Press release -
Visitors hoping to be kept in the dark
Scotland is hoping to capitalise on a boost in visitor numbers thanks to a rare solar eclipse next week.
Astro tourists are expected to flock to the north of the country, as well as Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Shetland to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon, due to be visible on the morning of Friday 20 March. Remoter parts of these regions offer perfect ‘dark skies’ and very little light pollution - improving the chances of seeing this spectacle at its best.
Three ships operated by Cruise and Maritime Voyages will be stopping off in Scotland on special solar eclipse voyages, with more than 2,500 passengers heading north to witness the cosmic event.
The Magellan (1200 passengers) will spend a day at both Invergordon, in the Highlands, and Lerwick, Shetland; the Marco Polo (750 passengers) will stop off at Kirkwall on Orkney and Invergordon; while the Azores (500 passengers) will call at Kirkwall, Lerwick and Stornoway.
Each voyage will hand out special pairs of protective glasses to its passengers, while two drone pilots will join the Marco Polo on Orkney to capture some unforgettable images.
In Shetland, the eclipse will be approximately 97% and will be the one of the darkest places in the UK after the Isle of Lewis (98%).
Sumburgh Head Lighthouse Visitor Centre and Nature Reserve on Shetland will host a viewing event on Friday morning from the foghorn platform and west seabird viewing platform. Both venues will give clear unobstructed views of the sky and sea where the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean.
This is a partnership event which brings together Geopark Shetland, University of Glasgow School of Physics and Astronomy, the Shetland Astronomical Society and the Institute of Physics as a celebration of the UNESCO Year of Light.
The Visitor Centre facilities at Sumburgh Head will be open from 8.15am on Friday 20.
Eclipse watchers on Shetland who have worked up an appetite can call in at Frankie’s in Brae, which was recently named No.1 Fish & Chip Shop in the UK in the National Fish & Chip Awards, for a special ‘Eclipse Platter’ following the spectacle.
The platter will represent the sun and the moon with a scallop in whisky or citrus butter sauce – with chips.
Steve Mathieson, VisitScotland’s Island Manager on Shetland, said:
“The Solar Eclipse is a hugely exciting and rare phenomenon, and Shetland, in particular, is in the right place at the right time. We will have 97 per cent darkness on Shetland during the eclipse so this will be one of the best places in the whole of the UK in to witness the phenomenon.
“We’re delighted that nearly 2000 extra visitors will spend a day exploring Shetland on their way up north to watch the eclipse, but it’s also not too late for others to get involved with this special astro tourism experience and book their trip here to watch the eclipse and then enjoy the stunning scenery of Shetland. As it’s the Year of Food and Drink, we can’t think of better way to finish off the experience with than a delicious Eclipse Platter from Shetland’s ‘star’ eatery - Frankie’s.”
ENDS
For further information contact:
Tom Maxwell, Corporate Press Officer – 0131 472 2409 / 07699766986
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
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Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, the tourism economy supports 270,000 jobs in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the tourism economy contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
Year of Food and Drink 2015
- 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink, a celebration of Scotland’s natural larder and the role that food and drink plays in shaping our economic success.
- Scotland generates over £2.5m per day through food and drink tourism.
- A series of themed months will create an appetite for key areas of Scotland’s food and drink industries – from seafood and whisky to berries and high-quality meat
- For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/tastescotland
