 | New Train Journey App from Scottish Natural Heritage |
| Added: 17 May 2013 |
The View from the Train app covers 5 routes.
The routes are: Edinburgh to Aberdeen; Edinburgh to Inverness; Glasgow to Inverness; Glasgow to Aberdeen; and Glasgow to Oban. The app is free and available for both android and iOS.
aking you on your journey is Mark Stephen of BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors programme and BBC Scotland’s, Fiona MacDonald. From the Clyde shipyards to the throng of wading birds in the Clyde estuary, the rich oakwood of Argyll, through to Dundee’s whaling heritage, the stories describe the links between man and Scotland’s rich natural environment.
The railways themselves are part of this tapestry; the iconic Forth Rail Bridge looks over a firth which is home to some of the biggest seabird colonies in the UK and railway lines provide corridors for wildlife in built up areas.
So in the Year of Natural Scotland, take in the View from the Train, and surprise yourself!
With the View from Train App and MP3 downloads, you can enjoy the stories, interviews and snippets of poetry in our audio guides, whether you be at home or on the move.
Website: http://www.snh.gov.uk/enjoying-the-outdoors/year-of-natural-scotland-2013/view-from-the-train/ |
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 | Kintyre Powers Up for the Season Ahead |
| Added: 29 Mar 2013 |
After a week of unprecedented weather Kintyre tourism businesses are powering up for an exciting season ahead. With some of Scotland’s best golf, beaches and heritage on offer and major investment in tourism in recent years, the area is powered up and set to move up a gear in the coming months.
Peter Stogdale, Director of both Explore Kintyre and Argyll & The Isles Tourism Cooperative said “it’s been a bizarre week here in Kintyre but we’ve had the opportunity to open even more people’s eyes to the wonders that Kintyre has to offer. We have had engineers staying in our local hotels who have never been to the area before – and the resounding comment we have heard is ‘we’ll be back!’ and that’s for a round of golf, to visit Southend and experience the wonderful Machrihanish surf... they’ve realised there’s a lot on offer here!’
Mike Story, Executive Director of Argyll & the Isles Tourism Cooperative commented, “Only a couple of weeks ago we had the Argyll & the Isles tourism summit on Bute in the finest possible weather and the spirit of partnership came to the fore. Last week the weather played a different game but again the spirit of partnership was at the fore with an outstanding service provided by partners such as Calmac, the Council and SSE.”
“This spirit has helped Kintyre to throw off its winter coat and open its arms to visitors in readiness for Easter. Argyll and the Isles is open for business” Peter further added: ’The community spirit that has been witnessed across Kintyre over the past week has been incredible. It’s been a true team effort and on behalf of everyone within Kintyre I’d like to thank each and every person involved for helping us through this week – local folk, volunteers, the emergency services, the Council and all the contractors who have been 100% focussed on getting life back to normal.”
Niall Macallister Hall at Torrisdale Castle near Carradale in Kintyre said “ we have ridden the storm and have come out the other side, ready for Easter! The cottages are each defrosted and the outdoor Eco hot tub is sitting, waiting for some extra use in this unseasonably cold weather”.
Kintyre looks forward to welcoming visitors over the Easter weekend and beyond. This last week has seen some hotels and B&Bs around Campbeltown full with over 250 engineers drafted in to fix the power failure that affected both Kintyre and Arran. Many of the engineers are still there so if you are planning a trip over the Easter weekend – typically one of the area’s busiest weekends in the year – do phone ahead to check availability.
For local visitor information please visit the recently launched web sites at www.exploreargyll.co.uk www.exploreKintyre.co.uk |
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 | Great Coverage for the Tourism Summit |
| Added: 14 Mar 2013 |
Forargyll.com writes enthusiastically about the Summit which has just been held at the fantastic Mount Stuart. They share the view that everyone had mucked in. Everyone was working together for the good of promoting Argyll as a tourist destination. It is that enthusiasm and the Argyll welcome; at all levels, demonstrated admirably by the people from the Castle itself, Calmac and West Coast Motors which will ensure visitors return once we get them here. What a fabulous and friendly reception.
Now the hard work of attracting new visitors begins. The website needs populated.. We need to redouble our effort to keep the momentum going.
