22nd August 2026
There is something rather strange about the way we think about transport infrastructure.
We spend millions of pounds building railway stations, bus terminals, airports, ferry terminals and roads. We then spend more money maintaining them. We encourage people to use public transport to reduce congestion and emissions.
But very often the philosophy seems to stop at one simple objective: get people through the facility as efficiently as possible.
What if we thought about it differently?
What if a railway station wasn't simply somewhere you waited for a train?
What if an airport wasn't simply somewhere you passed through before boarding an aircraft?
What if a bus station became a place people actually wanted to visit?
And what if, particularly in the Highlands, we could turn some of our transport infrastructure into attractions that told the story of the place people had come to see?
Singapore has provided a spectacular example of what is possible.
But we don't need Singapore's £1 billion-plus budget to learn the lesson.
We need some imagination.
The Singapore example
Anyone who has seen photographs of Singapore's Jewel Changi Airport will probably remember the same thing: the enormous indoor waterfall.
The Rain Vortex falls 40 metres through the centre of a vast glass-domed building.
But the waterfall isn't the whole story.
Jewel is a huge development incorporating gardens, shops, restaurants, a hotel, parking and attractions. The overall project cost was around S$1.7 billion, including land, construction, related costs and financing.
It would obviously be ridiculous to suggest that Highland Council, ScotRail or the Scottish Government should go out and spend anything remotely approaching that amount on a railway station.
That completely misses the point.
The lesson is that infrastructure can be an experience.
Jewel was designed so that people would want to spend time there.
Some visitors are passengers.
Some are shoppers.
Some are tourists.
Some simply want to see the building and the waterfall.
The airport has effectively become an attraction in its own right.
That is the idea worth bringing to Scotland.
What if we started much smaller?
Imagine a railway station where you arrive and immediately encounter something that tells you where you are.
Not a generic waiting room.
Not a collection of commercial signs.
Not simply a timetable.
Something memorable.
It could be a sculpture.
It could be water.
It could be light.
It could be sound.
It could be an interactive digital display.
It could be a garden.
It could be a piece of engineering.
Or it could combine several of these.
The important thing is that it should be specific to the place.
The visitor arriving in Caithness should know they are in Caithness.
The visitor arriving in Sutherland should know they are in Sutherland.
The visitor arriving in Skye should know they are in Skye.
We already have the stories.
We simply don't always put them where people can see them.
Caithness has an extraordinary opportunity
Consider the Far North Line.
The line runs through some of the most extraordinary landscapes in Britain, connecting communities from Easter Ross through Sutherland and into Caithness.
The Far North Line Community Rail Partnership is already working to promote the railway as both a transport service and a visitor experience, with a stated aim of increasing awareness and use of the line for everyday travel and tourism.
ScotRail itself promotes the line as a scenic journey, highlighting places including Forsinard and the Flow Country, Invergordon's murals, Tain and Dunrobin Castle.
VisitScotland similarly describes the Far North Line as one of Scotland's great scenic railway journeys, taking around four and a half hours from Inverness to Thurso or Wick.
So we already have the product.
The railway runs through the story.
The question is whether the stations themselves could become part of that story.
Imagine arriving at Thurso
Let's start with Thurso.
Why shouldn't the railway station become a small celebration of the Pentland Firth?
Imagine an installation showing the movement of the tides through the Firth.
Water could move through a transparent model of the coastline, with lighting showing the changing tidal flows.
A screen could show the real-time weather and sea conditions.
Another installation could explain the extraordinary marine environment around Caithness.
And perhaps there could be an artistic interpretation of the cliffs, seabirds, waves and Atlantic storms.
It wouldn't need to be enormous.
It could be something that takes five minutes to explore.
But five minutes could become ten.
Ten minutes could become twenty.
And suddenly the railway station is no longer merely somewhere to wait for the train.
It has become the first attraction encountered by a visitor to Thurso.
And what about Wick?
Wick could do something completely different.
The town has a remarkable maritime and fishing history.
Why not create an immersive installation telling the story of Wick as a fishing port?
