Fall under Scotland’s spell
Issued by VisitScotland
Autumn tourism drive encourages visitors to discover magic of the Highlands
A two-month celebration of the very best of heritage, culture and sport in the Highlands has featured in a new drive to encourage visitors to explore the region this autumn.
VisitScotland, in partnership with the Highland Council, is using a combination of print advertising, plus digital and social media to target potential visitors across the UK. The activity is part of the tourism organisation’s £5.3million ‘Brilliant Moments’ campaign and will run until the end of October. It has the potential to be seen by a potential 4.9 million people
Highland Homecoming, which began at the start of September, features events such as the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon & Festival of Running, The Royal National Mòd and the Inverness Street Theatre Festival.
Potential visitors are also being offered the chance to enjoy their own brilliant moments in Lochaber courtesy of a special prize draw in partnership with Invergloy Riverside Lodges, Nevis Range and the National Trust for Scotland.
The campaign, which is aimed at people living in Scotland and North England, focuses on promoting the world-class scenery, rich history, popular cultural events and wildlife that makes the Highlands one of the popular destinations in Scotland.
Late September also marked the release of ‘What we did on our Holiday’, starring David Tennant, Billy Connolly and Rosamund Pike. The film boasts stunning shots of Wester Ross and several references to Scottish culture. With a fifth of all visitors to Scotland inspired to come here after seeing it on film or television, VisitScotland is working with production company Lionsgate to help promote Wester Ross and the rest of the Scottish Highlands to film fans.
Scott Armstrong, VisitScotland Regional Partnerships Director, said: “With Highland Homecoming in full swing and Highland culture taking centre stage, there is a real interest in the region at the moment.
“This year has provided a fantastic opportunity to promote tourism in Scotland. The Highlands are always a popular choice among visitors and this year businesses and attractions have welcomed people from across the globe. However, we need to keep that momentum going and show visitors, and potential visitors, that the area is a treasure trove of ‘Brilliant Moments’ regardless of the season.
“Tourism is more than a holiday experience – it creates jobs and sustains communities and we’ll continue to work hard to promote the Highlands as we move into the next Year of Food and Drink.”
Councillor Thomas Prag, Chair of The Highland Council’s Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee, said: “The Highlands can be truly magic at this time of year as the colours shift, the weather provides constantly changing cloudscapes and lighting effects and the nights are yet to draw in. Every year I am impressed at how the range and quality of activities and hospitality keeps moving up a gear – come and see what I mean for yourselves!”
-ends-