Website: http://forargyll.com/2013/03/partners-to-the-fore-at-superbly-organised-and-successful-tourism-summit/ |
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 | Argyll & The Isles Tourism Summit 2013 |
| Added: 13 Feb 2013 |
TURNING OUR ASSETS INTO EXPERIENCES ‘Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success’ The third Argyll & the Isles Tourism summit takes place on Wednesday 13 March 2013 in the Marble Hall at Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute with the theme of ‘turning our assets into experiences’. Following the resounding success of the Portavadie summit in 2012, a full programme for the 2013 summit has been devised offering high calibre key note speeches. The speakers and workshops will explore what we have to offer which is uniquely Argyll – our 3175 miles of coastline, our 60 castles, our 14 world renowned distilleries and our 32 clan seats – and the opportunities open to us by working closely together - with a strong focus on what we could be doing to ensure we secure local benefits when Scotland welcomes the world in 2014. There will be extensive networking opportunities and a series of calls to action for Argyll & the Isles linked to the Year of the Homecoming, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles . The new ‘Uniquely Argyll’ website will be launched on the day, and the full ‘Argyll Street’ EXPO display will be set up in ‘the Armoury’ ahead of its appearance at the SECC in April. This is the first summit to be delivered on one of our 25 inhabited islands and with the exceptionally good Calmac ferry services operating to and from the Isle of Bute there is a full conference programme between 10am and 4pm making it easy for all delegates to readily do this as a day trip – but there are also special rates from VisitBute members for anyone wishing to stay overnight. The main programme will take place in the spectacular Marble Hall at Mount Stuart with the breakout sessions in the Drawing room, Dining Room, The Armoury and the Crypt. A lunch featuring regional produce will be served in the award winning Mount Stuart Visitor Centre and everyone attending will be treated to a guided tour of one of the World’s Great Houses here in Argyll and the Isles. Mike Story, Executive Director of AITC said “Last year’s event at Portavadie made people sit up and take notice and prompted a very strong sense of collaboration. In the space of a year our ‘Stronger Together’ message has turned into reality on the ground with a number of exciting initiatives underway and much more to come in 2013. I am looking forward to welcoming old friends and new delegates to this stunning venue to discuss how to capitalise on our vast and unique regional assets and forging the partnerships which will ensure the future of world class tourism in Argyll and the Isles.” The conference programme has something for everyone with inspirational key note speakers in the morning covering the topics of heritage, islands and partnerships. Based on feedback from Portavadie last year, an extended lunch will include a networking market place with stands, displays and opportunities to meet new people, and delegates having a choice of times for a guided house tour. The afternoon features motivational ‘Turning our Assets into Experiences’ breakout sessions with delegates able to choose two of four topics – Marine Tourism, Wildlife Tourism, Cultural Tourism and Food & Drink. These sessions will be led by key figures in each sector who are involved in developing the National Strategy. This year’s conference is taking place as the closing event in Scottish Tourism week running from 5-13 March 2013. Stephen Leckie, the charismatic chair of the Scottish Tourism Alliance will address delegates after the breakout sessions and set out a clear call to action for everyone involved in tourism in Argyll & the Isles. Connie Lovel CEO at Mount Stuart and Director of AITC said ‘In addition to the long stay market, we have an enormous opportunity to attract the domestic market, and to encourage day trippers to Argyll and the Isles as well as overnight visitors. The assets we have as a region provide the visitor with a truly remarkable experience. Now is our time to work together to attract both returning visitors to Scotland and newcomers – if they only have time to visit one region in Scotland, this should be it! By working together we have a stronger chance of success and this year’s summit provides an opportunity to learn more about how we can collaborate for the benefit of the future success of the region.’ Our 2013 summit venue has to be one of the most stunning houses in Scotland and included in the delegate fee participants receive passenger travel to/from the island, coach transfer to and from the venue, breakfast, lunch using regional produce, a tour of the magnificent Mount Stuart house, (including white Marble Chapel) and participation in the full conference programme. The conference event itself is being made possible by a unique partnership of Argyll & the Isles Tourism Cooperative, Mount Stuart Trust, Calmac Ferries, West Coast Motors, Portavadie Marina, eatBute, VisitBute, Visitscotland, Argyll & Bute Council HIE and Leader and also has the full support of the Scottish Government. To book a place and view the full programme and speaker list as it is confirmed please follow this link. Places are limited so do book early. http://tourismsummit2013.eventzilla.net/
Website: http://tourismsummit2013.eventzilla.net/
Attachments: Download File |
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 | The Hebrides on the BBC |
| Added: 31 Jan 2013 |
It seems that the BBC’s Wild Scotland season is to have, as its highlight, a series called ’The Hebrides’. It is filmed, in part, by local wildlife cameraman John Aitchison, and will be narrated by Ewan McGregor.
Website: http://www.scotsman.com/news/arts/ewan-mcgregor-to-narrate-hebrides-tv-show-1-2769878 |
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 | Sharing our Experiences |
| Added: 22 Jan 2013 |
Landmark tourism summit in Inveraray brings together key players to focus on benefits of collaboration Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance shares experiences of how the consortium co-operative model offers a blueprint for tourism A landmark tourism summit was held on 15 January bringing together key figures in the sector to explore ways of boosting visitors to the West Coast. The meeting, held at Inveraray, examined how collaboration enables visitor attractions to pool their resources and promote Argyll as a region to increase footfall. The event was hosted by Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) with attendees from such organisations as the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) as well as the local chamber of commerce. Promoting tourism in remote regions can be a logistical challenge as different businesses and organisations often market their attractions in competition with one another. Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance was set up as a consortium co-operative business in 2010 to encourage a collective approach. The open membership allows contributions from businesses across the remote area to network with each other, support the Alliance and showcase what visitors can expect from the region. For example Argyll is home to such attractions as Dunadd Fort, where Scotland’s ancient kings were crowned, and the Scottish Beaver Trial in Knapdale, which was featured on BBC’s Springwatch and Autumnwatch. Carron Tobin, founder member of the Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance, explained to the summit how the collective approach works. She said: “The consortium business model is one that is very relevant to tourism businesses in the region. Some of us have tried to market the area individually, but we’re just one lone voice in a very crowded marketplace.