Imagine a visitor entering a station where the sound of the sea, harbour activity and fishing boats forms part of the experience.
Historical photographs could be projected onto walls.
A large interactive map could show the development of the harbour.
Visitors could explore the lives of fishermen and their families.
A model could show how the harbour worked.
And perhaps a large illuminated map could show how fishing connected Wick with markets around Britain and beyond.
Again, it doesn't have to be a £100 million project.
A carefully designed installation could potentially be created for a fraction of that.
The objective would be to make someone say:
"That's interesting. I didn't know that about Wick."
And that is exactly the response you want from a visitor.
Then there is the Flow Country
Forsinard provides an even more obvious example.
Here, the railway station is already closely associated with the RSPB's Flow Country visitor experience.
ScotRail specifically identifies Forsinard as a place to stop for the Flow Country, with the visitor centre conveniently located at the station.
This is perhaps the model we should be looking at.
The railway station and attraction reinforce one another.
You don't have to build something entirely artificial.
You can use the station to open the door to the landscape outside it.
And the Flow Country is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Imagine what could be done with a modern interpretation of peatlands, carbon, wildlife, water and climate.
A visitor could arrive by train and immediately understand why the landscape outside the window is internationally important.
That is much more powerful than simply putting up a sign saying "Welcome to Forsinard".
What about the smaller stations?
This is where the idea becomes particularly interesting.
We don't necessarily need every station to become a major attraction.
Instead, we could develop a chain of small experiences along the Far North Line.
Each station could have its own identity.
Tain could celebrate its history, whisky and the Dornoch Firth.
Golspie could connect visitors with Dunrobin Castle and the surrounding landscape.
Helmsdale could tell the story of the fishing village, the river and the history of Sutherland.
Lairg could interpret the inland lochs and landscape.
Forsinard could concentrate on the Flow Country.
Georgemas could tell the story of the railway itself and its role in connecting the north.
Thurso could celebrate the Pentland Firth and the Atlantic.
Wick could celebrate its maritime history and the north coast.
Suddenly the railway itself becomes a journey through a collection of experiences.
And that could encourage people to slow down.
Instead of driving from Inverness to John O'Groats as quickly as possible, visitors might think:
"Let's take the train and see what is at each stop."
That is a very different tourism proposition.
We shouldn't underestimate the power of water
Your suggestion of water fountains is particularly interesting because water is such a natural part of the Highland story.
We don't need another Rain Vortex.
We could create much smaller installations.
Imagine a station square where water emerges from a representation of a Highland spring.
Or a fountain that rises and falls according to the tides.
Or a sculpture showing the journey of water from mountain to river to sea.
Or an installation where children can manipulate water flows and learn about rivers, rainfall and hydroelectricity.
At Thurso, water could represent the Pentland Firth.
At Wick, it could represent the harbour.
At Lairg, the lochs.
At Helmsdale, the river.
At Forsinard, the extraordinary relationship between peatland and water.
Suddenly something as simple as a fountain becomes educational, artistic and memorable.
It doesn't even have to be water
There is a danger of taking the Singapore example too literally.
The answer isn't to put a waterfall in every Highland station.
The answer is to ask:
What makes this place special?
Then turn that answer into an experience.
Perhaps one station could have a huge astronomical installation.
Another could have a projection of the Northern Lights.
Another could have an interactive wildlife display.
Another could use local music.
Another could use historic photographs.
Another could celebrate engineering.
Another could tell the story of the people who built the railway.
Another could have an outdoor sculpture garden.
Another could use augmented reality so that visitors point their phones at the landscape and see what existed there 100 years ago.
The possibilities are enormous.
And many could be relatively inexpensive.
Imagine a Highland railway station in winter
There is another opportunity here.
Tourism in the Highlands has traditionally been heavily concentrated in the summer.
Yet the Highland Council's Sustainable Tourism Strategy explicitly aims for a visitor economy with year-round appeal, spread more evenly across the region.
Imagine a station installation specifically designed to be spectacular on a dark winter afternoon.
