 With an ever increasing portfolio of venues in vibrant locations, Scotland is the ideal place to go to escape the boardroom for your next meeting or event. From castles to museums, to hotels and purpose-built conference centres, there is a variety of unique venues to make your event truly memorable.Here is the lowdown on what’s been happening at venues north of the border.
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Tourism boom for Edinburgh venues
 Two of Edinburgh’s top venues have seen record numbers of visitors during the summer months of 2011.
Edinburgh Castle has set a new record by attracting more than 200,000 visitors last month. It attracted 203,940 visitors in July, up 19% compared with the same period last year, the previous record high.
The icon of Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh Castle can provide an enviable backdrop for a conference or special event. There are various rooms available to hire including the Queen Anne Building in Crown Square, at the heart of the Castle, which offers a private facility for daytime meetings or presentations. The Jacobite room, which is also available to hire, offers stunning views across Edinburgh for a dinner or large reception.
For more information on Edinburgh Castle as an events venue, go to www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
The National Museum of Scotland, which closed in 2008 to undergo an extensive redevelopment, reopened on 29 July and has attracted more than 450,000 visitors since opening.
Located in the heart of Edinburgh, the National Museum of Scotland has undergone a £46.4 million major redevelopment, which has transformed it into a world class 21st century experience. The new development will be open for corporate events from October 2011 and includes a new street level entrance with a café and restaurant, 16 inspiring new galleries and the stunning Grand Gallery.
Gordon Rintoul, Director, National Museums Scotland, said: 'The number of visitors we have had so far is absolutely fantastic. We were always confident that there would be a high level of interest in our transformed Museum, but to get over 100,000 people in less than a week really has surpassed all of our expectations.'
The central defining feature of the National Museum of Scotland, the Grand Gallery's soaring, light-filled atrium is a unique example of Victorian architecture. Housing large-scale objects that highlight Scotland’s contribution to the world, the magnificent space will be capable of hosting a gala dinner for 850 people.
Other facilities include Hawthornden Court, which can cater for receptions up to 750 and gala dinners for 120, and the Board and Bute Rooms for meetings for up to 50.
For further details on the National Museum of Scotland, please visit: www.nms.ac.uk
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V&A in Dundee a “huge opportunity” for the east coast of Scotland
 VisitScotland chairman Mike Cantlay has said the £45 million V&A project offers a 'huge opportunity' to attract people to the east coast, creating a lucrative knock-on effect to businesses and attractions.
He said he expects the iconic building, sited at Craig Harbour on the banks of the River Tay, to play a crucial role in marketing the country to visitors in the future.
'Around £2 billion worth of investment is ongoing or about to get under way in the tourism and leisure industry in Scotland, bringing thousands of new jobs and exciting new developments to the country,' he said.
'To be investing in tourism at this point in time, and with the kind of events that we are going to see such as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and the Homecoming, all the way to 2014, leaves me to believe that this period over the next three years will potentially be what we are describing as the 'winning years' and an opportunity to change Scottish tourism.
'The V&A at Dundee is a fantastic project — not just for Dundee, but for the whole of Scotland. Next year is the Year of Creative Scotland, which will shine a spotlight on this country's creative assets, and I'm sure the V&A at Dundee will build upon and benefit from this legacy.'
The V&A at Dundee project will significantly add to Dundee's already excellent business tourism offering. Due for completion in 2015, the facilities at the museum will provide first-class opportunities for conferences and other events to be held at unique venues. These include the great hall, which will be available to host receptions, and it will also be possible to hire galleries on a private access basis. There will also be a number of workshops and meeting rooms which will be suitable for the needs of business customers. All this will complement the facilities that already exist in Dundee and build on the city's reputation as a business tourism destination.
For more information, please visit: www.vandaatdundee.com
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Lanarkshire hotel awarded top honours for customer satisfaction
 Lanarkshire's Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort has been celebrating recently after being one of only two venues in Scotland to be awarded the highly acclaimed VenueVerdict Gold Standard accreditation by BDRC Continental, the UK’s largest independent market research agency.
