Leisure Archives - Page 4 of 13

Ballater Café Comeback Serves Up Improved New Look

May 132016

With thanks to Gemma Setter, Account Executive, Tricker PR.

A business owner who was forced to close her Ballater café after it was affected by flooding has taken the opportunity to improve access for disabled customers during its refit.

Karen Gerrie, owner of the Brown Sugar Café, is working alongside builders to install features that will make it easier for all to access the popular Bridge Street café.

It’s a case of turning a negative into a positive, and ensuring that when the flood- hit premises makes its comeback in June, it’s even better than before, with a new disabled toilet and level flooring throughout.

Despite the café undergoing a major refit, it will retain many of its familiar features which will be revealed when the premises make their comeback in mid-June.

Brown Sugar Café first opened in 2009 and was taken over by Karen in July 2011, since then it’s become a well-known hangout for residents and tourists, best known for its homemade sandwiches, soups and homebakes as well as its cosy atmosphere.

Karen stresses that her café and the wider village of Ballater have not been beaten by the floods and that there is lots of positive action to show the area is still open for business.

Brown Sugar Café will have two stalls at the Aboyne Rotary Duck Festival on Sunday May 22 when they will be selling gifts and traybakes – including their much-loved millionaire’s shortbread – to remind the public about what they do best.

After overcoming the initial shock of having to temporarily close her business, Karen focused her energy on getting the café back up and running and she admits to being overwhelmed by the offers of help that came in from both locals and visitors.

Karen says,

“The support we received from far and wide meant a great deal to us, as it was a very dispiriting time. The staff and I all decided that we weren’t going to give in easily, as you can sit around and cry or you can pick yourself up and get on with it. We chose to get stuck in with the work, and that really kept us going.

“Since then, we’ve come a very long way and I’m just so thankful to everyone who has got in touch to let us know that we’re in their thoughts. It’s been so exciting watching all the refurbishments going on throughout Ballater and knowing that we’re another business on its way to reopening.

“There has been a real silver lining to the floods in the sense that the community has really come together. The Business Association has been great at providing information to all the businesses’ involved and there has been lots of positive communication between everyone. There’s a real community feel to it all, it’s such a great feeling to see everyone get back on track.”

Brown Sugar Café is one of a number of Ballater businesses which will be back in business for the summer. This is extremely positive news to the area, as the aftermath flooding of Storm Frank meant that many homes and businesses had to be evacuated back in December.

Richard Watts of Ballater Business Association says,

“To see another business on track to reopen in the next month is such a boost for the whole of Ballater. Everyone has worked extremely hard to ensure that the village remains open for residents, as well as the many tourists which visit throughout the year.

“We’re really pleased that Brown Sugar Café will be back up and running again very soon, and it’s fantastic that improvements are being made that will make the café more wheelchair friendly.”

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Tots2Travel – A Family Travel Blog With A Scottish Flavour

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May 052016

With thanks to Janice Hopper.

May 2016 sees the professional launch of a Scottish Family Travel online resource called Tots2Travel.

Based in Aberdeen it encourages Scottish families to explore what’s on their doorstep and beyond.

Tots2Travel started when local writer and new mother Janice Hopper struggled to find travel recommendations written from a family perspective, be it family friendly destinations within Scotland or international locations within easy reach of Scottish airports.

Janice said:

“I was initially terrified travelling with a newborn baby and was looking was advice and child friendly places to visit. I saw a gap in the market for Family Travel writing within Scotland and it was a great incentive to do something about it. What started as a hobby then developed and I now work to show parents the family orientated destinations available across the country.

“There’s so much to do! It’s a privilege to showcase Scotland to a wider audience and highlight what’s on offer at home and abroad for Scottish families.”

The Tots2Travel team is Janice Hopper, Mr Husband, Mr Toddler (aged 2) and Mr Baby (aged 1). Janice spent over a decade writing and directing documentaries for the BBC before having two children and becoming a freelance writer.

Tots2Travel can be found and followed at www.tots2travel.wordpress.com, and its supporting social media is www.facebook.com/tots2travel.wordpress, www.instagram.com/tots2travel, www.twitter.com/tots2travel and www.pinterest.com/tots2travel.