Lighting could transform a station courtyard.
Projection technology could create changing displays.
Local artists could produce seasonal installations.
A small indoor attraction could provide somewhere warm to spend half an hour.
Instead of the station being a place people try to leave as quickly as possible, it becomes somewhere worth stopping.
That could help extend the tourism season.
The economic opportunity is bigger than the attraction itself
This is perhaps the most important point.
If you create an attraction, you aren't simply creating something for tourists to look at.
You are creating a reason for people to stop.
And when people stop, they spend money.
They buy coffee.
They eat lunch.
They visit a shop.
They stay overnight.
They book another attraction.
They use local taxis.
They buy souvenirs.
They may even decide to return.
That is why the Highland Council's own tourism strategy talks about investing in assets and identifying new and innovative ways of using them to benefit visitors, communities, the environment and industry. It also specifically talks about identifying a pipeline of future major tourism investment projects.
The concept I am suggesting is therefore not outside the Council's existing thinking.
It is potentially a way of putting that thinking into practice.
And it could help public transport
There is another benefit.
Scotland is trying to encourage people to make greater use of public transport.
But telling people to use the train because it is more sustainable isn't always enough.
People make choices based on convenience, price and experience.
What if the train itself became part of the holiday?
What if the stations became part of the attraction?
Suddenly the journey isn't something to endure between attractions.
The journey becomes an attraction.
That could be particularly valuable in the Highlands, where the landscape outside the carriage windows is already extraordinary.
The Highland Council recognises that transport is fundamental to tourism. Its strategy describes Highland as having a complex network of road, rail, air and marine links and says that improving public transport and sustainable travel is part of developing climate-conscious tourism.
The opportunity is to connect those two ideas.
Sustainable transport and tourism don't have to be separate policies.
They can reinforce one another.
What about bus stations?
The same principle applies.
A bus terminal doesn't have to look like a bus terminal.
Imagine a Highland bus interchange containing a small food hall featuring local producers.
Imagine an indoor garden using native plants.
Imagine a digital wall showing the journeys that can be made from that location.
Imagine a sculpture made from local stone.
Imagine a children's interactive display about Highland wildlife.
Imagine live information about walks, attractions, events and local businesses.
A traveller with an hour to wait might decide to explore rather than simply sit on a plastic chair.
And perhaps local businesses could contribute.
Why shouldn't a local brewery, distillery, food producer, artist, craftsman or technology company have a presence?
The transport hub becomes part of the local economy.
Airports could do it too
Inverness Airport is another obvious candidate.
An airport is the first and last impression many visitors receive of the Highlands.
Why should that impression be a conventional terminal?
Imagine arriving at Inverness and immediately seeing a spectacular digital interpretation of the Highlands.
Mountains.
Lochs.
Wildlife.
History.
Music.
Gaelic culture.
The Northern Lights.
The Flow Country.
The sea.
And, importantly, information about places beyond Inverness.
It could encourage visitors to spread their journey further into the Highlands rather than remaining in one well-known destination.
The airport could effectively say:
"You have arrived in the Highlands. Here's what you can discover."
This isn't just a dream
There is already a policy framework that could accommodate such thinking.
Highland Council's Sustainable Tourism Strategy says tourism is vital to the Highland economy and identifies infrastructure, destination development and investment in visitor facilities among its priorities.
The Council has also specifically said that innovative uses of its assets should be explored and that partnerships should be developed to create future investment opportunities.
The Far North Line Community Rail Partnership is already working with communities, tourism providers, businesses, public bodies and transport organisations to improve station infrastructure and develop the railway as a visitor experience.
So this isn't about inventing a completely new policy.
It is about thinking differently about what those policies could deliver.
Start with one station
We shouldn't try to transform every station at once.
Pick one.
Perhaps Thurso.
Perhaps Wick.
Perhaps Inverness.
Perhaps somewhere smaller where an ambitious experiment could be carried out relatively cheaply.
Invite architects.
Artists.
Engineers.
Tourism businesses.
Local schools.
Community groups.
Young people.
