Loch Lomond Cottages Special offers for August

SPECIAL OFFERS AT LOCH LOMOND AND TROSSACHS COTTAGES




3 Bedroom Lochside Apartment, sleeps 6


27th August 7 nights @ £550


5 Bedroom Lochside House, sleeps 10


27th August 5 nights @ £795



3 Bedroom Waterside Cottage, sleeps 6

3 Bedroom Lochside Cottage, sleeps 6

Crowds flock to Scotland's Heritage sites

SCOTS FLOCK TO HERITAGE SITES OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKENDS

Heritage sites across Scotland enjoyed two bumper four-day weekends, thanks to the Easter holiday and the Royal Wedding, according to figures released today by Historic Scotland (insert date).

Visitors flocked to the sites over the four-day Royal Wedding Weekend, marking an overall increase of 29 per cent across the Estate in comparison with the same long weekend the previous year.

There was a 45 per cent increase in visitors to Historic Scotland Sites on Friday 29^th April, the day of the Royal Wedding, and a huge 94 per cent increase on Saturday 30^th April compared with the same day in 2010.

Edinburgh Castle remained the top Historic Scotland attraction with an additional 28 per cent more visitors in comparison with the same weekend the previous year. St Andrew’s Castle enjoyed a surge in visitors, making the top five Historic Scotland sites for that weekend with an additional 99 per cent increase in visitors on the day of the Royal Wedding in comparison with the same day in 2010.

The beautiful surroundings of Inchcolm Abbey, Inchmahome Priory, and Caerlaverock Castle were particularly popular. On the day of the Royal Wedding Inchcolm Abbey saw a staggering increase in visitors of 157%, Inchmahome Priory a 91% increase, and Caerlaverock Castle, 72% in comparison with the same day last year.

Stephen Duncan, Historic Scotland’s Director of Commercial and Tourism said: “It is good to see that so many people took advantage of the fine weather over the Royal Wedding Weekend to visit our sites. Our attractions offer good value for money and make for great family days out. Historic Scotland membership works out at around £7 per month and you can visit all of the attractions and events for free 364 days a year.

“Easter was also a busy time with 55,137 visitors to our sites, an overall 17 per cent increase compared to the same weekend last year, with Loch Leven seeing the biggest growth with an increase of 128 per cent. This is particularly welcome in terms of helping local tourism economy and we hope that the forthcoming long weekend in May will be equally successful with people taking the opportunity to explore their local historic sites.

“We are now looking forward to the grand opening of Stirling Palace’s Renaissance royal palace following a £12 million refurbishment. Visitors will be able to see the royal apartments which have been returned to how they might have looked when they were the childhood home of Mary Queen of Scots. We hope this will provide Scotland with another major attraction which will help draw visitors from around the world.”

VISIT ST. ANDREWS CATHEDRAL

VISITORS TO ST. ANDREWS CATHEDRAL TO EXPLORE SECRETS OF ITS PAST

Visitors to St. Andrews Cathedral will be able to find out more about the secrets of the ancient site’s past at a special event this Easter.

On Sunday, 24th April, the cathedral will be offering a series of tours of its magnificent carved stone collection, which is housed in the cathedral’s crypt.

Visitors will be able to hear first hand the secrets that the stones hold from an expert in Pictish stonework who will be able to explain the markings and some of the stories associated with the site.

The cathedral is home to an outstanding collection of early-Christian and medieval carved stones as well as a fine collection of post-Reformation memorials. Pride of place is the St Andrews sarcophagus, a masterpiece of 8th-century Pictish sculpture.

Niall Robertson, at St. Andrews Cathedral said;

“The stones hold many secrets surrounding the area’s past.

“These stones were in many cases the news outlets of their day, they told the story of individuals, their achievements and the societies which they belonged to.

“The event will give members of the public the opportunity to find out more about the stones and the people who once worshiped and resided here through times of huge political and social change.

“We look forward to welcoming visitors to the site for this inaugural tour.”