Curtain Comes Down On 2016 Whisky Festival

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

May 052016

With thanks to Eoin Smith, Senior Account Executive, Tricker PR

The final drams have been sipped at the 2015 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival – but organisers are already preparing to do it all over again. The curtain came down on over 500 events on Monday ( 2nd May) and now the team behind the world famous Festival are putting plans in place for a second event in the early autumn.

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival took place over five days in the heart of Scotland’s best loved whisky producing region, drawing thousands of visitors from home and abroad for a programme combining the country’s national drink with music, food and fun.

New records were set when tickets went on sale for the Festival’s biggest ever programme earlier in the year. Festival chairman James Campbell says this year’s gathering in whisky’s spiritual home was one of the best on record.

He commented,

“It will take us a little bit of time to find out what the overall numbers were, but the area was extremely busy for the full five days and, most importantly, everyone I saw and spoke to had nothing but great things to say.

“To see people at these events thoroughly enjoying themselves makes worthwhile all the planning and hard work of our volunteer directors, of the Festival manager and of all the other people who give up their own time to ensure the Festival is a success. Knowing visitors will leave the area with very special memories is hugely rewarding for all of us.

“I personally met visitors from over a dozen different countries – some who have been coming for years and others who were visiting for the first time – and it was really special to see all these visitors having such a great time side by side with local people.

“I think visitors are always surprised by the huge range of different events, and the fact that they can have access to the people who are involved in the very heart of our whisky industry. I don’t think any other whisky festival in the world can offer what we can.”

All eyes are now on Spirit of Speyside – Distilled, which will take place in Elgin Town Hall on September 9 to 11. It will bring together Speyside’s whisky producers under one roof on their own doorstep for the very first time.

The event will also include local gin and craft beer, along with a wide range of food producers, showing off the huge extent of Speyside’s larder. Spirit of Speyside – Distilled will be split into four sessions over the three days, with tickets being sold for each session.

It is hoped that the event will initially attract a more local audience, but in time Spirit of Speyside – Distilled will also become a destination for the many international visitors who attend the main event in May.

James adds,

”The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has grown to become a phenomenal event, but we felt that it was time to add a second event which did not require visitors to undertake a great deal of itinerary planning.

“We chose Elgin for the location because it is the transport hub for the area, with excellent rail and road links. People can come for one session or the whole weekend, but still enjoy the spirit – and welcome – for which Speyside is famous.”

Tickets for Spirit of Speyside – Distilled will go on sale within the next couple of weeks via the website www.spiritofspeyside.com. The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter and on Instagram.

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Blood, Sweat and Gears: Cyclists Smash Fundraising Targets

Aberdeen City, News No Responses »

Apr 292016

ACSHA’s Mike Edwards and Alzheimer Scotland’s Andrea Watt celebrate the hoteliers’ donation. They are joined by regular resource centre users Andy Clark and Dorothy Melia, and Resource Centre manager Brenda Stewart.

With thanks to Eoin Smith.

Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels’ Association (ACSHA) has announced that it has broken its fundraising target for one of the country’s leading dementia charities – thanks to a four-figure boost from its recent cycle-a-thon.
Hoteliers today handed over a cheque for over £27,000 to Alzheimer Scotland at the charity’s recently-opened Aberdeen Dementia Resource Centre at the culmination of a year-long fundraising period.

The 3,500km cycle-a-thon, equivalent in length to the Tour De France, took place on static bikes in Aberdeen International Airport and hotels across the region.

Staff, management – and even some guests – from a dozen hotels pedalled their way through 24 gruelling hours to raise over £4,000 for the worthwhile cause.

The mammoth biking effort was just the latest in a series of fundraising initiatives undertaken by ACSHA in the past year – including the launch of a new lager with Deeside Brewery, participation in the city’s annual Memory Walk, and the auction of a bottle of Pol Roger Vintage Cap 1943 champagne.

Mike Edwards, owner of the Mariner Hotel, has spearheaded ACSHA’s fundraising efforts throughout 2015/16. Alzheimer Scotland is a charity close to Mike’s heart, as his father – a well-respected member of the hospitality industry in the north east – was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2008, aged just 59. In the Aberdeen area alone, there are around 300 people under the age of 65 living with dementia.

