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00:00I was really impressed, this is the first time I met the King, but I was really impressed
00:06that he was able to talk to everybody, about crofters, about clipping and dipping, and
00:11foresters, about different riparian trees, and all the kind of stuff. Everybody I think
00:16really had a nice time with him, I think they all enjoyed, and we're all pleasantly surprised
00:20by how knowledgeable he was, and pleasant, yeah.
00:23We now have the Flow Country Partnership that will take the things forward, and we're hoping
00:27that with green finance, and having this wonderful peak that is obviously of international,
00:33international universal value, that that will help us go and bring the green carbon finance
00:40to this area, and that we will be able to improve, obviously improve infrastructure
00:45and things like that, but as always, try to encourage people to come to the area, to work,
00:50to make lifestyle choices, and yes, some of this green carbon will filter down from the
00:56bigger people that we all know get it, down to the smaller crofters, and then just communities
01:01themselves, and we're really hoping that that's what's going to happen, and we'll be working
01:04hard to do that from now on.
01:06And community definitely out in force today.
01:08The community is just great, absolutely fantastic that they all came along, just the stay it
01:12is, it's great, it's a really good community day, and yeah, so hopefully a lovely afternoon
01:17for the mid-sheets, allowing.
01:20It's absolutely fantastic, I mean there's a huge turnout here, and it's a huge recognition
01:25for all the work that's gone into getting the UNESCO bid for ETA to where it is today,
01:30and getting us listed as a World Heritage Site.
01:34It's like a massive thank you to everyone who's been involved, and the community members
01:38who actually have been looking after this land for so long, and that means it's in this
01:42brilliant condition to now be a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well.
01:47You know, when we're looking at something like this, we're talking about, you know,
01:51really shining a spotlight on what is on the doorsteps of all the communities up here,
01:55and really putting a focus on the area and the region, and community engagement is a
02:00huge part of that.
02:02In terms of, you know, it's bringing money through tourism into the local communities,
02:07it's slowing that kind of flow of the North Coast 500, and really making this north-east
02:12corner of Cadenesse and Sutherland just absolutely one of the best spots on the North Coast 500.
02:18Yeah, and obviously the visit from His Majesty today, just such a huge advocate over the
02:24years, throughout his whole life of the fight against climate change, and how proud did
02:31he come across today in this visit?
02:33He certainly looked very, very happy to be here.
02:35He's not just proud, he's extremely knowledgeable.
02:36You know, he knows a lot about the environment and about the bird species, and the questions
02:40that he's asking to people on the spot, you know, very, very poignant questions, really,
02:45really understands it and understands the value of the work that's being done up here
02:48in the flow country, and also the importance that bringing the UNESCO World Heritage status
02:53kind of brings to the community and the people in Sutherland.
02:55It feels really special that I think he acknowledges and understands why we have got the World
03:01Heritage site status, why we live here, why the people up here love this place as well.
03:05I think that came across in his knowledge and his questions, is that he understands
03:09it, he loves it, it's where we're protected.
03:12It's hugely privileged for the King to turn up today and to unveil a plaque which marks
03:28the inscription of the World Heritage site that we've now got, two of them, we've
03:32now got in fact in Sutherland.
03:35So very exciting and lots of people here who've been part of this bid, which has taken years
03:40in the making, it's not something that happens instantaneously, so all credit to
03:44all of them.
03:45I think he really enjoyed it.
03:47I mean, he's very well informed about this subject.
03:50He was asking some really quite penetrating questions of the many scientists who are here
03:54today and they all enjoyed it.
03:56I think you got the equivalent of scientific banter at the highest level, which was very
04:00special indeed.
04:01I think he really enjoyed the day as much as they did.
04:03Well, the flow country is a huge area.
04:05I mean, Sutherland, for me, is a two-hour drive west to east and two-hour drive north
04:09to south and the flow country sits pretty much in the middle, top dead centre of that.
04:14So to see so many people coming so far and travelling so far was incredible, but they
04:20all feel very much a part of this and I think that's something that's very special about
04:24the project is it's been very inclusive.
04:26It's really got everyone together and that's a wonderful thing for Sutherland.
04:30I think developing the project is the most important thing.
04:33It's what I would call a think to the finish moment.
04:36They've got to take this forward and it's always quite difficult to do that.
04:39You get to the climax, you get that inscription, but where do you take it from there?
04:44But the opportunities, I think, are huge for Sutherland, but most importantly, huge for
04:48the people of Sutherland because there are real opportunities here for tourism.
04:53There are great opportunities for the environment.
04:55There's opportunities everywhere you look and it's turning those into hard reality.
04:59That's the challenge now and that's what we're going to do.