‘The Secrets of the Stones’ event will run at the cathedral at 11am and 14.00pm on Easter Sunday. Tours will take around 45 minutes and are included in the admission price. Numbers are limited and interested parties should call 01334 472 563 to book their place.

Winter at Loch Lomond & Trossachs Cottages

Some photos from around our cottages at Loch Katrine during the last few weeks of snow.

www.lomondandtrossachs.com

SCOTLAND’S ATTRACTIONS OPEN FREE TO MARK ST ANDREW’S DAY

PRESS RELEASE FROM HISTORIC SCOTLAND

SCOTLAND’S FINEST HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS OPEN FREE FOR FOUR DAYS TO MARK ST ANDREW’S DAY

With St Andrew’s Day just a few days away, why not plan to celebrate Scotland’s national day with a visit to one of our country’s great historic sites?

Historic Scotland is offering the perfect incentive – free entry to 48 outstanding heritage attractions throughout the country for four days : Saturday 27th, Sunday 28th , Monday 29th and St Andrew’s Day itself, Tuesday 30th November.

Fiona Hyslop MSP, Minister for Culture and External Affairs said: “Enjoying a visit to one of Scotland’s finest historic properties is a wonderful way to mark our country’s national day and celebrate our rich heritage and culture as part of Scotland’s Winter Festivals.

“The offer of free admission, on the run-up to St Andrew’s Day and the 30th itself, will encourage and enable as many people as possible to do just that. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy a memorable day out whilst appreciating and taking pride in our nation’s rich built heritage.”

The St Andrew’s free entry offer covers a selection of leading historic attractions across the length and breadth of Scotland.

This comprises sites in Orkney and the Western Isles – Skara Brae and the Arnol Blackhouse; in the North and Grampian – including Corgarff Castle, Elgin Cathedral, Fort George and Urquhart Castle; in Perthshire, Kinross and Angus - including Arbroath Abbey, Edzell Castle, and Huntingtower Castle; in the Central and West region – including Castle Campbell, Doune Castle, Iona Abbey, and Stirling Castle; in Edinburgh and the Lothians – including Edinburgh Castle, Craigmillar Castle and Dirleton Castle; in the Glasgow and Clyde region – including Bothwell Castle, Dumbarton Castle, and Glasgow Cathedral; in Fife - including Dunfermline Palace and St Andrews Cathedral, in the Borders - including Melrose Abbey and Smailholm Tower, and in Dumfries and Galloway - including Caerlaverock Castle, New Abbey Corn Mill, and Sweetheart Abbey.

Edinburgh Castle will also be getting in the St. Andrews spirit by turning blue for the duration of the free opening.

To find out your nearest participating attraction and details of opening times, you can text GO FREE to 84118. A complete listing of all properties included in the St Andrew’s free entry offer is also provided below.


Ends.


• St Andrew’s Day heralds the start of Scotland’s Winter Festival. Scotland’s Winter Festivals, which also includes Hogmanay and Burns Night, is a programme of more than 60 exciting and distinctive events designed to celebrate Scotland’s contemporary and traditional culture and promote Scotland as a year round festival destination. Find out more at www.scotlandswinterfestivals.com

• For the past four years, Historic Scotland has opened its doors for free at a wide range of its properties as part of a special Scotland-wide St Andrew’s Day promotion in celebration of our national day. This has proved extremely popular with visitors from this country and overseas and this year, the free entry offer has been extended to four days.

• Historic Scotland sites open free are:
Arbroath Abbey
•Arnol Blackhouse (not open on 28th November, Sunday)
•Blackness Castle
•Bothwell Castle
•Caerlaverock Castle
•Cardoness Castle
•Castle Campbell
•Corgarff Castle
•Craigmillar Castle
•Craignethan Castle
•Dallas Dhu Distillery
•Dirleton Castle
•Doune Castle
•Dryburgh Abbey
•Duff House
•Dumbarton Castle
•Dunblane Cathedral
•Dunfermline Palace
•Dundrennan Abbey
•Dunstaffnage Castle
•Edinburgh Castle
•Edzell Castle
•Elgin Cathedral
•Fort George
•Glasgow Cathedral (normally a donation only based site without admission charges)
•Huntingtower Castle
•Huntly Castle
•Iona Abbey
•Jedburgh Abbey
•Linlithgow Palace
•Maeshowe Visitor Centre
•Melrose Abbey
•New Abbey Corn Mill
•Rothesay Castle
•Skara Brae
•Smailholm Tower
•Spynie Palace
•St Andrews Castle
•St Andrews Cathedral
•St Vigeans
•Stanley Mills
•Stirling Castle
•Sweetheart Abbey
•Tantallon Castle
•Tolquhon Castle
•Trinity House
•Urquhart Castle