He says,

“The cycle-a-thon marked the big finish to our year of fundraising for Alzheimer Scotland, and it was fantastic to see so many of my colleagues and peers in the hospitality industry squeezing themselves into their cycling gear and jumping on the bikes.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have exceeded our fundraising goals for Alzheimer Scotland, and this is all thanks to the generosity and determination of hoteliers in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

“I would like to personally thank the members of ACSHA who have worked tirelessly over the past year to raise funds for such a worthwhile charity.

“Dementia affects those in all walks of life, and the new Aberdeen Dementia Resource Centre has quickly become such a valuable haven of support and advice in the city. Each and every penny raised will go towards improving the quality of life of those living with dementia in the north east, and their carers.

“Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels’ Association is proud to support Alzheimer Scotland’s work in the north east of Scotland.”

Andrea Watt, Community Fundraiser with Alzheimer Scotland, adds,

“With over 90,000 people now living with dementia and the number on the rise, Alzheimer Scotland is passionate that nobody should face dementia alone. It is our mission to challenge dementia once and for all by working with our supporters and partners to increase awareness and raise funds.

“We are incredibly grateful to the support provided by Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels’ Association over the last year. Their hard work has provided a welcome boost to our operations in the north east and will be invested back into the new resource centre which provides a vital source of information and support for those living with the condition.”

The money raised by ACSHA will go towards funding Alzheimer Scotland’s operations in the north east, including the Aberdeen Dementia Resource Centre which was opened last year.

In addition to monetary donations, a number of ACSHA members have also signed up to the Dementia Friends initiative, which aims to make public venues more welcoming to those with dementia and their carers.

Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels’ Association represents 49 independently operated hotels and conference venues, along with a further nine associate members. These hotels provide around 4,500 bedrooms in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. ACSHA is committed to improving the quality and standard of hotel services and to furthering the overall standards of excellence and hospitality within the region.

For more information about Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels’ Association, visit www.aberdeenhotels.org

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Glen Tanar Estate Welcomes Over 570 Scouts

Aberdeenshire No Responses »

Apr 292016

With thanks to Leanne Carter, Account Manager, Tricker PR.

Glen Tanar Estate on Royal Deeside will welcome over 570 Scouts from all over Scotland during the May Day bank holiday weekend as they pitch their tents for The Highland Adventure Camp.
The four-day event is the largest camp held in Scotland for Scouts, and the estate will be used as the backdrop for activities ranging from rafting to circus skills.

The camp will be set up next to Glen Tanar Visitor Centre from Friday, April 29 through to Monday, May 2 and will involve hundreds of tents being pitched over the weekend to create a mini-village inhabited by Scouts aged 11 to 14, along with adult volunteers.

During the adventure camp, which rotates in location each year from the Highlands to Lowlands and the Islands of Scotland, the youngsters will be encouraged to take part in many different activities, including backwoods cooking, crafts, zorbing, archery, grass sledging and even movie making.

They will also have the opportunity to participate in geocaching – a fast-growing activity which Glen Tanar Estate has helped to pioneer on Royal Deeside – where participants try to find ‘treasure’ in the landscape.

There will also be the opportunity for Scouts to learn about the management of the estate and the wildlife to be found in the countryside near Aboyne, and help the Glen Tanar Charitable Trust Rangers on a special project.

Estate owner Claire Bruce says everyone at Glen Tanar is looking forward to welcoming the youngsters.

She adds,

“We feel incredibly lucky to be able to call Glen Tanar our home, and we are thrilled to be able to share it with such a large group of young people.

“We actively encourage people to get out onto the trails and hills of Glen Tanar and enjoy what it has to offer, and the fact that the Scouts are going to be enjoying such an incredible range of activities while they are here is fantastic. It just goes to underline how many different activities can be undertaken in the glen.

“The camp will take up quite a large area near the Visitor Centre but other than that, there will be no restrictions on visitors and we hope that everyone from walkers and cyclists to horse riders will be in the great outdoors enjoying the glen and its scenery over the May Day bank holiday weekend.”

The camp is organised by Bishopton Scouts and has been running annually since 1989: it is the biggest event of its kind in Scotland.

