Press release -

Great outdoors going underground

Spectacular Highland landscapes will soon be visible 30 feet below Glasgow city centre, thanks to a £25,000 cash boost from VisitScotland.

Outdoor Capital of the UK has been given the money through the national tourism organisation’s Growth Fund for a year-round campaign aimed at encouraging more people from Scotland’s Central Belt to explore Lochaber.

The tourism arm of Lochaber Chamber of Commerce, Outdoor Capital of the UK will use part of the money, which is match-funded by its members, to advertise in the Glasgow Subway.

It will also produce a series of quarterly ‘webisodes’ on Youtube, which will promote the region’s outdoor adventure sports, its wildlife and landscapes, as well as its food and drink.

Thanks to the award, Outdoor Capital of the UK will be exhibiting at VisitScotland expo for the very first time. Scotland’s biggest business-to-business event takes place in Aberdeen from 22-23 April.

Frazer Coupland, Destination Manager at Lochaber Chamber of Commerce, said: “The Glasgow Subway carries more than 14 million passengers a year, so it’s a great place to remind travellers that Lochaber is just a couple of hours away by train or car. The money from the VisitScotland Growth Fund will help us to create a year-round marketing campaign, highlighting Lochaber’s terrific assets, including its food and drink, its iconic mountains and seascapes and world-class events and activities.”

Scott Armstrong, VisitScotland’s Regional Director for the Highlands, said: “The journey from Glasgow to Lochaber, through Glencoe, is one of the world’s most spectacular drives, and there is a wealth of things to see and do when you get there. We are delighted to support Outdoor Capital of the UK through the VisitScotland Growth Fund, something I am sure will encourage even more people from central Scotland to explore this amazing part of the country.” 

Lochaber is famous for its broad range of outdoor activities, including watersports, snowsports and cycling, with Fort William a regular host of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

The VisitScotland Growth Fund supports a range of regional, national and sectoral groups to deliver marketing campaigns to UK and International audiences.

Funding can cover 50 per cent of approved marketing costs from a minimum award of £5,000 up to a maximum of £40,000.

Applications are welcome from both new and existing partnerships. For more information, go to www.visitscotland.org

Topics

  • Tourism

Categories

  • corporate communications
  • growth fund

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:
    1. To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
    2. To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
    3. 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

Contacts

  • Chelsea Charles

    Press contact Scotland’s Themed Years Communications & Engagement Manager Contact for media enquiries on: Scotland’s Themed Years (i.e. 2018 Year of Young People; 2020 Year of Scotland's Coast and Waters; 2022 Year of Scotland's Stories) 0131 472 2067

  • Carrie MacWilliam

    Press contact Senior Corporate Press Officer - National Contact for media enquiries on: Travel media (Scotland); Year of Young People; UK Marketing; Dundee; Fife; Angus; Perthshire 0131 472 2052

  • Amelia Whittaker

    Press contact Senior Corporate Press Officer - Regional Contact for media enquiries on: South Region; Edinburgh and Lothians; Food and Drink; Scottish Thistle Awards 01750 723806

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