“The idea is to showcase the collective destinations of the Mid-Argyll area to boost overall visitor numbers. So an hotelier on the Crinan Canal or the manager of a historic site such as Kilmartin House Museum can reach a bigger audience through a shared collective voice and brand. “We are then in turn working with the umbrella Argyll & The Isles Tourism Cooperative which is taking a strategic approach to marketing this beautiful region and helping us to work effectively with our neighbours like Kintyre, Cowal and Oban.” Sarah Deas, chief executive of Co-operative Development Scotland, said: “HOATA shows how effective a collective approach can be. We believe this offers a way forward for the tourism sector in other parts of Scotland. Our event today has proved a valuable strategic exercise.” David Adams-McGilp, VisitScotland regional director, said: “Scotland is in a strong position as a holiday destination but there’s no room for complacency and we need to ensure we continue to work hard and work together to make Scotland a must visit destination. “2013 marks the Year of Natural Scotland, this is an excellent opportunity for us to showcase and enhance Scotland’s reputation as a place of outstanding beauty. The Highlands is ideally placed to capitalise on this and therefore going forward we must ensure collaboration is at the core of all our activity.”
Website: http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/microsites/co-operative-development-scotland.aspx |
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 | A Happy New Year - Naturally! |
| Added: 01 Jan 2013 |
2013 promises to be a very exciting year for everyone choosing to visit the Heart of Argyll during the official ’Year of Natural Scotland’.
Your natural choice .... There is so much to see and do here in the Heart of Argyll and yet you are less than 2 hours drive from Glasgow... half an hour from Oban... and en-route to and from Kintyre, Islay, Jura, Arran and Cowal.
Here are just a few reasons why this is the place to be in 2013;
Natural Landscapes
The Heart of Argyll is home to two of Scotland’s National Nature Reserves with the ancient oakwoods at Taynish dating back over 7000 years and hosting a truly amazing range of wildlife... and Moine Mhor - Crinan’s Great Moss - a truly atmospheric place which is a wonderful remnant of one of our most ancient and spectacular landscapes... and home to rare butterflies, dragonflies and birds. And at its heart lies Dunadd - one of the most important sites in Scotland’s history. Dunadd was the seat of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada which was ruled by the Scott tribe, from where Scotland gets its name.
Natural Built Heritage
Kilmartin Glen is possibly one of the richest archaeological landscapes you’ll ever visit with the highest concentration of ancient rock art in Europe and 350 prehistoric and historic sites within six miles of Kilmartin Village and the award winning Kilmartin House Museum. Many of these are easy to visit and all the more fascinating as every day farming and forestry continues around you.
Natural Larder
Much of the food you’ll savour here in the Heart of Argyll is sourced from the land and sea around us. Our seafood is second to none - and the perfect place to buy it is off one of the fishing boats as it lands its catch at Tarbert Harbour, or fresh from the counter at the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar. The Hill Lamb from nearby Ifferdale in Kintyre is tasty beyond belief and for the sweet tooth - don’t miss one of Bumble’s exquisite puddings baked especially for you just outside Lochgilphead. Search our website for good places to eat and places to buy produce to cook for yourself.
Natural Playground
Throughout this beautiful area there are endless paths and tracks for the walker and cyclist, and we have some of the most remote yet accessible waters for sailing, kayaking and fishing. The Crinan Canal - Britain’s most beautiful shortcut - provides the perfect place to stroll or cycle along the 9 mile tow path with many natural places to explore nearby.
Flora & Fauna
The Heart of Argyll is home to many important plants and animals - and many of these are quite easy to spot. Seals are often spotted on the rocks near the shore and birds of prey can often be spotted soaring above you. Otters play on the shorelines and deer roam the hills and forests. We have some of the most important collections of lichens and mosses - largely due to our wonderful clean air - and you may catch a glimpse of some of the rare and beautiful dragon flies and butterflies that flit around our lochans, raised bogs and ancient woodlands. Knapdale is home to the Scottish Beaver Trial where not only have the beavers settled into their new home, but have also given birth to several baby kits. A guided walk from Barnluasgan will reveal much about their lifestyle - and you may even spot the beavers themselves if you visit at dawn or dusk.
