Press release -
A Royal Highland Coup for Year of Natural Scotland 2013
Hundreds of thousands of visitors to this week’s Royal Highland Show 2013 will be treated to a feast from Scotland’s natural larder as well as a host of outdoor activity experiences, with help from Year of Natural Scotland partner organisations.
The legendary outdoor and agricultural show has received support from Year of Natural Scotland partners to help promote the country’s credentials as having a world leading food and drink offering as well as the perfect venue for outside events and activities.
Activity will see Year of Natural Scotland partners gather in the SEARS marquee, housing natural institutions such as the Forestry Commission, Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Parks, and Scottish Natural Heritage come together to promote some of their initiatives for the year, including a Scotland’s Big 5 interactive voting area and wildlife discussion wall amongst others.
VisitScotland support will see one of the most popular areas in the food hall branded as the Natural Larder Cookery Theatre, and will feature nearly 40 cookery demonstrations from the country’s leading chefs utilising Scotland’s magnificent home grown produce. Chefs include; Tom Lewis of Monachyle Mhor, Paul Wedgwood of Wedgwood the Restaurant and Tony Borthwick of the Plumed Horse amongst others.
Alongside this, the national tourism organisation will also be supporting the Natural Playground, an activity area which encourages visitors to try out activities including abseiling, climbing a giant 10 meter ‘mountain’ and mountain biking as well as giving visitors the opportunity to talk with activity providers from around the country.
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
“Scotland’s producers are responsible for some of the world’s most renowned food and drink products. The Royal Highland show brings together some of the best of what we have to offer and it’s a celebration of the fantastic products which are made from our excellent raw materials. In the Year of Natural Scotland, we should take this chance to enjoy our countryside and the benefits we reap from it.”
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, added:
“The Royal Highland Show is one of the landmark events of the year, and a celebration of Scotland’s natural produce, providers and agriculture. It seems fitting that in the Year of Natural Scotland that we are able to share some of the delicious produce and the knowledge of some of the country’s great natural ambassadors.”
Stephen Hutt, Chief Executive of The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, the show’s organisers, said:
“The cookery theatre is one of our most popular attractions as it provides an interactive showcase for some of Scotland’s finest chefs. By branding it Natural Larder it reinforces the message that we are a nation who produce incredible food which is available for everyone to enjoy.”
The Year of Natural Scotland 2013 provides visitors with the ideal opportunity to become immersed in all things Scottish, from the rugged scenery of the Highlands and the splendour of the national parks, to the freshness of the natural larders and the warm welcome from people who passionately care about this wild land.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
James Lakie
Corporate Press Officer
Corporate Communications
VisitScotland
Tel: 0131 472 2283
Email: jame.lakie@visitscotland.com
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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.
- 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com
- The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry 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
- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx
