s UNESCO Trail Steering Group, said: “The Trail is a hugely exciting global first, inspiring visitors to Scotland to journey through its unique natural and cultural heritage. All the designations in the Trail have a distinctive story to tell and we hope that, whether people visit just one, or travel to all the sites, they will be wowed by what they see.
“Responsible tourism and greener travel are at the heart of our ambitions for the UNESCO Trail. This will lead to a more sustainable economy and will help to create better places for people to live and visit in every corner of Scotland. This is so essential as we work to tackle the nature loss and climate change crises and prepare to host COP26.”
Dr Laura Hamlet, North West Highlands Geopark manager said: “The North West Highlands is the most beautiful part of the UK, with an unrivaled landscape, outstanding wildlife and vibrant, living culture. Our rocks and landforms have formed over 3 billion years of Earth history and we are incredibly proud that UNESCO has awarded our region UNESCO Global Geopark status.
“Our Global Geopark is managed by a community-led charity, we tell the stories of our landscape to help inspire young minds and the not-so-young, to learn more about how the planet works and how this affects our daily lives and our culture. We have shared our landscape with visitors for generations and see this new UNESCO Trail as a modern way to promote responsible, sustainable tourism, that will encourage people from all walks of life to enjoy the landscape slowly, to take the back road, to leave the car and walk or cycle, to let the wild mountains get under their skin, and to meet our communities and share in their love of our landscape.”
Natasha Hutchison, General Manager at Wester Ross UNESCO Biosphere said: “The opportunity to highlight the work that our communities are doing to become more sustainable is worthy of international acknowledgment. We hope that our role within the UNESCO Trail will allow our visitors to understand our natural heritage and way of life, resulting in a richer, more meaningful experience for them, and our vibrant communities.”
For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/unesco-trail
Obituary
DICK POOR
I am very sad to have to pass on the news that Dick Poor died last Saturday, 16 October, in Kirriemuir. He was 95. Dick and his late wife Bette were well respected in Ullapool; they were involved in all parts of village life during the many years they spent here. Dick was on the first board of Ullapool Museum Trust and was its treasurer for quite a number of years. He was responsible for all the funding applications and if it wasn’t for his skills in that area the project to turn what had been a Bicentenary summer exhibition in the old Established Church into a permanent museum might never have got off the ground. Dick was solely responsible for the successful application to the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) while the Highlands and Islands had Objective One status (that entailed him attending a day-long course in Inverness on how to apply).
He was also on Ullapool Village Hall committee and his tenacity, along with that of its then chair Chrissy Boyd, in pursuing funding & dealing with contractors, ensured that the latest front extension was built.
When Dick and Bette left Ullapool 20 years ago they left a big hole in the community (who can forget Bette’s 50p sales she held in the village hall to raise funds to build the swimming pool?). Bette died five years ago and I still miss her wise words. Dick was a guiding hand to all who had dealings with him. They had both been social workers and it was on Dick’s retirement as head of social work with a Scottish local authority that they moved to Ullapool where they had previously holidayed.
Though Dick’s passing is a cause of sorrow to those who knew him it must be immeasurable to daughters Lee and Joanna and their families.
Joan Michael
P.S. It would be lovely if readers shared their memories of Dick (and Bette) to next week’s Ullapool News.
*****
ON THE GLOBAL TRAIL
Highland locations part of World’s first UNESCO trail
The world’s first ever UNESCO trail, bringing together some of Scotland’s most iconic, diverse and culturally significant sites, was launched on Friday15 October, 2021.
North West Highlands Geopark and Wester Ross Biosphere are two of 13 place-based designations included in Scotland’s UNESCO Trail which covers World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves, Global Geoparks and Creative Cities. The dedicated digital trail aims to take visitors on a cultural journey across the country experiencing everything from history to science, music, design and literature to nature and cityscapes.
Designed specifically to support ambitions to make Scotland a world-leading responsible tourism destination, Scotland’s UNESCO Trail encourages visitors to stay longer, visit all year round, make sustainable travel choices, explore more widely, and in turn, contribute to the sustainable quality of life of those communities surrounding the designated sites.
The digital trail – which is available at www.visitscotland.com/unesco-trail – showcases the breadth of culturally astounding UNESCO designations on offer across Scotland, providing information and inspiration to visitors across the world. It also celebrates businesses and communities that are committed to responsible tourism business practices and promotes sustainable travel options.
Scotland is the first nation in the world to create a UNESCO trail, which has been developed through a unique partnership between VisitScotland, the Scottish Government, the UK National Commission for UNESCO, Historic Environment Scotland, NatureScot, the National Trust for Scotland, as well as Scotland’s 13 UNESCO designations, which include biospheres, global geoparks, creative cities and world heritage sites. The project has received £360,000 funding from the Scottish Government to support the strategy for the sustainable recovery of Scottish tourism.
Francesca Osowska, CEO of NatureScot and Chair of Scotland’s UNESCO Trail Steering Group, said: “The Trail is a hugely exciting global first, inspiring visitors to Scotland to journey through its unique natural and cultural heritage. All the designations in the Trail have a distinctive story to tell and we hope that, whether people visit just one, or travel to all the sites, they will be wowed by what they see.
“Responsible tourism and greener travel are at the heart of our ambitions for the UNESCO Trail. This will lead to a more sustainable economy and will help to create better places for people to live and visit in every corner of Scotland. This is so essential as we work to tackle the nature loss and climate change crises and prepare to host COP26.”
Dr Laura Hamlet, North West Highlands Geopark manager said: “The North West Highlands is the most beautiful part of the UK, with an unrivaled landscape, outstanding wildlife and vibrant, living culture. Our rocks and landforms have formed over 3 billion years of Earth history and we are incredibly proud that UNESCO has awarded our region UNESCO Global Geopark status.
“Our Global Geopark is managed by a community-led charity, we tell the stories of our landscape to help inspire young minds and the not-so-young, to learn more about how the planet works and how this affects our daily lives and our culture. We have shared our landscape with visitors for generations and see this new UNESCO Trail as a modern way to promote responsible, sustainable tourism, that will encourage people from all walks of life to enjoy the landscape slowly, to take the back road, to leave the car and walk or cycle, to let the wild mountains get under their skin, and to meet our communities and share in their love of our landscape.”
Natasha Hutchison, General Manager at Wester Ross UNESCO Biosphere said: “The opportunity to highlight the work that our communities are doing to become more sustainable is worthy of international acknowledgment. We hope that our role within the UNESCO Trail will allow our visitors to understand our natural heritage and way of life, resulting in a richer, more meaningful experience for them, and our vibrant communities.”
For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/unesco-trail