Art in Nature
Possibly one of the most special ’natural’ aspects of the Heart of Argyll is the number of hugely talented artists, photographers and film-makers who have each chosen to live and work here being inspired by this wonderful natural environment. We have several galleries displaying their artwork and each year towards the end of August around 40 of the Artmap Argyll artists open their studios to the public. The plethora of outstanding artwork to view and purchase is invariably inspired by our wildlife, our landscapes, seascapes and skies. Art in the landscape workshops are planned for 2013 and many other events and guided walks will be announced early in the year.
Help is at hand!
Our website will help you find the right place to stay, where to eat and what to do in this ’Year of Natural Scotland’ on a trip to the Heart of Argyll. Look out for our heARTofARGYLL events and festival programme 2013 - a legacy of the Year of Creative Scotland in 2012. The Crinan Canal Water Festival will take place at the end of July, the Artmap open studio weekend at the end of August and the spectacular Lochgilphead Lantern Festival at the beginning of November. We will also have events in June to celebrate Iona2013 and St Columba’s journey through Argyll, and are planning a series of Art in the Landscape workshops throughout the year.
Send us an email if you have any specific queries or would like some help planning your trip. And don’t forget - if you have friends and family lucky enough to live here - take up any offer they make for you to come and explore their back garden - its second to none!
A Happy New Year from the Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance! |
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 | Colouring Ardrishaig |
| Added: 11 Nov 2012 |
......Grey Gulls to a Rainbow Flock....... In this Year of Creative Scotland 2012 four Artmap Argyll artists (Lesley Burr, Melanie Chmielewska, Sheena Devitt and Sian Macqueen) have run a series of interactive art workshops linked to the regeneration of Ardrishaig with a view to developing proposals for Public Art in Ardrishaig and the area around the Crinan Canal.
The project has its’ creative base at The Blue Dot, 89 Chalmers Street Ardrishaig, an empty traditional shop, painted blue. The artists have used it as a studio / workshop / dialogue space for the last 10 weeks. This project has been made possible with generous investment from Creative Scotland to heARTofARGYLL festival and event programme 2012 and 2013, Argyll & Bute Council and local arts initiative Artmap Argyll to generate new ideas for culture and tourism.
The artists are about to complete Phase One of the project. This has involved the artists introducing a series of grey gull themed art workshops using sculptural materials and colour that involved, participants carving plaster, painting plaster relief tiles, carving into stone, making porcelain mosaics, wax crayon rubbings from carvings as well as drawing and discussing possibilities for next steps.
The project has welcomed and involved local families, adults, S3 and S6 Lochgilphead High School pupils, P6/7’s from Ardrishaig Primary, children from the cubs, scouts, brownies and guides. More than 250 people have taken part so far and the artists have been delighted with the enthusiasm and quality of work produced.
The content of some of the artwork will now give a creative focus to the public toilets building which recently has had the doors replaced. In dialogue with Streetscape the artists are working on design solutions for the doors to help make the building more attractive for the local community and for visitors to the area. A number of mosaic gulls made with S3 pupils, are planned to be sited in Spring 2013 as part of Phase 2 of the project. The project has also helped inspire the artists to shape a next stage and come up with proposals for specific sites in the village if this is what the community would like to see happen. Ideas include a community sculptural garden, colouring or decorating the pillars.
If you have specific thoughts or ideas you would like to share or discuss please contact us afterwards as this all helps, to plan for next steps. For more information please contact Lesley: lesley.burr1@btinternet.com tel 079178567268 / 01546 600267 or Sian: macqueen.young@btinternet.com
Website: www.colouringardrishaig.jux.com |
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 | The Aliens Invaded .... Spectacularly! |
| Added: 11 Nov 2012 |
In the Year of Creative Scotland 2012, more than 130 aliens, rocket ships and strange creatures from outer space invaded the streets of Lochgilphead last weekend. Schools, communities and families from across Mid Argyll have been busy making lanterns for the annual Lochgilphead Lantern Parade which took place from 6.30pm on Saturday 3rd November.
Jane Walker, one of the Lead Artists said ‘We have been amazed by some of the ideas for lanterns this year; people get more and more creative and ambitious and this year we had some fantastic lanterns taking part in the Parade’.
This year the Parade has received an investment from Creative Scotland as part of the heARTofARGYLL events and festivals programme for 2012 and 2013. Ailsa Raeburn, Treasurer said ‘We have been really lucky this year to have the support of Creative Scotland, which together with the grant from Infinis and our Strictly fundraiser meant we could put on a great show. As usual the Round Table exceeded everyone’s expectations with their bonfire and fireworks which was a great end to the Parade.’
Jamie Grant, Senior Project Developer at Infinis commented: “Once again Infinis is delighted to support the Lochgilphead Lantern Parade. It was a great evening witnessing the creative collaborations made by the local communities across Mid Argyll. It was truly spectacular” .
