SNP Councillor Drew Hendry

Drew welcomes Hausgauen Mayor Maurice Wiss

Following a successful visit by leading lights from Hausgauen in France businesses in Glen Urquhart are looking to further cement ties between the two communities. A small group of visitors, including the Mayor of the region and some of Hausgauen’s business community enjoyed the hospitality of local community representatives during a three day fact finding visit to Drumnadrochit. The French visitors were given a tour of the local attractions that included the Loch Ness Centre and a boat trip on the Loch in addition to seeing Urquhart Castle and being invited to dinners at the Fiddler’s Cafe and the Loch Ness Lodge Hotel.

The visit was judged to have been a great success and areas for future cooperation between the two communities are being developed. In order to build on these ties community and business leaders in Drumnadrochit are now planning to visit Hausgauen for their annual Tattoo in September.

Aird and Loch Ness SNP Councillor Drew Hendry said “I was delighted to be able to be involved in welcoming these visitors and we think that the Hausgauen folk left suitably impressed with both the natural beauty of the area and with the hospitality they received. It is a real indication of the way this community is willing to pull together to try something new and they have to be congratulated for their efforts. We wish them well as they take this forward”

Chair of Glen Urquhart Community Council, David Fraser said:

“We hope that our planned visit to Hausgauen will confirm the links  We are trying something new, this is not a traditional “town twinning” and we will have to go a bit deeper than normal to find lasting ties, but clearly there is a great base of affection and mutual interest between the two communities. We will look at how we involve our young people and how we can measure the benefits of further ties, but I am very optimistic that this will be good for the area”

he added “My sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to providing our French visitors with a wonderful introduction to Glen Urquhart and its people. The generosity of the businesses and the manner in which they are all worked together was a credit to our community. I firmly believe we have made a positive start in building an alliance that will bring benefits to the businesses of Glen Urquhart and equally importantly the wider community”

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