Prestigious award for Highland hotel

A Highland hotel set on the edge of a sea loch with beautiful views of the Torridon mountains has achieved VisitScotland’s most prestigious Quality Assurance (QA) accolade. The Torridon has achieved a 5 Star Gold award from the national tourism organisation.

The joint initiative between VisitScotland and the Scottish Government, with support from Scotland Food and Drink, aims to form stronger links between the places people visit and the food and drink experiences on offer.

Staff at The Torridon pride themselves on it being a sustainable business and holding a gold award within the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS). GTBS is the largest and most established scheme of its type in the world and is an important part of Scotland’s future towards a sustainable tourism destination.

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Fancy a wee dram?

A new community-owned Highland distillery has marked its latest construction milestone with the announcement that a new share offer will launch in August.

GlenWyvis Distillery Community Benefit Society has brought forward the launch of a second open share offer to open the door to new members, as visitor numbers to the area increase. The new share offer will be launched on Thursday August 3rd at the *Black Isle Show in the Scottish Highlands.

Increased tourism interest in the area has come about as a result of the North Coast 500 route taking in Dingwall, where GlenWyvis has set up its new Basecamp visitor centre. 

It has also seen an influx of "Outlander" fans adding GlenWyvis to their route map as they look for the site of the original "Ferintosh" distillery in the area - the whisky of choice of the time, by lead character "Jamie", before moving on to another Outlander pit-stop at nearby Castle Leod in Strathpeffer - the inspiration for Castle Leoch in the TV series.

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Snowsports Shenanigans

FOLLOWING the success of this year's inaugural event, Groove CairnGorm returns for 2017 between Friday 24th and Saturday 25th February.

Groove CairnGorm – the resort-based #Snowsports #Festival will take place over the weekend of February 24-25 in #Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands. The event takes place over the same weekend as the Scottish Alpine Series at CairnGorm, so some of the country's top riders will be in action in the area.

There will be après-ski with live music and DJs until the early hours in a big top in Aviemore. Shuttle busses will operate between Inverness and Aviemore.

Tickets on sale now, available from www.skiddle.com

www.cairngormmountain.org

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Sea Kayaking off the coast of Scotland

JOIN Wilderness Scotland on its Sea Kayaking – The Scottish Highlands trip, combining sea kayak lessons with easy hiking in gorgeous settings. 

Kayak through sheltered sea lochs, secluded bays and uninhabited islands, keeping an eye out for rare wildlife such as sea eagles, otters and porpoises. 

Mid-trip, enjoy a day off to rest, or join a guided hike through the mountains. Stay in a friendly Highland inn on the shores of Loch Torridon. 

The holiday costs from £1,195 pp (two sharing), including five nights’ B&B, five lunches, two dinners, guiding, equipment and all transport to and from Inverness. Departures from 13 May 2017. 

wildernessscotland.com

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Monster hunting tips

VisitBritain launches a six-week digital marketing campaign, which gets underway this week in France and Germany and The Netherlands, uses images and videos to showcase the incredible experiences that can only be had in the Inverness and Loch Ness area.

Tips include ‘cover as much ground as possible’ by exploring the area in a campervan, ‘listen to the locals’ on a guided kayak tour and ‘stay as quiet as possible’ while amongst deer and other wildlife in the countryside.

VisitBritain Director of Marketing Robin Johnson said:

“Steeped in history and culture and surrounded by breath-taking scenery, the #Inverness and #LochNess area offers an unbeatable holiday experience year-round. By inspiring visitors to book a trip now to come and explore this stunning part of the Highlands – and maybe even spot Nessie – we can spread the economic benefits of tourism throughout the year.”

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Scottish Legends in an Aston Martin

BRITISH luxury brand, Aston Martin, and luxury travel company, Elegant Resorts, will be collaborating this autumn on a bespoke collection of exclusive, self-drive tour experiences through the Elegant Journeys series, available in September and October 2016. 

