The tourism industry makes a vital contribution to the economy and communities of our region
Tourism
Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross
A strong and sustainable area with a highly educated workforce.
About Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross
From the highest peak, to mystical pools and one of the best drives in the world, Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross have the monopoly on A-list attractions.
But while Ben Nevis, the Isle of Skye’s Fairy Pools and the Bealach na Ba road draw visitors by the thousands, there’s more to this area of the vast western Highlands than mere world-class natural beauty.
Rich in natural produce, food and drink is a key local employer, with companies such as Mowi farming salmon to be exported globally.
The mineral-rich region sustains employers from the mining and energy sectors. GFG Alliance’s £120m investment in the Liberty British Aluminium facility in Fort William includes the development of an aluminium wheels production plant. It’ll soon be possible to take a trip around this area of unrivalled scenery carried by metal forged from the very rocks around you.
The area’s schools are among the strongest in the country, we send a high proportion of our school pupils on to higher education. West Highland College, University of the Highlands and Islands has 10 centres in the region, delivering further and higher education including degree courses.
From Fort William to Portree, film crews have amplified the stunning landscapes of one of Scotland’s most photogenic regions all around the world. Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross have made silver screen appearances in Prometheus, Macbeth, James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough and many more.
We’re really pleased to have secured support from HIE, enabling us to take the next step in expanding our business. It’s great to be able to schedule more trips to St Kilda with confidence, and the additional attraction of trips to Harris and the Shiants.Kenneth MacKinnon, SeaSkye Marine
SWEET SUCCESS FOR A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR
Discover how we supported young entrepreneur Finlay with his business, Chocolates of Glenshiel.
AREA STATISTICS
2,000
local businesses
39k
population
21
of employment in accommodation and food services
161
average house price
There has been a block failure. Block name: areaHighlights - Page Id: 1871 - Page Url: /our-region/our-areas/lochaber-skye-and-wester-ross/<br /><br />Exception message: Value cannot be null. Parameter name: content<br /><br />Stack trace: at Umbraco.Web.PublishedContentExtensions.<EnumerateDescendants>d__142.MoveNext() at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereEnumerableIterator`1.MoveNext() at System.Linq.Buffer`1..ctor(IEnumerable`1 source) at System.Linq.OrderedEnumerable`1.<GetEnumerator>d__1.MoveNext() at System.Linq.Enumerable.<TakeIterator>d__25`1.MoveNext() at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectEnumerableIterator`2.MoveNext() at System.Linq.Enumerable.<CastIterator>d__97`1.MoveNext() at System.Linq.Enumerable.WhereSelectEnumerableIterator`2.MoveNext() at System.Collections.Generic.List`1..ctor(IEnumerable`1 collection) at System.Linq.Enumerable.ToList[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source) at HIE.Core.Helpers.TagHighlightsHelper.GetHighlights(IPublishedContent currentPage, Tag tag, Int32 pageSize) in C:\Projects\hie-website\solution\HIE.Models\Helpers\TagHighlightsHelper.cs:line 56 at ASP._Page_Views_Shared_ContentBlocks__areaHighlights_cshtml.Execute() in D:\HTTP\www.hient.co.uk\public_html\Views\Shared\ContentBlocks\_areaHighlights.cshtml:line 13 at System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.ExecutePageHierarchy() at System.Web.Mvc.WebViewPage.ExecutePageHierarchy() at System.Web.WebPages.WebPageBase.ExecutePageHierarchy(WebPageContext pageContext, TextWriter writer, WebPageRenderingBase startPage) at System.Web.Mvc.RazorView.RenderView(ViewContext viewContext, TextWriter writer, Object instance) at System.Web.Mvc.BuildManagerCompiledView.Render(ViewContext viewContext, TextWriter writer) at Umbraco.Core.Profiling.ProfilingView.Render(ViewContext viewContext, TextWriter writer) at System.Web.Mvc.HtmlHelper.RenderPartialInternal(String partialViewName, ViewDataDictionary viewData, Object model, TextWriter writer, ViewEngineCollection viewEngineCollection) at System.Web.Mvc.Html.PartialExtensions.Partial(HtmlHelper htmlHelper, String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData) at ASP._Page_Views_Shared__ContentBlocks_cshtml.Execute() in D:\HTTP\www.hient.co.uk\public_html\Views\Shared\_ContentBlocks.cshtml:line 16<br /><br />
Grow your business in our flourishing region
If you have a company headquarters outside of the Highlands and Islands region and are interested in launching a business here, we offer local knowledge and expert support to help you get set-up.
Base your business hereWe're here to help your community thrive
If you're a new or existing social enterprise or community-led business in this area, we can offer you specialist advice and support.
Support for Community Organisations
KEY SECTORS IN THIS AREA
Find out more about the key sectors you'll find in the Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross area
Related content
Find out more about other areas in our region
Use our directory to contact staff across the region. You can filter results by location for contacts in a specific area.
Staff Directory
Ride your wave of success in Argyll and the Islands.
Argyll and the Islands
Make more in Moray - Scotland's manufacturing powerhouse.
Moray
Where Scotland meets Scandinavia and the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Island life in perfect balance.
Shetland