Andrew Wilson of the Square Peg and Chairperson of the Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance , who helped secure some of the funding for the Parade as part of the heARTofARGYLL initiative, explained what the Parade does for the town. ‘It really helps put Lochgilphead on the map. Every year we get more people travelling from further afield just to come and see the Parade and fireworks in this beautiful setting. We had over three thousand people lining the streets and the Front Green. The lanterns get more elaborate each year - there is nothing else like it.’
The Round Table put on a spectacular display of fireworks immediately after the parade centred around the ‘alien’ bonfire next to the Corran.
Images courtesy of Bill Baillie Photographer.
Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lochgilphead-Lantern-Parade-2012/379413645471842 |
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 | Alien Invasion - Lantern Workshops in Lochgilphead |
| Added: 28 Oct 2012 |
The workshops are now well underway preparing for the Alien Invasion Lantern Parade in Lochgilphead this Saturday. The workshops take place every day from now until Saturday - details of the times are on our upcoming events and on the attached flyer.
Do try and get along - they are great fun for all the family!
Attachments: Download File |
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 | Tarbert Seafood at BBC Good Food Show |
| Added: 18 Oct 2012 |
Taste some of Argyll’s finest seafood this weekend in Glasgow! Hoteliers, restauranteurs and seafood producers from Tarbert, Loch Fyne will be at the BBC Good Food Show at the SECC this weekend.
Website: http://forargyll.com/2012/10/tarbert-businesses-collaborate-to-promote-local-seafood-at-bbc-good-food-show-scotland/ |
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 | STOP PRESS - Getting to the Heart of Social Media - 2 and 3 October 2012 |
| Added: 29 Sep 2012 |
More than 40 people have booked up for our training sessions with an additional session being provided on Monday for Artmap Artists. We do still have two morning only sessions on the Tuesday and Wednesday so if you are interested please follow the link and email carron on carron.tobin@ruraldimensions.com.
Attachments: Download File |
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 | Artmap Argyll - Echoes of the Past continues until September 30th |
| Added: 12 Sep 2012 |
Artmap Argyll runs the final of three summer 2012 exhibitions at Auchindrain Township Museum near Furnace. The event takes place from mid-August to the end of September and will feature the following artists:
Libby Anderson - painter
Lesley Burr - Painter
Kirsty Brady - glass artist
Tara Coia - willow sculptor
Melanie Chmielewska - Sculptor
Lucinda Hopkinson - glass artist
Fraser MacIver - painter and print maker
Louise Oppenheimer - weave
Alice Strange - printmaker
Edna Whyte - painter
Website: http://www.artmapargyll.com |
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 | Free art workshops at the Blue Shop |
| Added: 11 Sep 2012 |
The Blue Dot project is creating Public Art for Ardrishaig using sculptural materials and colour. In partnership with HeART of Argyll, four Artmap Argyll artists: Lesley Burr, Melanie Chmielewska, Sheena Devitt and Sian MacQueen have been busily painting and transforming the use of the old shop premises to be the creative hub of this exciting new project. It’s open 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday, please come along to meet artists, share your ideas and find out how you can get hands on with public art for Ardrishaig. See how a rainbow flock of gulls have begun to inspire a series of artworks!
Website: http://www.colouringardrishaig.jux.com/
Attachments: Download File |
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 | Getting to the Heart of Social Media - 2 and 3 October 2012 |
| Added: 08 Sep 2012 |
On 2nd and 3rd October, the Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance is giving local businesses the chance to learn from social media expert, Rene Looper, when it hosts a series of training courses at An Tairbeart in Tarbert, Loch Fyne.
Rene Looper of Tuminds, who delivered a highly informative workshop at the Argyll & the Isles Tourism Summit at Portavadie in March this year, returns to Argyll next month to share his knowledge of how best to maximise social media to grow a successful tourism business and raise awareness online.
Two training sessions will be available each day, with morning sessions for beginners and afternoon for more advanced social media users. The morning session will explain what social media marketing is, explain how it can help your own business and show you how to set up, manage and maintain an effective Facebook business page and Twitter account. The advanced session will focus on how to manage the online reputation of your business and how to improve your website ranking using social media. There will also be advice on how to manage the time spent on social media.
Training delegate rates are discounted for Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance members at £20 for a half day and £30 for a full day, with 12 places available for each session. Non members will pay £40 for a half day and £60 for a full day.
The booking form is available at the bottom here or from the download tab on our homepage.
Andrew Wilson, Chair of the Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance and owner of The Square Peg in Lochgilphead, said: “The Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance is delighted to be able to offer this training to its members and others. The power of social media is growing by the day and with more people using it locally and linking together, the bigger the message we can get out there promoting this wonderful part of Argyll.’