Colin Dair, the camp chief, adds,

“Not only do the camps give Scouts the chance to meet and camp with other Scouts from all over the country, it is an opportunity to experience a wide range of exciting activities.

“As well as the many volunteers in Scouting who make this event possible, we are very grateful to the Estate for allowing us to camp in the grounds.”

Glen Tanar Estate near Aboyne is set in the heart of Royal Deeside within the Cairngorms National Park and offers a wealth of activities and attractions from fishing and walking to adventuring on estate safaris. Glen Tanar Estate’s grand ballroom is available to hire for functions, including corporate events, weddings and conferences and the estate has a number of self-catering holiday cottages.

For more information visit www.glentanar.co.uk

BrewDog’s AGM Mixes Business With Pleasure Perfectly

Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Apr 222016

With thanks to Suzanne Kelly.

The AGM of irreverent Scottish brewery, BrewDog, was held at the AECC in Aberdeen this weekend.

6,000 beer fans savoured beers from the world’s leading craft breweries at the day-long event.

The meeting gave young founders James Watt and Martin Dickie a platform to unleash five new brews, and propagate their derision of big industrial beer companies Diageo and AB InBev by announcing an official change in their constitution, entrenching the brewery’s independence by passing a motion to ensure that BrewDog can ‘never be sold to a monolithic purveyor of industrial beer’.

The recently reported 2015 financial results from the craft brewery (an extract from which is included below) propelled it to number 10 in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 companies, with a 3-year annual profit growth of 120%.

BrewDog reported a revenue increase of 51% to £44.7m in 2015, and a gross profit increase of 48% to £17m. Sales in the UK surged by 131%, making BrewDog the number one craft brewery in the UK.

Crowdfunding over the AGM weekend drew more than £600,000, tipping the total over £16m with one week still to go of Equity For Punks IV.

The 40,000-strong army of shareholders will be funding the building of a bigger brewery in Ellon, which will increase capacity fivefold, as well as launching BrewDog’s US brewery in Columbus, Ohio.

James Watt at BrewDog AGM

BrewDog is investing over $30m to build its brand new brewery Stateside to help meet the demand for BrewDog beers in America.

With a focus on expansion, BrewDog has also set its sights on new UK sites along with international ambitions.

Cathedrals of craft will be popping up in Norwich (set to launch this week), Southampton and York in the next couple of months alone.

BrewDog has raised more money through equity crowdfunding than any other company on record, and is famous for its boundary-pushing stunts to further the craft beer revolution. This latest round has raised £16m to date. And closes at 11am on 20th April 2016.

James Watt, company co-founder with Martin Dickie, commented:

“The BrewDog AGM 2016 was off the charts – we introduced our loyal punks to some amazing new beers, we shared our plans for world domination, and we made it an official part of our constitution that BrewDog will never sell out.

“We’ve got so much happening in the year ahead, we’re taking the craft beer revolution across the Atlantic, we’re cementing the craft uprising in Europe, and we’re branching out into spirits and sour beer from our Ellon HQ. And it’s all thanks to our 40,000 shareholders, which is why we put on such a massive music filled, beer-fuelled AGM for them – the biggest in the UK, and definitely the wildest.”

Aberdeen Voice’s Suzanne Kelly was on hand; she added:

“Watching this company grow from two guys on the Belmont Street Farmer’s Market to the UK’s fastest-growing private company, soon to start production in the USA, has been a pleasure to witness. It was always clear to me that Watt and Dickie loved what they were doing from day one, and I expected big things. No one really could have expected this big.

“This year’s AGM sees fellow shareholders come together from all over the world to celebrate beer and great growth. Having the UK Subs as the final act on a great musical programme didn’t hurt either. Thanks BrewDog for a great day and for introducing me to Swedish Death Candy – what a band!”

More information on BrewDog can be found at brewdog.com

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Give The Gift Of Wild Woman For Mother’s Day

Aberdeenshire, Information No Responses »

Mar 032016

Wild things! offer a variety of inspiring wilderness and nature based experiences.

With thanks to Chris Muir.

