Year of Culture to showcase "Highland Renaissance" - First Minister
First Minister Jack McConnell today welcomed the official start of Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, and said it would be "a fantastic showcase for all that makes the culture of the area so inspiring".
The First Minister proposed the idea for Scotland's year of Highland culture after the Highland bid to be European City of Culture in 2008 was unsuccessful.
Taking the bid as a basis, a programme of events has been put together that will take place across the Highlands and Islands and spotlight its diverse and unique culture.
The First Minister, who is due to speak at the official launch party on the streets of Inverness this evening, said:
"History has not been kind to the Highlands. The clearances in the 18th century led to a decline and stagnation that threatened the region's language and its distinctive view of the world. Highland culture was in danger of disappearing
"But all that has changed. The Highlands has experienced a revival which few believed possible. No-one who visits now can deny this is a region firmly on the way up.
"Population decline has been reversed and the economy is going from strength to strength.
"And the renaissance in Highland culture has been dramatic. There are galleries, authors, sports teams, poets and musicians in the Highlands that the whole of Scotland can be proud of.
"The next 12 months will be a tremendous showcase for all that makes the culture of this area so inspiring, from the ancient traditions and heritage that are so well known and loved - to the new and vibrant modern culture that has emerged.
"I have no doubt 2007 will raise the profile of Highland culture and attract visitors from all over the world. It will boost the confidence of the region's young people. And it will have a lasting legacy in major capital developments like Eden Court.
"But The Year of Culture will be good for the whole of Scotland too. We can all learn from the region's cultural renaissance and how we can celebrate our identity by combining our rich heritage with all that's good about modern Scotland."
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