Press release -
Bannockburn Live success
The site of one of the most significant battles in Scottish history came to life this weekend as tens of thousands of people from the UK and overseas descended on Bannockburn in Stirling to experience one of the biggest battle performances of its kind alongside music, talks, ancestry food and drink at Bannockburn Live.
The much-anticipated event sold out over both days on 28-29 June as 20,000 people flocked to the site. Highlights of the weekend included popular headline performances from Dougie Maclean, Julie Fowlis, Treacherous Orchestra and King Creosote.
The pinnacle of the weekend was the medieval battle which was performed by the team at Clanranald – known for their work in movies like Gladiator and Robin Hood – who stunned audiences with their battle performances, showcasing the original two-day clash between the Scottish and English armies in just 45 minutes.
Around 10 per cent of the audience came from overseas and around 40 clans groups attended the event, which also included storytelling, children’s activities and quality local food and produce.
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland/EventScotland said: “Bannockburn Live has been an incredible success. The music, the food, the performers, the epic battle and of course the visitors who came in their droves to soak up the sight and sounds resulted in an event that will be remembered for years to come.
"Alongside Pipefest and Armed Forces Day, Stirling’s Big Weekend was an unprecedented triumph, bringing a significant economic boost to Stirling and Scotland and we’d like to thank everyone who took the time to visit and perform from the UK and overseas.
"We are only halfway through the 2014 Year of Homecoming Scotland, and what a way to celebrate this was! Of course there is still a lot more to come throughout the next six months with the Forth Bridges Festival, Highland Homecoming, Glasgow Commonwealth Games, The Ryder Cup and more. It is a hugely exciting time for Scotland and we are thrilled to be part of it all.”
Pete Irvine, Managing Director, Unique Events said: “We set out to have a feast of food, music and history and to create a unique festival that celebrated culture and heritage in a contemporary way. Not only do we feel we’ve done that, from the reactions of the visitors around us, we know people appreciate and understand what we set out to do.
“There were those who thought we may not reach our ticket sales targets, but we are delighted to have sold out both days. Bannockburn Live had a great atmosphere and all the artists and performers have absolutely loved it. Bannockburn Live is one of over 900 events in the Homecoming Scotland 2014 programme, which include the Forth Bridges Festival, Whisky Month, John Muir Festival, Ryder Cup Concert, World Sheepdog Trials and the MTV Europe Music Awards."
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- bannockburnlive
- homecoming 2014
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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