Andrew, who manages the Heart of Argyll social media recently used Twitter to collaborate with a blogger who was compiling a ’Top 10 Free Family Days Out in Scotland’ for Relationship Scotland. HOATA suggested visiting the Knapdale Beavers in a Twitter exchange, and it made it onto the top 10 list - at number four just behind Kelvingrove Art Gallery.
Attachments: Download File |
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 | Crinan Canal Water Festival - Dragon Boat Race Results! |
| Added: 01 Sep 2012 |
The official results from the third Dalriada Dragon Boat Challenge previously published on Facebook are available here - a close run competition for sure!
Attachments: Download File |
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 | Ten out Ten for Art Workshop |
| Added: 01 Sep 2012 |
In the Year of Creative Scotland over 40 budding artists joined the Barnluasgan Art in the Landscape Workshop on Sunday 19th August and enjoyed making mosaics, weaving with nature and making aboriginal dot paintings. Louise Oppenheimer, Sian McQueen and Lesley Burr of Artmap helped everyone learn about the different art forms and everyone went away with their very own unique piece of art. Feedback gave the event a resounding 10 out of 10 and attracted people of all ages and from close and far. Andrew Wilson of the Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance commented ‘this was a lovely family event where everyone got totally engrossed in making their own little piece of art. We are planning more heARTofARGYLL Art in the Landscape workshops for next year and this week’s event was very encouraging’.
The workshop was made possible with support being provided by Creative Scotland through the heARTofARGYLL partnership project. |
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 | Three little beaver kits spotted |
| Added: 29 Jul 2012 |
| Three little beaver kits, all from the one family, have been spotted by the rangers at the Scottish Beaver Trial in Knapdale in the Heart of Argyll. This is the time of year when young kits emerge from the family lodge so the rangers hope to see others, on the other Lochs, over the course of the summer. A promising start and the greatest number of kits born to one family to date! |
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 | Water Festival Programme & Prize Draw Announced |
| Added: 27 Jul 2012 |
Click on the link to view the timings for this Sunday’s Crinan Canal Water Festival and see what great prizes you could win in the Festival Draw.
Attachments: Download File |
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 | 2012 HeArt Festival dates confirmed |
| Added: 27 Jul 2012 |
Click on the link to view the dates for all the HeArt Festivals in 2012.
Attachments: Download File |
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 | Disney Pixar Brave-inspired debut performance at the Crinan Canal Water Festival |
| Added: 23 Jul 2012 |
Visitors to the Crinan Canal Water Festival this Sunday, 29 July, at Dunardry Locks, near Cairnbaan, can look forward to the debut performance by the Walking Theatre Company of ’Braw An Aw’fy Big Adventure.
Find out more by reading the article on For Argyll - see link below.
Website: http://forargyll.com/2012/07/2012-crinan-canal-water-festival-an-awfy-big-adventure/#more-56361 |
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| | Craignish Festival and Ardfren Gigfest Run until 5th August |
| Added: 22 Jul 2012 |
The Craignish Festival is 16-day spectacular of art, drama, music, crafts and sport set on the beautiful Craignish peninsula. It starts with an Olympic-style Torch Relay started at Craignish Point on 20th July by the oldest member of the community, and ends on 5th August with a Giant Reel of the 51st in the middle of Ardfern; festival organizers are aiming for 250 dancers from near and far to set a new unofficial world record!
Datails below.
Website: www.craignishartsfestival.org.uk/ |
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 | Art Map Argyll Exhibiting at Auchindrain until 29th July |
| Added: 12 Jul 2012 |
Artmap Argyll is running an exhibition called ’Walls of Stone’ in June & July at Auchindrain Township Museum near Furnace.
The following artists will be exhibiting:
Libby Anderson - painter
Tara Coia - willow sculptor
Melanie Chmielewska - sculptor
Sheena Devitt - Lettering designer and carver
Lucinda Hopkinson - Glass artist
Fraser MacIver - Painter and printmaker
Louise Oppenheimer - weaver
Christine Russell - painter
Edna Whyte - painter
Website: http://www.artmapargyll.com |
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 | Creative Scotland Award |
| Added: 29 May 2012 |
The Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance has secured significant investment from Creative Scotland for a partnership programme of activity with Kilmartin House Museum and Artmap Argyll to celebrate the Year of Creative Scotland. More news coming soon...
Website: http://www.creativescotland.com/
Attachments: Download File |
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 | BBC Radio visits Loch Fyne |
| Added: 28 May 2012 |
A fascinating radio programme highlighting the importance of sailing to the Heart of Argyll area, featuring Tarbert, Loch Fyne and Portavadie Marina. Click here to listen.
Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01j6tjf/Business_Scotland_27_05_2012/ |
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 | In the Footsteps of Kings |
| Added: 14 May 2012 |
Kilmartin House Museum’s new Walking Guide to Kilmartin Glen and the surrounding area will be launched at the Museum on 19th May when author Sharon Webb will be signing copies. The book contains a section on Argyll’s archaeological and historical past followed by 25 of the best heritage and natural heritage walks in Kilmartin Glen, Craignish, Kilmichael Glen and Knapdale. The title of the book is In the Footsteps of Kings and it retails at £7.99. Stunning photography of the area by Dr Aaron Watson complements the text. Jim Gilchrist, free lance writer, visited Kilmartin a couple of weeks ago with a preview copy of the book and kindly penned the attached article which appeared in the Scotsman on Saturday 12th May.
Website: http://www.kilmartin.org
Attachments: Download File |
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| | Scottish Field magazine article |
| Added: 10 May 2012 |
There’s a lovely article on Argyll in the May issue of Scottish Field so be sure to pick up a copy before they sell out.
Attachments: Download File |
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| | On the buses... |
| Added: 10 May 2012 |
More coverage from the recent Argyll marketing initiative launch of promotional artwork on the back of West Coast Motors buses and the fish lorries travelling back and forward to Spain. May the images inspire lots of visitors to come and enjoy short breaks and family holidays in the Heart of Argyll.
Attachments: Download File |
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| | The Sun Travel Feature |
| Added: 10 May 2012 |
Argyll and the beautiful drive along the shores of Loch Fyne on the A83 featured in a recent article in The Sun mid-week travel section. Click on the file below to read more.
Attachments: Download File |
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| | Tourism boost to Argyll |
| Added: 03 May 2012 |
Expo raises profile of tourism in Argyll and the Isles
The Visit Scotland International Trade Expo in Edinburgh saw Argyll and The Isles Tourism take a massive step forward in raising the regions international profile.
A team of 15 volunteers from every corner of Argyll and The Isles took six spectacular concept stands called “A Journey through Argyll and The Isles” to the Highland Show Grounds at Ingliston and wowed buyers and VIPs from all over the world. They distributed fantastic food and Malt whisky from the all over region as well as using fantastic imagery and in-depth local knowledge.
The banks of stands were cleverly placed at either side of the corridor so faced each other and the sales team used the space in between to capture the attentions of guests.
Mike Story of Vice Chair and Communications director of Argyll and The Isles Strategic Tourism Partnership said:
“Our New Chair Calum Ross and I are very proud of our team. The buzz from our stands was felt right through Expo. The team engaged with customers like no other stand did, and carried out in depth interviews with nearly 200 international buyers, all of which were given a real flavour of Argyll and The Isles, and a real west highland welcome. The stand attracted a lot of VIPs, we even had his grace the Duke of Argyll come and give us a hand!. Privately we were told that our stand had set a new standard, and was the most talked about in the show.”
The team will now start on following up all the interview and leads which will drive customers to businesses all over Argyll and The Isles.
Meanwhile, demand from other Argyll and The Isles based businesses has resulted in the team doubling their booking to 12 stands for the 2013 Expo in Glasgow and they are all full already!
Expo 2012 is Part of a two year managed programme of events to promote Argyll and the Isles as a regional tourism destination, this project is being part financed by the Scottish Government and the European Community Argyll and the Islands Leader 2007 – 2013 Programme, Argyll and Bute Council, HIE, the VisitScotland Growth Fund, and local tourism marketing associations including Oban and Lorne Tourism Association, Islay and Jura Marketing Group, Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance, Food from Argyll, Inveraray Marketing Group, and Holiday Mull and Iona.
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 | Scotland Outdoors competition winner |
| Added: 01 May 2012 |
| The winners of the Scotland Outdoors magazine competition were in Argyll last week to enjoy their two-day bespoke kayak safari. After a good night’s sleep at West Loch Shores near Tarbert, the prize winners met up with guides Will Self and Colin McWilliams and set off on their adventures from Loch na Cille from where they enjoyed breathtaking views of the Paps of Jura and learned about the interesting wildlife to be found in this part of Argyll. |
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 | Coverage of Expo on www.forargyll.com |
| Added: 27 Apr 2012 |
What a great article. The event was a cracking success. Argyll and the Isles and HoATA are really on to something.
It’ll take time for the numbers to grow, but grow they will.
Website: http://http://forargyll.com/2012/04/report-from-the-frontline-argyll-and-the-isles-at-expo-2012/#more-52257 |
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 | The Dalriada Expedition |
| Added: 25 Apr 2012 |
Website: http://www.clydecruises.com
Attachments: Download File |
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 | HoATA Bus and Lorry Coverage from Forargyll.com |
| Added: 21 Apr 2012 |
Website: http://forargyll.com/2012/04/heart-of-argyll-motors-west-to-all-parts-ofishelly/ |
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 | Jura Passenger Ferry on BBC Alba |
| Added: 07 Apr 2012 |
The Ferry was featured on BBC Alba’s An Là last night, Nicol, Rob Tìgeir and Iain Cameron all feature as well as the Ferry, Castle Sween and more.
