Press release -
A touch of Bliss
A new audio tour is set to bring art and architecture to life in the Loch Earn region.
The unique BLiSS trail links the villages of Balquhidder, Lochearnhead, Strathyre and St Fillans through a series of art and architecture installations.
Developed by the Loch Earn Tourism Information (LETi) Group, the trail received the Innovation in Tourism award at the 2018 Scottish Thistle Awards National Final in March. LETi has worked in collaboration to develop the new audio trail with Geotourist, which sponsored the category.
National tourism body, VisitScotland, hopes it will encourage even more visitors to explore and spend time in the region by following the innovative trail in the heart of Rob Roy Country.
The GPS audio BLiSS Trail Tour featured on the Geotourist app takes in a variety of artist and architect designed installations including ornamental features such as an Airliephant, a miniature mill house, stag, totem pole and old red phone box.
Geotourist has worked in partnership with the five national finalists in its sponsored category from the 2017/18 awards, with tours and trails currently in production in every region in Scotland.
Kim Proven, Chair of Loch Earn Tourist Information Group said: "Loch Earn Tourism Information (LETi) businesses and communities are incredibly proud of their regional and national Scottish Thistle Awards for BLiSS trail innovation and working together. Our latest collaboration with Geotourist has been fun in the making and it enhances the BLiSS trail story further. The new audio tour helps LETi to improve its BLiSS trail attraction, plot the trail's naturally beautiful location on the world map and talk to global audiences via mobile app and GPS technology. Geotourist - an innovative audio guide enabler - has given us the opportunity to collaborate with sculptors, students, business members and other partners who have recorded unique stories surrounding the art installations.
“Listen to a range of speakers including pupils and students aged 7 to 26 who volunteered to contribute in celebration of this tourism Year of Young People 2018. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to see our award winning innovative art trail and now to hear a variety of fascinating BLiSS trail stories too."
Shaon Talukder, CEO at Geotourist said: “"The celebrated BLiSS trail tour is an important addition to the Geotourist map. The Geotourist BLiSS trail tour underpins the opportunities that exist when communities with a common goal come together - and as this is how the BLiSS trail came into being, we're delighted to see the trail tour extend across the Loch Earn region and Rob Roy Country, taking in the communities of Balquidder, Lochearnhead, St. Fillans and Strathyre.
“Driven by the inimitable Kim Proven, Kim intuitively understands how individuals and small businesses can work together to create something where there was nothing. A true gift from the community that brings smiles to locals and visitors alike. In this case, the BLiSS trail and physically draws visitors through the region ensuring that they can access all the sculpture and public art as a whole piece, while the Geotourist trail tour means that people can digitally immerse themselves in the tour, whether they are right in front of any of the pieces or on the other side of the world and listen to the stories in many cases shared by the artists themselves or local community members involved in the project. We are delighted that BLiSS won the Scottish Thistle Award and truly enjoy working with Kim, as we do with all the regional Thistle winners. Making great things happen is worthwhile and always easier through collaboration and we are proud to share all of their stories."
Neil Christison Regional Director at VisitScotland, said: “The BLiSS trail is a fantastic asset to tourism in the area and we hope this complimentary audio trail will inspire visitors to enjoy the fun and exciting installations along the trail as well as explore the surrounding area.
“Scotland’s reputation as a quality destination relies on continued investment and innovation, which is celebrated by the Scottish Thistle Awards, and trails such as this will only strengthen our world-class visitor experience.”
The Scottish Thistle Awards reward hotels, restaurants, B&Bs, visitor attractions, business and consumer events, and individuals who go that extra mile to provide customers with exceptional service. Last year’s competition saw a record-breaking 750 entries to the competition.
The Scottish Thistle Awards is led by a panel of industry experts from several organisations including VisitScotland, Aberdeen City and Shire Tourism Awards, Highlands & Islands Tourism Awards, the Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland, Scotland Food and Drink, Scottish Tourism Alliance, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, sportscotland and Wild Scotland.
Nominations and entries are currently being sought for the Best Sporting Event and Best Business Event at the 2018/19 Scottish Thistle Awards. For more information, visit https://www.scottishthistleawards.co.uk/
To view the trail, visit: https://geotourist.com/tours/2040 or listen via the app.
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- scottish thistle awards
- corporate communications
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’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
- This will be supported by five overarching strategies: Marketing, Events, Quality and Sustainability, Inclusive Tourism, International Engagement.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP
- 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
2018 Year of Young People
- The Year of Young People (YoYP 2018) will inspire Scotland through its young people aged 8 to 26, celebrating their achievements, valuing their contributions to communities and creating new opportunities for them to shine locally, nationally and globally
- Central to YoYP 2018 will be a celebratory events programme that puts young people at the heart of its development and delivery, creating new and valuable experiences for young Scots and the wider public, with links to the inaugural 2018 European Championships.
- Over 200 young people throughout Scotland are currently being recruited to become YoYP 2018 Ambassadors. Ambassadors will ensure that people and organisations in their communities know about what’s happening and will lead on projects and activities to create events and opportunities to celebrate young people.
- The Year of Young People will have six themes which were developed in co-production with young people themselves:
- Participation – looking at how young people can influence public services and decisions which affect their lives
- Education – creating a stronger role for young people in shaping their learning
- Health and Wellbeing – supporting young people to lead healthier, active lives and have opportunities to learn about and improve their mental health and resilience
- Equality and Discrimination – broadcasting the value of young Scots, challenging negative perceptions of young people, and supporting young people to take leading roles in challenging discrimination in all its forms.
- Enterprise and regeneration – celebrating young people’s role in innovation, entrepreneurship and the Scottish economy as well as making Scotland a greener and more pleasant place to live
- Culture – celebrating young people’s talent and contribution to Scottish culture and arts.
- Further information on what’s happening and how people can get involved can be found on the new website www.yoyp2018.scot or @YOYP2018 on Twitter.