Would your Mum or Granny enjoy a night sleeping under the stars? How would she fair on a short break in a remote mountain bothy?
Environmental education charity Wild things! has launched dates for their Wild Woman breaks for 2016, giving women throughout the UK the opportunity to embrace their wild side and learn some craft skills that will enrich their time outdoors.

With no experience required, the Wild Woman breaks promise to inspire, educate and fulfill participants with new found the confidence and skills in engaging with the great outdoors.

We want to encourage women to swap their hectic daily lives for one of two wilderness escapes; a four-day break in the enchanting mountain surroundings of Glen Affric from 14th – 17th May; or a three day camp on the pristine Moray Firth Coast from 9th – 11th September.

Arriving in true castaway fashion, the weekend will begin by boat or a walk in to a remote location. From there, the intrepid explorers will learn traditional living skills such as how to identify wild edible and medicinal plants, cooking over an open fire, having a go at some creative camp craft, as well as sleeping in a hammock or tipi under the stars.

Jennie, lead instructor for the course, with over 20 years experience of delivering nature based activities, says,

“Wild Woman offers women a truly wonderful wilderness break. The courses will be restorative, inspiring and fun. You don’t have to be butch, brave or buxom for this course as we all work together as a team. There will be some challenges but only those that will leave you feeling more alive than you ever thought possible, as well as totally in love with the natural world (if you weren’t already!).”

Wild things! is a Scottish environmental education charity based in Findhorn, Moray. Wild things! offer a variety of inspiring wilderness and nature based experiences for all ages and abilities regardless of learning challenges, or physical and financial difficulties. For more information about any of our programmes visit our website www.wild-things.org.uk, or call us on 01309 690450.

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Pandemonium As Parrots Track Down Deeside Weekend

Aberdeenshire, Articles No Responses »

Mar 032016

With thanks to Ian McLaren, PR account manager, Innes Associates

Parrots descend on Deeside ahead of geocaching weekend

If you go down to the woods on Deeside this weekend you could be in for a big surprise. A pandemonium of parrots has appeared, with the birds taking up residence near some of the valley’s best known attractions.
The arrival of exotic birds is adding a splash of colour to some of the region’s walks before spring starts to bloom.

However, local birdwatchers excited by the arrival of tropical avian visitors to Scottish climes at the tail end of winter will be disappointed. The inflatable parrots are unlikely to take flight.

Perched at locations on Royal Deeside, the parrots will help guide locals and visitors taking part in this weekend’s inaugural Going for Gold pirate-themed geocaching weekend. Organised by local tourism body Visit Royal Deeside, the family-friendly event aims to encourage locals and visitors to explore the area’s scenery and attractions by using the award winning Explore Royal Deeside GeoTour as their guide.

The high-tech treasure hunt stretches along the Dee valley from Drumoak to Braemar and features 20 cache boxes hidden near attractions such as Braemar Castle and The Royal Deeside Railway, and on forest walks. Each cache is tracked down using a series of clues and GPS coordinates that are downloaded onto a mobile phone which has its location settings turned on.

The Going for Gold weekend will feature special traditional treasure hunts, children’s competitions, storytelling and face painting. Experts will also be on hand to provide an introduction to geocaching. Saturday’s events will take place at Deeside Activity Park, while World Horse Welfare’s Belwade Farm is the venue for Sunday’s activities. Events on both days will take place between 10am and 2pm, and fancy dress is optional.

On Friday, The Butterworth Gallery at Ballogie is holding a meet the artist event with hot drinks and home bakes between 3pm and 5pm. The venue is an ideal base from which to hunt caches in near Aboyne. Coinciding with the Going for Gold weekend, many Deeside businesses are running special Mother’s Day events and activities.

Alongside the activities, golden tickets will be hidden in six of the cache boxes, with prizes on offer for the first six people to discover the tickets and register their finds on the Explore Royal Deeside Facebook page.

Supporting the GeoTour is the Deeside passport, which allows geocachers to collect code words and stamps to potentially claim limited edition silver or gold geocoins. Code words can be collected at each of the 20 caches and stamps are available from 27 participating businesses, with one stamp being given for every £10 spent.

To help geocachers complete their passports, for this weekend only, all of the partner businesses are offering two stamps for every £10 spent. Until the end of March, anybody who completes all 40 boxes in their passport will receive a silver geocoin in addition to the gold geocoin.