The hotel in Cumbernauld is one of only 19 venues in the whole of the UK to attain this score judged on levels of customer feedback, and only one of two venues in Scotland.
Richard Mayne, general manager of The Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort, said: 'We take great pride in going that extra mile for all of our guests and are delighted that customers who have held events, conferences and meetings at the hotel have given such positive feedback. Combined with the recent AA Rosette for our restaurant Flemings, this award puts us in a really strong position.'
'The VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation is one of the most significant awards we can receive and is testimony to the success that the team here at The Westerwood have had in providing guests with consistently excellent customer service.'
For more information about The Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort please go to www.visitlanarkshire.com/accommodation/hotels/Westerwood-hotel
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Aldourie Castle named restoration of the year
 Aldourie Castle, near Inverness, has been announced as the winner of the Historic Houses Association/Sotheby’s Restoration of the Year Award 2011.
The Castle’s extensive programme of restoration began in 2007 and encompassed all aspects of the Castle and the wider Estate. The aim of the restoration was to ensure the authentic revival of the important Grade A listed building and to bring alive the character of the Estate from the Estate Cottages to the formal gardens, to the mature woodland to the 19th century kitchen garden.
The vision behind the restoration of Aldourie Castle Estate was to create an authentic homely Castle experience for holidays or events throughout the year, to be available to hire out in its entirety.
The Castle and Estate have welcomed a variety of guests in its first year, from royalty and rock stars, to the launch of a new Bentley car, as well as holidays and special occasions for groups
Roger Tempest, the owner of Aldourie Castle, commented: 'The idea of making an authentic historic Castle available on an exclusive use basis for a special occasion or corporate event can provide a huge amount of pleasure, fun and education to so many people – it is quite a rare concept as the Castle is not a hotel, not a private members club and not a museum – it becomes your own home for the duration.'
Edward Harley, President of the Historic Houses Association, commented: 'Aldourie Castle is a very deserving winner of this prestigious award. The decoration is beautiful and to the highest standard and the Castle has been restored to its former glory – and it now has an economically sustainable future. The extent of the work undertaken has been nothing less than monumental.'
For further information on the hire of Aldourie Castle as an exclusive use venue, please go to www.aldouriecastle.co.uk
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Winton House wins tourism gold award
 Exclusive use venue Winton House, based in East Lothian, has received Gold Green Tourism Business Scheme award (GTBS) for its sustainable approach to hospitality.
Located near to Edinburgh, Winton House has been a successful, ‘exclusive use’, corporate and private hospitality venue for the last 10 years.
Sir Francis Ogilvy, owner of Winton House, said: 'It’s fair to say that what we call ‘corporate responsibility’ today has been at the heart of Winton Estate’s management for hundreds of years, simply because it is good for the long term development of the Estate and the House. We’re obviously delighted with this Gold award.'
Key components on Winton House’s sustainability include using local suppliers and employing people living locally to support surrounding communities and minimise travel to work, using a wood chip fired boiler fuelled with wood from the Estate to heat the House and nearby cottages, as well as recycling water and reducing the use of pesticides.
Winton House is an exclusive use venue ideal for conferences, dinners and activities.
For more information, please visit: www.wintonhouse.co.uk
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Boost for Perthshire Business Tourism
 A consortium of Perthshire businesses, including Scone Palace, St Johnstone FC and Perth Racecourse, has been awarded £18,500 by VisitScotland to help market the region as a top destination for conferences and exhibitions, First Minister Alex Salmond announced on Friday 12th August.
The Perthshire Business Tourism Group, which comprises 13 businesses, was given the cash boost from the VisitScotland Growth Fund.
The national tourism organisation has match-funded the £37,000 project, which also includes a £4,500 contribution from Perth and Kinross Council, to pay for marketing activity such as arranging press trips, utilising social media and producing a promotional video.
Mr Salmond made the announcement at Perth Racecourse, one of the partners in the Perthshire Business Tourism Group.
Mr Salmond said: 'Perthshire has beautiful scenery that attracts many thousands of tourists each year, driving the local economy and helping businesses thrive.
