explore inverness newsletter 2014
DESCRIPTION
Explore Inverness Newsletter 2014 for more info http://www.explore-inverness.com/TRANSCRIPT
1
Good luck to us
all in the 2009
Tourist Season
In the year of
The
Homecoming
Explore Scotland News
Would you believe that we have been producing
the Explore Inverness Guides since 2000 four-
teen years In these fourteen years we have
seen a lot of change in how we access the tour-
ist market how the visitors are looking and find-
ing information for their holidays
The big change in this time has been how the
tourism industry has had to embrace the inter-
net Back in 2000 many holiday makers arrived
in their destination and headed for the Tourist
Office to collect information Today visitors do
much of their planning on line
Our focus as Explore Scotland has been to pro-
vide information on specific areas of Scotland
much of which does not have a web site or
championed by some business or enterprise I
call these the gold nuggets the special pieces of
information that when you are on holiday make
your holiday a bit different
Our new Explore web sites (new in 2012) have
made use of the latest technology They are ac-
cessible through all types of devices from mobile
phones tablets net books to desk top comput-
ers They use Google language translator (for all
those whose first language is not English)
Google Maps to show locations and a direction
planner through out the web site There is also a
Trip Planner on each Explore web site where
visitors can go round the web site collecting all
the things that catch their eye from Events to
attractions and those lsquogold nuggetsrsquo that they do
not find on other sites They can print this off
and bring it with them on holiday to remind
Explore Inverness Start of the Season Newsletter
A chance to update ourselves ready for the new season Thank you to all the businesses for contributed articles
April 2014
Explore Scotland Ltd
01796 473335
The newsletter
Gives you the latest Inverness
tourist business news
Written by the businesses
themselves
Inverness
Newsletter 2014
Once upon a time a
few years past
tourism businesses
collected information
for their customers at
Start of the Season
Leaflet Days
These events by and
large do not happen
any longer
This publication
brings you news
direct from other
tourism businesses in
the area
2
Explore Scotland News
Page 2 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
them what caught their eye when they were
doing their holiday research
We have also learnt that Events can make a
big difference to peoplersquos holidays Events
are generally scattered across a whole host
of web sites that most holiday makers will
never have the time nor the energy to trawl
through So we have specialised in pulling
the events together in one place and made
them highly searchable (see the article on
page 6)
The big hitters on the Internet
The big money generators on the internet
are the accommodation booking engines
(see article on page 7) which charge com-
mission to the owners and the purchaser
making millions in the process
None of us like to travel to a destination not
knowing where we are going to stay It
would be a real lottery and highly stressful
So we prepare for our holiday by searching
the internet and taking time to work out
where we can stay and get our broad travel
itinerary worked out before we leave home
Leaving many of the minor decisions for
when we are on holiday such as where we
are going to eat and do
Despite all this technology people still like
to have something they can read in their
hand preferably with maps to help them
make these decisions This is where our
Explore Guides fit the Explore guides do not
sell accommodation which we believe is for
the internet but it does set out to promote
the area in a easy to use informative style
(no graffiti adverts where businesses buy a
space and splash what ever they want on it
trying to out compete the other spaces sold
in the publication) We control the infor-
mation format and style Many visitors tell
us they collect the Explore guides for the
different areas they visit tak-
ing them home as holiday sou-
venirs
We see accommodation pro-
viders as part of the Explore
Scotland team The Explore
guides were first developed
back in 1999 with lots of excel-
lent feedback and constructive
criticisms from accommodation providers
over the years which has helped shaped
todayrsquos Explore Guides
Our objective has always been to give ac-
commodation providers a reasonable quali-
ty publication that promotes their area for
their guests Maps supported by good infor-
mation helps them learn the choices they
have and hopefully encourages some of
them to stay longer and others to come
back again as there was so much to do
This year 2014 we have expanded the Ex-
plore inverness Guide to include the whole
of Loch Ness The area map on the back
page has been expanded to show this new
area with new maps for Drumnadrochit and
Fort August added