Moira Gash, Visit Royal Deeside project co-ordinator, said:

“The parrots have certainly received one or two funny looks since they started to pop up. Some of the birds will act as an extra clue for people hunting the caches in what is set to be a fun-filled weekend.

“Going for Gold is designed to inspire locals and visitors to get out and explore Royal Deeside. For those geocachers aiming to claim a gold geocoin, many of the GeoTour’s 27 partner businesses are offering two stamps per £10 spent. This is great incentive to get the Deeside passport filled up.”

Jo Robinson, VisitScotland regional director, said:

“This innovative Royal Deeside-dedicated GeoTour is a great draw for visitors as well as locals, as it’s suitable for all ages. As the only one in Scotland and one of only two in the UK, it fits perfectly into Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, which will shine a spotlight on the country’s achievements in these fields through a wide ranging variety of new and existing activity to boost tourism in every corner of Scotland.

“Geocaching itself is a hugely popular pastime, with over two million active geocachers and 15 million geocaches worldwide. With more than 1,700 caches in a 30-mile radius of Aboyne, this GeoTour offers huge potential to attract visitors who can then go on to explore the region even further, including the outstanding scenery, wildlife, towns and villages, outdoor activities and quality food and drink.

“Tourism is more than a holiday experience – it creates jobs, sustains communities and provides a shop window for business activity. Without tourism, many remote communities would not be sustainable and business sectors like drinks, retail or construction would be severely impacted.”

It aims to grow tourism in the area for the benefit of locals and ensure visitors have the best possible experience to encourage return visits and recommendations to family and friends. More information is available at www.visitroyaldeeside.com or at www.facebook.com/ExploreRoyalDeeideGeocaching.

First Competition Win For Lucky Lesley

Aberdeen City, News No Responses »

Feb 292016

Lesley Mitchell (centre right) defies the odds to drive off the top prize in a UK wide draw organised by hotel group Village Hotels.

With thanks to Esther Green, Tricker PR.

Lesley Mitchell has never won a prize in a competition before. So when her name was selected to win a Mini Cooper in a UK wide draw that attracted tens of thousands of entries she simply could not believe it – and little wonder. Statistics show she had a greater chance of scoring a hole in one at golf or being injured by a firework than winning the brand new motor.

Lesley’s ticket was selected from more than 100,000 entries to the Village Hotel Club’s promotion to win a dream car.

The chance of winning a striking Mini One 1.2 Petrol attracted a massive swell of interest from revellers at each of the hotel group’s 28 hotels across the UK, from Aberdeen to Bournemouth, Edinburgh to Cardiff, and Glasgow to Blackpool.

When Village Hotels called Lesley by phone to break the fantastic news that she had won the car – worth £14,000 – she thought it was a workmate playing a prank. She and her colleagues had entered the draw while enjoying their office Christmas lunch at the Village Hotel in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, but none of them expected to be among the prize winners.

“When I got the call saying I had won I just automatically assumed it was some kind of hoax,” explains Lesley.

“We all entered the draw but never in a million years did I expect to win – I thought this can’t be right.

“It was a total shock as I have never won anything before, but after several conversations and emails from Lynn Fraser at the Village Hotel Group I realised it was true, it was a lovely surprise. To have won dinner, or a weekend break, would have been really nice but to win the Mini is the icing on the cake.”

The Mini prize looks set to bring maximum benefits for Lesley, who lives in Insch, Aberdeenshire, and is company secretary and office administrator for a chemical business in Bucksburn.

“Many years ago, in my youth, I had a Mini and this will be a lovely run-around,” Lesley continued.

“I’m calling this my ‘Mini Me’ and it will be my weekend car.

“I moved house last year and had the perfect Christmas in my new home, and then to find out I had won a car was just lovely. “

Lynn Fraser from Village Hotels said:

“It was wonderful to break the news to Lesley that her ticket had been picked at random as the winner of our nationwide draw which attracted over 100,000 entries from customers at our hotels the length and breadth of Britain.

“It’s not every day you hear that you have won a prize, let alone won a Mini, so it’s hardly surprising that Lesley was rather taken aback by her good news and that it took some time to sink in.

