First footing in the Highlands

Why we came to the Inverness Highland Games

One of our first trips as Euan's Guide's new Volunteer Development team took us to the Inverness Highland Games, where I was joined by our Inverness Volunteer Ambassador, Karis.

The Inverness Highland Games are one of the biggest events in the Highlands, bringing together local communities alongside visitors from around the world. Throughout the day we introduced people to Euan’s Guide and the life-changing reality of high-quality access information. Disabled access information matters in every scenario, whether it be a major annual event like the Highland Games or your local café, community hall or visitor attraction. These conversations also highlighted that accessibility is a global issue: we met visitors from as far afield as Denmark, Malta, Australia and the USA.

Most importantly, the Games gave us the opportunity to connect with local organisations in Inverness and its surrounding area - with community groups and individuals who are already doing the fantastic work of making their communities welcoming and inclusive to everyone. These conversations are exactly why we came to Inverness, and we're looking forward to seeing where they lead.

We were especially pleased to have Karis with us throughout the day. As both a Euan's Guide Inverness Ambassador and a member of the Inverness Access Panel, her local knowledge helped shape many of our conversations. Karis has now shared an accessibility review of the Inverness Highland Games on Euan's Guide, helping disabled visitors plan ahead for next year’s event.

It takes a village

True accessibility is a communal effort. At Euan's Guide, we know the most valuable disabled access information comes from people with lived experience. Every review helps someone else make informed decisions about where to go and the confidence to visit new places, whether that's trying a new café, attending an event or planning a holiday. Your reviews make the world an easier place for the next person to enjoy!

Since joining Euan's Guide at the end of May, Rosie, our Volunteer Outreach Lead, and I have been thinking about how we can help more people find Euan’s Guide so they can share their lived experience.

Across Scotland there are charities, community groups, access panels, venues and volunteers doing brilliant work in their local communities - and we want to talk to them! We want to partner and explore how Euan's Guide can support this work by helping more people share disabled access information, encouraging accessibility reviews and making it easier for disabled people to find trusted information before they visit somewhere new.

This could look like organising a community Review Day, supporting a group to review local venues together, encouraging visitors to leave reviews after an event, or working with local organisations to help more people discover and use Euan's Guide. We know that every community is different and we look forward to building these relationships, listening and learning about what’s already happening locally.

Conclusion: Scotland-wide mission

Over the coming months, Rosie and I will be visiting communities from the Highlands to the South of Scotland to build relationships and explore how Euan's Guide can support local accessibility through volunteering and partnerships.

So if you are part of a community group, charity, or local organisation or simply a person passionate about accessibility, we'd love to hear from you to explore how we might work together. Every review shared on Euan's Guide helps another disabled person access more of this beautiful country!

Reach out to Rosie and Cecile on hello@euansguide.com.

This work is funded by the Improving Access Fund from the Scottish Government, alongside many other great projects that we might be able to partner with too!