Historians.
Environmental organisations.
And, most importantly, local residents.
Ask one simple question:
"If we had to make this the most interesting railway station in Scotland, what would we do?"
Don't begin by asking how much it costs.
Begin with the idea.
Then work backwards.
Perhaps the winning concept costs £5 million.
Perhaps it costs £500,000.
Perhaps somebody comes up with something extraordinary for £100,000.
The important thing is to stop assuming that every public building has to look like a public building.
Let the public come up with the ideas
And this is where I think Caithness could potentially do something particularly interesting.
Instead of waiting for a council committee, transport agency or government department to announce a project, why not start the conversation ourselves?
Ask people what they would create.
What should a visitor see when arriving at Wick?
What should they see at Thurso?
What could make someone deliberately get off the train at Helmsdale?
What could make someone spend an extra hour in Golspie?
What could make a family choose the Far North Line rather than the car?
What could make a railway journey itself part of a holiday?
There will probably be some ridiculous ideas.
Good.
There will probably be some impossible ideas.
Good.
There will also be some brilliant ideas hidden among them.
And those are the ones worth developing.
We don't need a billion pounds
This is perhaps the most important message of all.
Singapore's Jewel cost S$1.7 billion.
That sounds extraordinary.
But we shouldn't look at that figure and conclude that Scotland cannot compete.
We shouldn't be competing on cost.
We should be competing on imagination.
A £1 billion development isn't necessary to transform a railway station.
A few million pounds could potentially produce something memorable.
A few hundred thousand pounds might produce something surprisingly effective.
And in some cases the investment might come from a combination of public money, private businesses, tourism organisations and community groups.
The question shouldn't be:
"Can we afford another Jewel?"
It should be:
"What could we create for the money we can afford?"
That is a much more productive question.
Perhaps the biggest idea is changing how we see infrastructure
For decades, infrastructure has largely been treated as something functional.
A road gets you somewhere.
A railway gets you somewhere.
A bus station is somewhere you change buses.
An airport is somewhere you catch a plane.
But the Highlands has an opportunity to turn that thinking around.
Our transport infrastructure sits in some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe.
Our communities have extraordinary histories.
Our wildlife is internationally important.
Our rivers, seas, mountains and peatlands are assets.
Our culture is an asset.
Our stories are assets.
Why shouldn't our transport infrastructure showcase them?
The Highlands already has many of the ingredients.
The Council itself recognises that its existing assets — from museums and cultural sites to harbours, parks and other facilities — contribute to the visitor economy, and it says there is scope for further investment and innovative uses.
Perhaps the next step is to include railway stations, bus terminals, ferry terminals and airports in that way of thinking.
So here is the challenge
I would like to see people in Caithness and across the Highlands start imagining what is possible.
Forget for a moment about budgets.
Forget about planning applications.
Forget about whether someone will say it cannot be done.
Imagine that a visitor gets off the train at Wick.
What would you want them to see?
Imagine arriving at Thurso.
What could make them stop and say "Wow"?
Imagine travelling through Sutherland.
What could persuade someone to get off the train and explore?
Imagine a bus station in a Highland town.
What could turn waiting time into an experience?
And imagine Inverness Airport.
What should be the first thing a visitor sees when they arrive in the Highlands?
Perhaps somebody reading this already has the idea.
Perhaps somebody else will improve upon it.
Perhaps a local artist will think of something an engineer could actually build.
Perhaps a child will come up with an idea that adults would never consider.
That is how projects sometimes begin.
Not with a government announcement.
Not with a £100 million budget.
But with somebody asking:
"Why can't we do something different?"
Singapore asked that question about an airport.
It ended up with Jewel Changi and one of the world's most recognisable indoor waterfalls.
The Highlands doesn't need to copy Singapore.
We have something Singapore cannot build: the Highlands itself.
What we need is the imagination to make the journey through it as memorable as the destination.
And perhaps the next great Highland tourism attraction won't be another visitor centre, another hotel or another car park.
Perhaps it will be the railway station you never expected to want to visit.