Highlands on a high as Brits spend Easter break in Hotels across north report surge in number of visitors
By Samantha Chetwynd, Press and Journal Published: 14/04/2009
Tourism in the Highlands is booming as British holidaymakers opt to spend their Easter break in the UK, it was revealed last night.
Visitor numbers are said to be much higher than the same time last year – and tourism chiefs are confident the trend will continue.
The number of overseas visitors to the Highlands is also high, with many cashing in on the weak pound.
Trade was “excellent”, according to a hotel manager in Inverness, while several others at Fort William reckoned they had had one of their busiest Easters for years.
Craig Ewan, general manager of the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness and chairman of the Inverness Hotels Association, said: “It’s been much busier than it was this time last year at Easter. We’ve been at maximum capacity.
“I think it’s to do with the number of domestic leisure travellers that maybe would have gone to Europe for a weekend in the past.”
He added: “Across the board things are quite good and very strong for the summer months. A few of the bigger hotels, which have weddings and conferencing facilities, have felt a little shake just now but things are looking good for the summer.”
A spokeswoman for Visit-Scotland said its tourist information centre in Inverness had seen a 20% increase on last year of visitors coming through its doors.
A spokesman for Jacobite Cruises, which offers trips on Loch Ness, said: “We haven’t had official numbers back yet but it seemed very busy.
“We always expect Easter to be a good crowd but I think it has been slightly better than last year. “It seems to be the opinion of most that people are spending their holidays at home rather than going abroad and I would go along with that.”
One of the busiest places in Lochaber was Aonach Mor, which by yesterday afternoon had seen more than 2,000 Easter visitors. About 30 of them were still taking advantage of what snow remained on the tops but the majority were there just for a ride on the gondola.
“There was a good mix of people from abroad but the majority were Brits,” said a Nevis Range spokesman. “Pointers are that many will holiday at home so we are optimistic that it will be a good season.”
Staff at Fort William’s newly-rebranded Visit Scotland tourist information centre reported a busy Sunday but said yesterday was quieter.
A number of Fort William hotels reported one of their busiest Easter periods for several years with some full on Saturday evening.Over on the west coast, Leona Bell, proprietor of the Kinlochbervie Hotel, said Easter was much busier than expected, while Allan Andrew of the Morangie B&B in Tain in Easter Ross said business was brisk, but visitors were mainly from Europe.
Lorna Jappy, at Timespan Heritage Centre at Helmsdale, said: “There were a lot of families from down south coming in looking for information on getting around the area.”
There were lots more caravans and cars with surfboards and bikes about on the roads and we did have some wonderful weather. Dornoch-based police inspector Ramsay Aitken said the roads in the area were busier than normal. He also noticed a lot of foreign visitors and believes they are making the most of the weak pound.