We would appreciate any comments you
may have as good constructive criticism
and ideas is what has always helped us to
evolve what we do to contact us e-mail
jamesexplorescotlandnet or Tel 01796
473335
ldquoDolphins
are the
obvious
attraction
and we
encounter
them on
many of the
tripsrdquo
We are a
small local
family run
souvenir and
gift shop We
c o n s t a n t l y
strive to offer
our visitors a
unique shop-
ping experi-
ence and can
safely state
that we offer
the best ser-
vice and the
most competitively priced gifts and souve-
nirs than anyone else with in the city
We would be happy to help furnish your
breakfast rooms with the latest Scottish
related coasters aprons table mats etc at a
15 discount on production of your relevant
business card Just pop in and we will do it
at the till
We have fluent German Italian and French
speakers and I extend to all readers the
opportunity to contact Josef at the shop if
you feel you might need a translator even
to the extent of working out if your custom-
ers want their eggs boiled or scrambled
Just pick up the phone
In addition to the usual credit card facilities
we accept euro notes and are the only re-
tailer in Inverness accepting euro coins for
purchases even giving change in euros
We are located opposite Costa Coffee on
Inglis street and we trade from 9am till
10pm 7 days a week
I hope we all have a busy season ahead
good luck to Inverness martin
Highland Souvenirs
15 Inglis street
Inverness IV1 1HN
Tel 01463 713 475
Highland Souvenirs
3
Lockhartrsquos Event Catering has been estab-
lished for over 15 years
Providing a professional bespoke service
throughout Scotland we have proven expe-
rience in many types of events including
weddings corporate events TV and film
shoots field events and much more Lock-
hartrsquos are also available to the service and
hospitality sector be it general manage-
ment restaurant management or event
management - so if you are a hotel or a
corporate company looking to organise an
event and are not sure where to start con-
tact us and we can help to manage your
event from start to finish
We have an excellent team of proven quality
suppliers and staff all helping to make any
event a massive success We also have a
superb network of industry professionals
through whom we can source almost any-
thing We are immensely proud to have
been awarded the Scottish regional event
caterer of the year for 2013 an achieve-
ment well deserved
For more information on how we are able to
help add to your event please contact us
either by e mail facebook through our web
site or by telephone
W wwwlockhartseventcateringcouk
E johnlockhartseventcateringcouk
T 01463 232333 M 07980560962
Lockhartrsquos Event Catering
Page 3 April 2014
Groam House Museum GROAM HOUSE GAINS NATIONAL STATUS
FROM MUSEUMS GALLERIES SCOTLAND
The George Bain Collection cared for by
Groam House Museum has been awarded
national importance status by Museums
Galleries Scotland becoming the latest
Recognised Collection of National Signifi-
cance the first and only one in the High-
lands
Described as the ldquofather of mod-
ern Celtic designrdquo George Bain
(1881- 1968) was an artist and
teacher who devoted his life to
the painstaking study of Celtic Art
and the techniques used by art-
ists to construct these intricate
pictures Groam House Museum
situated in the Black Isle village
of Rosemarkie is home to a wide
range of Bainrsquos work and is the
only collection of its kind The
collection includes his designs
and examples of paintings em-
broidery knitting patterns em-
bossed leatherwork sculpture
carpets and jewellery
The purpose of Bainrsquos work was
not to simply recreate Celtic de-
signs but to use this understanding of how
the ancient work was created to inspire new
designs and even new methods of working
The Textiles Collection cared for by Shetland
Amenity Trust has also received the same
award
Ray Macfarlane Chair of Museums Galler-
ies Scotlandrsquos Recognition Committee said
ldquoTo gain Recognition status a museum must
prove that their collection is of national im-
portance The Recognition Committee unan-
imously felt that the collections cared for by
Groam House Museum and Shetland Amen-
ity Trust are completely unique ndash there are
no other collections like
these anywhere in the
worldrdquo
Fiona Hyslop Cabinet
Secretary for Culture and
External Affairs said
ldquoThe latest announce-
ment brings the total of
Recognised Collections
of National Significance
to 41 These Recog-
nised Collections are
located in towns and
cities across Scotland
From Orkney to Dumfries
and from Dundee to Ayr
visitors are inspired by
collections of remarka-
ble historic and social
significancerdquo
Recognition status brings many advantages
for a museum as it opens up access to
Recognition funding from Museums Galler-
ies Scotland The funding boosts the muse-
ums ability to conserve the collection and to
explore new ways to deliver their visitor
experience The museums also receive a