Scottish Legends 25th to 30th October - Majestic Scottish scenery, fairytale castles, warm hospitality, superlative service, fine cuisine and traditional outdoor activities are just a selection of the tempting features available to driving enthusiasts on the Scottish Legends journey. In the refined elegance of an Aston Martin, privileged clients will travel through the beguiling scenery of the Highlands and Isle of Skye on an unforgettably thrilling journey, staying in a handpicked collection of Scotland’s finest luxury accommodation, including centuries-old castles and remote ancestral homes.

All for only £8,950 per person but this does include hire of the car!

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Picture Credit: byb64 50879678@N03/15370497719 Inveraray Castle, (1746-1758), Inveraray, Argyll and Bute, Ecosse, Grande-Bretagne, Royaume-Uni. via photopin.com

Food guide for the West Highland Way

WILDERNESS #SCOTLAND has launched an online #FoodGuide to the 96-mile West Highland Way. 

This free guide is an answer to the age-old problem of where to eat on the long distance trail which stretches from Milngavie on the outskirts of Glasgow to Fort William in the Highlands. 

It pinpoints the best foodie spots from restaurants to pubs, breweries to distilleries and bakeries, plus recommendations for fishing spots.

A wide range of budgets are catered for, with recommended restaurant menus starting at £5 per head, while some of the top-end meals cost upwards of £20.

To see the new guide go to www.wildernessscotland.com/blog/west-highland-way-food-guide

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Loch Ness pushed in Scottish Highlands ad campaign

TIPS help holidaymakers track down the #LochNess #Monster, is at the heart of a new campaign to inspire international visitors to book a trip to Inverness in the Scottish Highlands outside the busy summer months. 

The Inverness Loch Ness digital marketing campaign, run by national tourism agency VisitBritain, stars in the Netherlands, France, and the US.

One tip encourages visitors to ‘build up your courage’ by visiting the Glen Ord whisky distillery, another recommends that monster hunters ‘step into camouflage’ by putting on a Scottish kilt and hiding out at The Dores Inn, Inverness, while another advises hunters to ‘patrol the area’ by taking to a kayak on Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin.

VisitBritain director of marketing Joss Croft said: ‘The Loch Ness and Inverness area is a fantastic destination to be enjoyed all year round. From exploring the majestic lochs and soaring highlands to soaking up the atmosphere of the cosy pubs and traditional inns, we want to inspire visitors to book a trip and come and visit right now so the economic benefits of tourism are spread throughout more of the year.’

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Picture Credit: Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness, Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom - travel photography</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin

Try a break in the woods

WOODLAND-BASED lodge breaks for those looking to make the most of the great outdoors has been introduced by domestic holiday specialist Hoseasons.

Available to book now - www.hoseasons.co.uk/lodges - for the start of next year, Wanderwood offers nature escapes at six locations in England and Scotland: Norfolk, Surrey, Somerset, Shropshire, the Lake District, and the Northern Highlands.

The lodges are pet-friendly and come with complimentary binoculars, and umbrellas WiFi is also included, and hot tubs feature at all locations.

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Highland courses high on the Leaderboard

THREE of the most prestigious courses in the Highlands have been rated among the 13 best venues to play in Scotland by #GolfWorld magazine.

#RoyalDornochClub is placed 5th, The Nairn Club 12th, and #CastleStuartLinks 13th in the magazine’s list of 100 leading Scottish courses.

All three are part of the Highland Golf Links (HGL) partnership which promotes Play and Stay destination breaks in the area.

The Golf World list was drawn up by a 19-strong panel of its readers which looked at factors including strategic merit, presentation, memorable holes, playability, and visual appeal in making their decisions.

The only other Highland course to feature in the list's top 30 was #SkiboCastle, placed 10th.

Fraser Cromarty, chairman of HGL and CEO at The Nairn Golf Club, said: ‘The three courses are accessible for visitors and can be played over the course of a weekend, making golfing breaks in this part of the world easy to manage and very rewarding.’