Rob was filmed in The Antlers. Thanks to Sharon for letting us duck out of the rain - and for the great breakfast rolls too.
It’s about 7 and a half minutes in.See Jura Passenger Ferry on facebook for more info.
Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01f596h/An_La_06_04_2012/ |
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| | BBC Country Tracks in Argyll |
| Added: 21 Mar 2012 |
Joe Crowley from BBC’s Country Tracks programme visited the Heart of Argyll en route to the Isle of Arran in last Sunday’s programme. If you missed it, click on the link below to catch up on BBC iPlayer. Some great footage of Loch Fyne and Tarbert in particular.
Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/ktqx4/
Attachments: Download File |
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 | The Scotsman - Travel the Kintyre Peninsula |
| Added: 14 Mar 2012 |
From Tarbert in the Heart of Argyll, explore the Kintyre Peninsula.
Website: http://www.scotsman.com/scotland-on-sunday/scotland/travel-the-kintyre-peninsula-1-2166815 |
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 | The Scotsman - article on Night time Beaver Safaris |
| Added: 08 Mar 2012 |
Website: http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/night-time-safaris-will-meet-demand-from-eager-beaver-fans-1-2159139 |
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 | Forest Tourism in Argyll & The Isles Local Cluster Workshops |
| Added: 06 Mar 2012 |
For Everyone interested in better promoting the wealth of forests, woodlands and gardens within Argyll & The Isles which are open to and accessible to the public
We are delighted to invite you to attend a workshop in yourlocal area to explore the potential to develop forest tourism as part of a strategic initiative covering Argyll & The Isles.
local area to explore the potential to develop forest tourism as part of a strategic initiative covering Argyll & The Isles.
An initial study was undertaken for FCS which identified over 250 sites in Argyll. and concluded that there is real potential to develop a cluster &hub approach to better promote these sites. When you consider Perthshire Big Tree Country and the 7Stanes you get an excellent feel for just what could be achieved.
A forum has been established, FCS has secured funding from LEADER and ruralDimensions has been commissioned to roll out a programme of interactive workshops, one in each cluster. We began with mapping the sites and identifying 11 discrete clusters and we have a programme of workshops throughout March. These will each seek to better understand what each cluster has to offer, what makes it special, the scope for cross selling within and between each cluster and also how we can better promote this wonderful resource outwith the region.
This current phase will build up capacity in each cluster but will also generate a leaflet and web based information to attract visitors and help them find what they are looking for. Further funding has been committed by FCS for a second phase which will build on these workshops and develop a strong and sustainable Argyll
Forest Tourism product we can all benefit from We want to involve as many landowners/managers and tourism operators as possible in each cluster so please feel free to pass this to any one who may be interested in these cluster workshops . We do hope you can join us.
Please RSVP to carron.tobin@ruraldimensions.com or call 07715773660
PDF download below.
Attachments: Download File |
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 | Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance AGM |
| Added: 29 Feb 2012 |
The first AGM takes place on Wednesday 7th March 2012, 6 for 6.30pm at the Cairnbaan Hotel.
The programme for the evening will include a talk from Simon Jones of the beaver trial setting out what has been achieved so far and the business opportunities that are emerging. Carron Tobin, our coordinator will also present an overview of all that has been achieved in our first year of operation and our plans for the coming year. Our financial year has not yet ended but we will set out our spend projections and budget plans for next year, and are also proposing the next AGM is in the Autumn to review the first year accounts. The evening will also include open discussion to explore what Alliance members, would like to see more (or less) of.
The formal AGM will take place at the end of the evening and will be restricted to members only.
HEART OF ARGYLL TOURISM ALLIANCE – FIRST AGM
7 MARCH 2012, 6pm FOR 6.30pm AT THE CAIRNBAAN HOTEL
PROGRAMME
6.00-6.30pm Networking with Refreshments
6.30pm Welcome – Joanna Ashton, HoATA, Interim Chairperson
6.35pm HoATA – the First Year – Carron Tobin, HoATA Coordinator
7.55pm Beavers Really Do mean Business – Simon Jones, the Scottish Beaver Trial
7.15pm Open Floor Discussion
7.45pm FORMAL AGM AGENDA
1. Welcome, sederunt, introductions and apologies
2. HoATA – the First AGM – an Overview of our Articles of Association
3. Annual Report
5. Annual Accounts (Year 1 budget position and spend projections for Year 2, and proposal)
6. Directors and Directorships
7. A.O.C.B.
8. Date of next Annual General Meeting.
8.15pm CLOSE
8.15pm Networking in the Bar
PS please note an innovative forest tourism workshop is taking place in the afternoon from 2-5.30pm at the same venue to which all Alliance members are invited. |
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 | New Heart of Argyll Website launched |
| Added: 29 Feb 2012 |
| Today the new Heart of Argyll website is launched adding easier navigation and more up to date information. |
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