CAITHNESS HORIZONS MAKES ITS MARK AT EXPO 2007

5th May 2007

Caithness Horizons, the new visitor attraction and community facility that will be housed in the refurbished Thurso Town Hall and Carnegie Library, made its first appearance to the travel trade at Expo 2007 in Edinburgh and received a welcome level of interest from potential buyers.

The Centre, which will become the hub for the area and act as a signpost for the many attractions and sites of interest in Caithness, attracted the attention of UK and overseas-based tour operators - as well as the media - who were all interested in receiving a special preview of the project.

Expo 2007 was chosen as the venue for unveiling the project because it offers the perfect opportunity to reach the worldwide travel trade in advance of them preparing their 2008 itineraries.

Visitors to the Caithness Horizons stand enjoyed sampling cheeses and oatcakes from 'Mey Selections' while hearing about how the building is to be restored, how the artefacts and displays will be housed and, in particular, about the dramatic audio-visual presentation and interactive wall map that will take participants on a journey through Caithness past and present.

Chairman of Caithness Horizons, Paul Cariss, commented: "I am pleased with the level of interest that we have already generated for the project itself, which in turn has a knock on effect in achieving greater awareness of the whole of the Caithness area and its visitor attractions and relatively undiscovered heritage sites.

"Expo 2007 has been very important in helping us raise awareness of our plans by giving us direct access to the tourism industry on a global scale.

"I believe Caithness Horizons has a key role to play in signposting visitors to attractions in the area, ensuring that they make the most of their stay and, more importantly, that they return again to discover more about what Caithness and the North Highlands has to offer."

See www.caithnesshorizons.co.uk