“It’s a wonderful car and everyone at Village Hotels hopes Lesley really enjoys her new driving experience.”

Village Hotels has 28 hotels located in towns and cities across the UK, boasting modern and friendly accommodation and excellent facilities. For more information, visit https://www.village-hotels.co.uk/

Deeside Springs Event To Attract Treasure Hunters

Aberdeenshire, Articles No Responses »

Feb 252016

With thanks to Ian McLaren, PR account manager, Innes Associates

Geocaching at Drum Castle, Aberdeenshire

A family at Drum Castle tracking down a cache on the Explore Royal Deeside GeoTour.

A high-tech, pirate-themed treasure hunting weekend on Royal Deeside next month will herald the start of meteorological spring and illustrate that the area is open for business. Organised by Visit Royal Deeside, the area’s first geocaching weekend will take place from Friday, 04 to Sunday, 06 March and will be based around the award winning Explore Royal Deeside GeoTour.

Titled Going for Gold, the family-friendly event aims to encourage locals and visitors to explore the area’s scenery and attractions by way of the high-tech treasure hunt.

Launched nine months ago, the Explore Royal Deeside GeoTour is Scotland’s only official GeoTour – a modern day version of a traditional treasure hunt. The initiative features 20 cache boxes hidden along the Dee valley that can be tracked down using GPS coordinates and a series of clues downloaded onto a mobile phone.

The Going for Gold weekend will have a pirate theme and feature special traditional treasure hunts, children’s competitions, storytelling and face painting. Saturday’s events will take place at Deeside Activity Park, while World Horse Welfare’s Belwade Farm is the venue for Sunday’s activities. Events on both days will take place between 10am and 2pm, and fancy dress is optional.

Alongside the activities, golden tickets will be hidden in three of the cache boxes, with prizes on offer for the first three people to discover the tickets and register their finds on the Explore Royal Deeside Facebook page.

Bonus stamps will be on offer over the weekend to help geocachers fill their Deeside passport which supports the GeoTour. The passport allows geocachers to collect stamps to potentially win limited edition silver or gold geocoins. Passport stamps can be collected at each of the 20 caches and from any of the 27 participating businesses, with one stamp being given for every £10 spent.

Local tourism body Visit Royal Deeside has created the event to encourage individuals and families to visit Deeside’s many attractions and local businesses, giving the area’s tourism industry a boost before the season starts in earnest in late March.

Moira Gash, Visit Royal Deeside project co-ordinator, said:

“The GeoTour has proven to be very popular since it was established last year and it has inspired many families to take up geocaching as a way of exploring the local area. Royal Deeside is a stunning place at any time of the year with lots of sights to see and the GeoTour lets visitors explore some fantastic places that they may not normally experience.

“The weekend is set to be fun filled, with lots of activities to keep all of the family entertained. That is the beauty of geocaching, it is something that people of all ages can enjoy. Going for Gold is designed to spur geocachers on to tracking down as many caches as possible with the aim of collecting enough passport stamps to secure a gold geocoin.

“Geocaching continues to grow in popularity around the world. For those who have never been geocaching and are thinking about taking it up, experienced geocachers will be on hand at the two weekend events to teach the basics.

“With the days lengthening and people eager to get out and explore as spring arrives, it really is an ideal time to visit Royal Deeside and give the area’s economy a boost by supporting some of the local businesses.”

There are over 2.5million active geocachers around the world. The Royal Deeside GeoTour aims to attract visitors from throughout the UK and overseas to the area. Throughout Deeside there are a number of smaller trails that are linked into the official Deeside GeoTour, including ones at Braemar Castle, Belwade Farm and Scolty Hill.

Visit Royal Deeside is the destination management organisation established in 2005 to promote Royal Deeside, Donside and the eastern Cairngorms. The organisation works with over 100 locals businesses to enhance the quality and variety of visitor products and services, providing effective training and support where necessary. It aims to grow tourism in the area for the benefit of locals and ensure visitors have the best possible experience to encourage return visits and recommendations to family and friends.

More information is available at www.visitroyaldeeside.com or at www.facebook.com/ExploreRoyalDeeideGeocaching.

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