Family History Tourism

20 October 2004

A very interesting course, conducted by Moira Birtwhistle and run by the Nadair Trust, was designed both to introduce Scotland’s Genealogy tourism initiative and to equip local people to assist the growing number of genealogy tourists.

With Genealogy reported to be the fastest growing past-time on the internet, we were encouraged to explore the many sites available and, as well, to consider ways to develop the genealogical aspects of our own sites. Local stories of people and places  are  always  of interest as they are the personal details largely absent from mainstream history, yet they can lead tourists to a greater knowledge of who they are and where they have come from. Visiting an ancestral home is a very powerful experience, and the effectiveness of the internet as a lure to get people to do this, cannot be over estimated. While we can’t all be experts we can learn to be confident about giving accurate information about where to send tourists for help.

Important: The computer group is interested in pursuing the stories that lie behind cottages and settlements and the everyday lives of Liosachs which are not necessarily recorded in more formal history but are of great interest to those who have settled here as well as descendants of those who have left. These stories are currently in the minds of today's Liosachs and it would be enriching to see some of them at least on the website. We would love to hear from anyone interested in pursuing this as those working on the site are already stretched and it needs a dedicated researcher.

Donald Black with Moira Birtwhistle