Initiatives
North Highland Initiative (NHI)
The Duke of Rothesay, as The Prince of Wales is known in Scotland, launched the North Highland Initiative (NHI) in August 2005 to promote and develop the economy and to support the rural communities of the North Highlands.
The NHI was formed as a direct result of The Duke’s involvement in bringing together the farming community, local businesses and the tourism industry to try to address some of the challenges facing rural communities in the far north of Scotland by creating a powerful regional identity for the area through marketing.
The Mey Selections brand was the NHI’s first venture and was developed to enhance the marketing presence of produce from the North Highlands’ area in niche food markets, selling beef, mutton and lamb.
The brand has a unique selling point in the packaging artwork which was painted by The Duke himself, featuring a view of the Castle of Mey from the walled garden, therefore binding together the Castle of Mey’s long Royal Association with the produce of the area.
Since the launch Mey Selections has realised £150,000 of additional income for local farmer members.
The second phase of the NHI was the launch of a tourism marketing strategy which focuses on the idea of “Pleasure in the Extreme”, rooted in the physical and environmental extremes that exist in the North Highlands.
The third phase of the project will concentrate on breathing new life into the area’s valuable built heritage.