A traveler hoping to bring home handmade memories from Scotland's famous North Coast 500 instead found a growing symbol of disposable tourism: shelves full of AI-generated "Highland cow" merchandise.
What's happening?
In a Reddit post, a user in the r/Anticonsumption forum said they and their partner were taking the NC500, a route along Scotland's northern Highland coast, and were hoping to spot a street watercolor artist and find locally made souvenirs.
A stop near Loch Ness briefly suggested that might be possible: the traveler said "all the items in there were handmade by local artists," and that the higher prices still felt worth paying because the goods were locally made.
After that, the mood shifted quickly.
"Signs everywhere were AI-generated, the same AI highland cows were in every shop, T-shirts and mugs and tote bags with AI-generated images everywhere," the original poster wrote.
Commenters shared similar stories.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
One wrote, "A lot of markets are now, especially in the UK - AI stuff, or marked-up products from Temu."
Another added, "So many cows. I'm so sick of the cows."
Why does it matter?
Buying a small piece of local art or craft can support the people who actually live in a place. When shops pivot to AI-generated images printed on mass-produced goods, that money is less likely to reach local artists and craftspeople.
It also changes the experience of travel itself. Instead of discovering region-specific work shaped by local landscapes, history, and culture, visitors can end up with the same interchangeable products sold in town after town.
That kind of copy-and-paste tourism can strip communities of their identity while offering little in return, even as those places depend on visitors.
There is also a waste problem built into the trend. Cheap novelty items are often made to be bought quickly, not treasured for years, which fuels throwaway consumption.
In places already dealing with the strain of overtourism, replacing durable handmade goods with low-value merchandise can mean more clutter, more waste, and less respect for the destination itself.
What can I do?
Purchases still shape where money goes. Asking who made an item, where it was produced, and whether the artist is local can help separate genuine crafts from generic stock designs.
The original poster shared a simple personal rule: "if we walk into a shop and see AI merchandise, we leave."
That kind of decision can redirect spending toward galleries, co-ops, museum gift shops, artist markets, and independent stores that are more transparent about sourcing.
Commenters also pointed out that buyers are not always the problem — many people are being misled.
As one user put it, "I hope no one buys it. They will have to stop selling it."
For the traveler who started the thread, the feeling was simpler: "It just got more and more upsetting."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