Opening times for Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Urquhart Castle are from 9.30am to 5pm. For all other properties listed above, opening times are from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

Loch Katrine deer threatened.

Survival of Highland stag is threatened
by culling and starvation
Hamish Macdonell - The Times
Last updated November 1 2010 12:35AM

Scotland’s iconic red stags are facing the twin threats of culling and starvation — and two of the country’s biggest countryside quangos are to blame, according to campaigners. The Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association warned yesterday that the number of stags had fallen to crisis levels in some areas of Aberdeenshire, Angus and Perthshire and another severe winter could kill off the survivors. Peter Fraser, vice-chairman of the association, blamed Scottish Natural Heritage for the problem because, he said, the quango was treating stags like “vermin” and culling them to excess in an attempt to protect local plants.
Forestry Commission Scotland was also criticised yesterday for its treatment of deer. The commission was accused of condemning deer to starve after fencing off large areas of woodland surrounding Loch Katrine in The Trossachs. Residents near the loch claimed contractors working on the Great Trossachs Forest Project had fenced off large tracts of ground, excluding deer from their natural habitat.
The fate of Scotland’s stags is no less controversial than that of the 9ft Emperor of Exmoor killed in England last week. According to the Gamekeepers’ Association, the number of Scottish stags has fallen so dramatically that some estates have had to give refunds to shooters, depriving local economies of thousands of pounds.
The industry is worth £100 million a year in Scotland and nature tourism is estimated to bring in more than £1 billion annually. Mr Fraser said where it was once possible to see as many as seven herds of red deer, he was now lucky if he saw one. “We have been very short of stags,” he said, adding that this was caused by Scottish National Heritage trying to protect rare plants such as the arctic willow and Caledonian pine from over-grazing.
Scottish National Heritage said in a statement: “We view deer as an asset, not only to local communities, but also to Scotland as a whole.”
The situation around Loch Katrine is more specific, but no less serious, according to local campaigners. Residents fear that the Forestry Commission fences, placed to protect newly planted trees from being eaten by the animals, will mean that deer around Loch Katrine will “die trying to reach food and protection”.
Community representatives said there was “a fight going on” against the building of the fences. Jan Young, who lives near the loch side, said yesterday: [ “Forestry Commission Scotland might just as well issue a death sentence on these deer as they are likely to die trying to reach food and protection from the bad weather.” Forestry Commission Scotland would not comment on the issue.

Marketing our Self Catering Holiday Cottages in Loch Lomond and Trossachs

Trying to find the best way of promoting our self catering holiday cottages is always an area of concern because although what you have in place may be effective now, there is no guarantee this will still work in the future. The methods of business promotion are constantly changing, for example when we first started the internet was almost non existant as a means of advertising our lochside holiday cottages, we had to advertise in the brochure of the holiday cottage agencies.

Now we have our own websites with online bookings etc http://www.lomondandtrossachs.com/ that work very effectively along side the agencies and their websites and brochures. We are now slowly entering the new era of using Flicker, Twitter, Facebook.

The problem is now deciding if we should continue to stay with the agencies and pay their high commission fees or risk using only our own sites. The benefits are we would save about £10000 some of which could be used to fund our own marketing initiatives. We also already have one cottage Waterside Cottage which is independant from the agencies and is generally fully booked each year. The anxiety is that the level of booking would drop and and cost more than the commission.

Oh the joys of business planning.