socialmedian: Gold in Scottish Highlands: surge in prices transforms village's prospects

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Gold in Scottish Highlands: surge in prices transforms village's prospects

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Nov 08, 2009

Summary

• Firm wants to mine area first drilled 20 years ago
• Fresh interest triggered by recent price surge

The Scottish Highlands are famous for many things: ancient mountains, sparkling lochs, whisky and wildlife. But now a new and highly lucrative attraction has been found in the Highlands: gold.

An Australian-funded mining company has made several large finds of gold, potentially worth hundreds of millions of pounds, around the small village of Tyndrum, known best as a nondescript rest stop for the hordes of tourists and skiers passing north to Glen Coe, Fort William and Skye.

The company, Scotgold, already owns a small mine near Tyndrum known as Cononish. First drilled 20 years ago, Cononish has never been commercially worked, until now.

Buoyed by the soaring price of gold, next month Scotgold will ask for planning permission to begin mining about 4.5 tonnes of gold it knows is buried there. This Thursday, Scotgold will hold the first of two public meetings with local residents, who are already preparing for the rush.

The local community trust and tourism officials

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