The three HGL courses will host the 54-hole Tomatin Single Malt Pro-Am, to be held on September 28-30 this year.

www.highlandgolflinks.com

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Overnight to the north

THE CALEDONIAN SLEEPER – one of Britain's most iconic rail journeys – is under new management, and Railbookers.com has a created a break that puts holidaymakers on train to Fort William and Mallaig.

The holiday starts in London, with the overnight journey to Fort William, where there is a two-night hotel stay. This is followed by a train journey on West Highland Line to Mallaig, travelling over the Glenfinnan Viaduct. After a night in Mallaig, the journey is reversed.

Prices start from £669 per person. For more information or to make a booking, call 020 3327 3501.

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Scotland's answer to Route 66?

ROUTE 66 – famously running from Chicago to LA – is America’s most iconic road. Does Britain have anything to match it?  .... 

Scotland says it does ....  The North Coast 500, being promoted by the North Highland Initiative – is a northern touring route that takes visitors through 500 miles of the best scenery the North Highlands has to offer.

Known as the NC500, it runs from Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, to the Kyle of Lochalsh on the West Coast via the rugged north coast. It links natural heritage and scenery with places to stop on the way.

Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland said: 'There is nothing quite like the open road, and this particular route really does take in some of the most picturesque parts of our beautiful country. People travel from all over the world for Route 66, and with our scenery, there's no reason why the North Coast 500 can't prove to be just as popular. At the end of the 500 miles, visitors might just be tempted explore 500 more.'

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Picture Credit: Courtesy North Highland Initiative.

'Nessy' at heart of UK inbound campaign

AN extra £2 million in government money will be used to promote Loch Ness in Scotland as part of an inbound tourism initiative.

The four-year VisitBritain campaign featuring the Loch Ness monster will see extensive advertising, digital, and business-to-business activity launched in key tourism markets.

The activity could, says VisitBritain, generate an extra £3.5 million a year for Inverness businesses.

The Loch Ness initiative will be part of VisitBritain’s GREAT Britain campaign, which has boosted inbound tourism to the UK from around the world.

Inverness regularly attracts more than 200,000 overseas visits a year.

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Picture Credit:  "LochNess2". Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

Europcar expands in Inverness

EUROPCAR has opened a branch in Inverness, known as the gateway to the Scottish Highlands. The branch is close to Inverness railway station.

Says Ken McCall, managing director, Europcar UK Group: ‘We already have branches at Inverness Airport, Inverness Thistle Hotel and Wick Airport forming the Highland network, and now we’re bringing the same quality service and convenience to rail passengers, as well as people picking up rental vehicles in the centre of the city.’

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Reach for the stars in Scotland

A GUIDE to stargazing in the North Highlands of Scotland gives visitors a greater chance than ever before of seeing the Northern Lights and other astronomical highlights.

The skies of the North Highlands are some of the darkest in Western Europe, making them ideal for spectacular views of the night skies. 

The guide, The North Highland Dark Sky Experience, suggests 40 locations across Caithness, Sutherland, and Ross-shire to view the skies. Supported by the Highland Council Tourism Development Grant, it also offers stargazing tips for visitors and local residents.

Sites suggested by the guide include:

· Castlehill Heritage Centre, Castletown, Caithness

· Leitir Easaidh Car Park beside Loch Assynt, Sutherland,

· Loch Broom, Wester Ross

· Tarbat Ness, Easter Ross

It can be downloaded from www.northhighlandsscotland.com

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Beckham’s boost for the Highlands

VISITSCOTLAND says the appearance by David Beckham in a television commercial is great news for tourism in the Highlands.

In the advertisement for HAIG CLUB Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Beckham is seen riding a motorbike in Glen Affric near Inverness, before toasting his Highland adventure with friends at Glen Affric Lodge. Parts of the ad were filmed on the Isle of Skye.

Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, said: ‘He may be advertising a single grain whisky, but David Beckham plus stunning Highland scenery adds up to a winning blend for Scottish tourism.’

Beckham described the Highlands as ‘ridiculously beautiful’

...... and he's not wrong there!

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Picture Credit: From Top -  'Dog Falls, Glen Affric' and 'Deer in Glen Affric' both by Nilfanion (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons