Tourism in the highlands and islands of Scotland rewards and conflicts

The paper examines the impact that tourism might be expected to have on peripheral regions, with a particular focus on the Highlands and Islands of Scotland while also drawing on the recorded experience of other areas. Tourism is evaluated as an economic, social, cultural, and political force to allow an assessment of its impact on the host community. The article recognizes that tourism may inevitably be associated with both costs and benefits in the same community and concludes that in order to ensure the most appropriate form of tourism, its development should be through local initiatives and consistent with local values.