Lennon's childhood holidays recalled to woo tourists
John Lennon's childhood trips to Scotland become part of an official promotion to attract tourists to the Highlands for the first time today. Between the ages of nine and 14 Lennon spent summer holidays at Durness in Sutherland. The ex-Beatle even returned in 1969 with his wife Yoko Ono and their children, during which he survived a car accident at Loch Eriboll. There is talk of making that trip into a film.
Now North Highland Tourism Operators Ltd, which is headed by Prince Charles, is launching a website to celebrate Lennon's links with the village which inspired him to write the seminal song In My Life. It is hoped the website
http://www.northhighlandsscotland.com will help to lure tourists to the area. Lennon and his cousin Stanley Parkes used to stay at the family croft at Sango Bay.
Welcoming the move, Mr Parkes said: "John never forgot those times at Durness. They were among his happiest memories. He loved the wilderness."We went fishing and hunting and John loved going up into the hills to
draw or write poetry. John really loved hill walking, shooting and fishing. He would have been quite a laird! "In the last letter to me before he was killed he quoted a famous Scottish saying, so I am delighted that John's life and times in Durness are being highlighted.
"I hope many tourists will visit the area that meant so much to him and enjoy its beauty and charms as he once did." A memorial commemorating Lennon's time in the area was unveiled in 2002 by Mr Parkes.
The website also focuses on the area's heritage and history. The launch comes ahead of the publication of a book about Lennon's links with Durness, the most north-westerly village on mainland Britain
The Next Big Thing has been written by former Shadow Scottish Culture
Minister Michael Russell.