'As well as leisure tourism, Perthshire is an ideal location for business tourists, with some fantastic venues that can host conferences, seminars and other events. Today's announcement will help local firms take greater advantage of this lucrative market, driving further growth and bringing even more jobs to the area.'
Sam Morshead, Chairman of the Perthshire Business Tourism Group and General Manager of Perth Racecourse, said: 'Receiving the funding from the VisitScotland Growth Fund is fantastic news for the Perthshire Business Tourism Group in terms of promoting year-round business tourism in the area.
'Thanks to VisitScotland's funding, we can now move forward with our aim to position and raise the profile of Perthshire as a business destination. There is no doubt that Perthshire is capable of competing with Glasgow and Edinburgh and other Scottish destinations. The VisitScotland Growth Fund award, combined with funds from Perth and Kinross Council and the support from VisitScotland's team, will allow us to move forward and implement an exciting marketing and PR campaign.'
Mr Cantlay added: 'Business tourism is worth more than £800 million to the Scottish economy and it is great to see these Perthshire businesses getting together to promote their region. Perthshire has a lot to offer the MICE market and this VisitScotland Growth Fund award and the efforts of the Perthshire Business Tourism Group will further enhance its reputation as a business tourism destination.'
The VisitScotland Growth Fund allows businesses to apply for a total of £1 million of funding over the next three years to help market their product to its maximum potential.
It builds on the success of the European Union-supported Growth Fund, which saw VisitScotland, along with the EU, hand out a million pounds to local marketing groups throughout the country.
The VisitScotland Growth Fund is open to Destination Organisations (DOs) and industry groups. It can support groups with up to 50 per cent (from £5,000 to £65,000) of their marketing costs to develop and deliver new marketing activity, to help them reach new target markets, increase visitor numbers and create the environment for visitors to do more, spend more and stay longer.
For more details on the Perthshire Business Tourism Group, visit: www.scotlandsbusinesscentre.co.uk
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Aberdeen Convention Bureau win generates £1million
 The Global Business Travel Association is to hold its Oil, Gas and Marine Travel Conference at the Thistle Aberdeen Altens Hotel in October this year, attracting 110 delegates over two days.
Other conferences include; The Universities' Travel Studies Group, the 2015 International Conference on the Bioscience of Lipids (ICBL), The Society of Core Analysts (SCA), and a five-day symposium was also secured all attracting over 800 delegates to Aberdeen City and Shire.
Bas Schipper, from the SCA 2011 board, said around 200 delegates would be travelling to Aberdeen for the first time.
'The SCA was founded 25 years ago in Dallas and was purely US focused, so the first symposiums were held in the USA before we decided to alternate between the USA and Europe,' he said.
'However, we held the event in Abu Dhabi in 2000 and the success of those conferences and demand from local companies meant we returned to Abu Dhabi in 2004 and 2008.'
The team at Aberdeen Convention Bureau proactively promotes Aberdeen City and Shire to attract new conferences to the region, travelling worldwide to pursue business, attending global trade missions and networking events with buyers and decision makers.
Several of the recent wins have been brought in by the bureau's network of ambassadors, who work in the academic and corporate communities throughout the local area.
For more information on Aberdeen Convention Bureau visit www.aberdeenconferences.com
Scotland’s national Arena named ‘Scottish Hydro’
 The Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre (SECC) recently unveiled leading energy supplier Scottish Hydro as the naming rights partner of its new, iconic world-class purpose built entertainment arena.
The Scottish Hydro Arena - already being referred to as 'The Hydro' - is due to open in Spring 2013 and will play host to national and international music mega stars as well as global entertainment and sporting events.
Scottish Hydro is committing to investing £1.5 million per year over the next 10 years in this ground breaking venue for Scotland. With a seating capacity of 12,000, the Hydro will augment the SECC’s existing facilities, and will play host to around 140 events per annum. Aspiring to attract an audience of 1 million visitors each year will position, the Hydro in the top 5 busiest indoor music arenas in the world alongside such iconic venues as Madison Square Gardens and The O2 arena, The Hydro has the potential to inject an additional £131 million annually into the local economy.
To keep track of The Scottish Hydro Arena’s progress and sign up for news alerts, go to www.thehydro.com
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