Communities in the Highlands and Islands are being offered the chance to put pen to paper on the topic of what air travel means to them.

Liz Niven, the travelling writer in residence for Inverness Airport’s gateway arts project today (Saturday 18 October) started her creative writing tour of the region’s 10 airports operated by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited.

The air travel for the tour has been donated by Loganair and Highland Airways.

HIAL secured partnership funding earlier this year to develop the arts initiative as part of the Inverness Airport gateway project that is creating a distinct cultural identity for the region’s principal air transport hub. The project is principally funded by the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund with additional funding from Arts & Business New Partners, Inverness and Nairn Enterprise, The Highland Council and Writers In Scotland.

Liz will be travelling to each of the airports to run creative writing workshops with local community groups, schools and members of staff.

Liz’s tour serves two purposes. It will allow her to involve passengers and staff in creative writing for fun during her journey. It will also provide her with a sense of what air travel means to the remoter communities of the Highlands and Islands so that she can create a piece of writing.

Her work will form part of an anthology of writing which will be created by pupils from Nairn Academy, Ardersier Primary and other schools and organisations taking part in the project.

Liz has recently completed a three-year residency with Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association and has wide experience of creative writing seminars and workshops. She has also had several poetry books published and has worked as a freelance writer for several years. Liz was also recently voted joint first in The Herald Scots’ Poetry Competition.

Commenting at the start of her tour in Inverness, Liz said: "This is an imaginative and exciting project and I'm privileged to be taking part in it. We use words everyday in our lives and it's a great challenge to work with the community and create new writing about our journeys both physical and otherwise. I'm really looking forward to the whole experience."

Ivor Robertson, customer services manager at Loganair, said: "As principal operator to all 10 airports, Loganair is delighted to sponsor some of the travel for Liz Niven and we wish her every success in bringing her creative writing project to the local communities which we serve."

Jenny Attalla, literature officer for the Scottish Arts Council commented: "This is a fantastic project and one that the Scottish Arts Council is delighted to be involved in.  Not only does it involve the local community but the project sees art and creativity taking place in the most unlikely of places. Travel often involves long periods of contemplation as well as experiences that broaden the mind. This project will see these ideas and thoughts being captured on the written page. I am looking forward to seeing what this project produces."

Barclay Price, director of Arts & Business Scotland added: "Our New Partners funding encourages business to become more involved and creative in supporting the arts. During the Highland Festival, for example, Highlands & Islands Airports' hosted the touring production of 'The Wedding' at its Inverness terminal and broadcast poetry over the intercom system. It is hugely encouraging that the Airports' have now taken sponsorship to the next level with the initiation of their own project, drawing in the whole community from staff to schools."

Ivor Robertson, customer services manager at Loganair, said: "As principal operator to all 10 airports, Loganair is delighted to sponsor some of the travel for Liz Niven and we wish her every success in bringing her creative writing project to the local communities which we serve."

Basil O’Fee, commercial director of Highland Airways, said: "We are happy to be associated with this initiative. An airline like us, who regularly operates in this unique area, must be very hopeful that some of the magic of the region and its people can be captured in words for the wider enjoyment and appreciation of both locals and visitors. We wish the project well."

The dates and destinations on Liz’s tour are as follows:

• 18, 19, 20 October at Inverness Airport

• 21 October at Stornoway Airport. Adult Learners from throughout the Western Isles will participate in a creative writing workshop at Stornoway Airport. The workshop has been jointly organised with Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar's Community Education Department. Learners from the Western Isles Learning Shop, Lews Castle College and Training for Development will attend along with learners from Cothrom Ltd in Benbecula who will fly up in order to participate. The workshop will concentrate on the theme of travel. For more information on this event, please contact Graeme Miller, Community Education Officer, on 01851 707457.

• 27 October at Benbecula and Barra Airports.

• 3 November at Tiree Airport. An evening creative writing class has been organised with Tiree High School.

• 5 November at Islay Airport.

• 10 November at Wick and Kikwall Airports. A creative writing class has been organised for 6 year students from Wick High School. This will take place at Wick Airport between 10.30am and 12am. Liz will then fly to Kirkwall Airport where she will hold another seminar between 1.45pm and 3pm.

• 11 November at Sumburgh Airport.

• 18 November at Campbeltown Airport.

ENDS