If you thought that gold rushes were something that only belonged in the history books, think again. A small hamlet in Scotland may well be sitting on millions of pounds worth of gold deposits. After a survey that lasted two years, it has been revealed that a sizeable haul of the precious metal may be present in the Towie area.
Towie is not unaccustomed to having an association with gold down the years. The local streams have been a source of grains of the highly sought-after metal for several decades. Situated in Aberdeenshire, Towie is home to just 300 residents.
Locals may now need to brace themselves for scenes reminiscent of the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s. At that time, around 100,000 prospectors migrated to the Klondike region in north-west Canada after gold was discovered by local miners. While the numbers are highly unlikely to be anything like as significant this time, no doubt many would be fortune hunters will be interested by the news.
An invasion of outsiders could certainly create chaotic scenes in Towie. The hamlet is not geared up for many visitors, having just the one road in and out of it. A number of houses, a beautiful church and graveyard, bowling club, school and community hall complete its limited infrastructure. It has been bypassed in the past when it came to Investment, as the interest in Scottish oil reserves found elsewhere have taken precedence.
All that may well be about to change though. Turkish mining company Koza Altin Isletmeleri, along with the Highland company GreenOre Gold, are seeking planning permission for further investigations to take place. That would enable them to do additional test drilling on top of the tests already carried out in the area so far.
A spokesman for GreenOre Gold, Gavin Berkenheger, believed that the initial signs point to there being a "major deposit hiding underneath the surface."
For those expecting to get rich quickly and rush to the area, experts are advising caution. Gold is not as stable a commodity as it once was, with prices falling sharply in recent times.