plaque and certificate to display alongside
their collections
Bill Bound Chairman and Treasurer of
Groam House Museum said
ldquoWe are proud to gain the award of National
Recognition The George Bain Collection is
such that we can exhibit teach research
and share to a wide audience We have
exciting plans to undertake all these activi-
ties over the next few yearsrdquo
One of Bainrsquos spectacular teaching aids
from the Collection
ldquoThe George Bain
Collection cared
for by Groam
House Museum
has been
awarded national
importance
status by
Museums
Galleries
Scotland rdquo
4
Page 4 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquo70-71
Huntly St
Inverness IV3
5JN
Tel 01463
233870rdquo
2014 Is a very exciting year for us as we
now have 2 Restaurants in Inverness With
Little Italy being so popular amp already trad-
ing for 5 years we decided to expand and
open up another Little Italy (nearly) next
door in November 2013
The new Little Italy is an Italian Tapas amp
Prosecco bar with modern quirky amp elegant
deacutecor and our original restaurant is an Au-
thentic Italian restaurant which is small and
intimate just like one yoursquoll find in Italy
At Little Italy we are Italians serving real
Authentic Italian food whether it be in small
plate style or a meal We are a family busi-
ness thatrsquos hands on with our customers
and serve all customers as if they are old
friendshellip We speak Italian Spanish Afri-
kaans and even a little French
Both restaurants benefit from excellent
outside seating on Stephens Brae and only
a few meters from Eastgate Shopping Cen-
tre The difference between us and all the
other restaurants in Inverness is that we are
open to serve food all day and our new res-
taurant Little Italy Italian Tapas amp Prosecco
bar is open on a Sunday too
We also do a variety of Prosecco (we have 6
different kinds) Prosecco cocktails amp deli-
cious Italian wines and liqueurs If yoursquore
looking for a real Italian experience then
Little Italy is the place to be and now yoursquore
spoilt for choice Booking is advisable as we fill up very quick-
ly as the word is spreading through Inver-
ness and beyond
Little Italy
ldquo2014 Is a very
exciting year
for us as we
now have
2 Restaurants
in Inverness rdquo
5
Inverness Bike Hire at Caledonian Gifts
Caledonian gifts amp souvenirs in church
street are expanding their bike hire busi-
ness with more bikes and later opening
times we will be open from 9am until
1030pm during the summer months
We can deliver mountain or hybrid bikes
direct to your door or your visitors can come
to the shop opposite the old Mcewans of
Perth
We guarantee to be the cheapest bike hire
in town with the best service available If
your visitor breaks down we will go and get
them
We will offer helmets maps and loads of
advice
We also run guided bike tours down to Loch
Ness and Culloden
Our website is wwwinvernessbikehirecouk
We accept all denominations of Euro
All FX exchanges only convert notes
We accept all coins
The Time Travellers Tavern
Historically Themed Events Banquets
or Travelling Tavern The Time Travellerrsquos Tavern are a well es-
tablished company offering your guests the
opportunity to be part of a unique magical
and memorable dining or socialising experi-
ence
Transforming your venue by using history as
a backdrop we transport your guests in a
fully interactive experience where the audi-
ence make the show Whether it is cheering
as loudly as they can for their own Knights
fighting in a full contact tournament as part
of the lsquoMedieval Banquet Experiencersquo to
sitting back in amazement at our profes-
sional fire troupe and magician your guests
will leave your venue having felt included in
the experience determined to come back
for more
Wersquove had some astounding feedback from
previous clients and guests including His-
toric Scotland the Curtis Cup Dunfermline
delivers and numerous hotels to name but a
few
From Themed Weddings Murder Mystery
nights Valentines dinners even Medieval
Birthdays Banquets we at the Time Travel-
lerrsquos Tavern believe that every occasion has
the ability to be transformed into a fantastic
experience Even if you donrsquot have a special
occasion we have the ability to transform
every night into a special one
For more information please contact us at
Tel 01463 232333 (M) 07832374442
Web wwwtimetravellerstaverncom
Emailinfotimetravellerstaverncom
Page 5 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
6
IS U or IS U aint connected
James Rattray of Explore Scotland
is a mine of useful technical infor-
mation and likes to keep up-to-
date with developments This is
something I havenrsquot time to do
properly and so it is useful to pick
his brains for useful ideas such as
using ISSUU
You can find links to on-line publi-
cations through the company IS-
SUU for Explore Scotland and
now also for on-line exhibition
catalogues for the Castle Gallery Inverness
We found the whole process of uploading
very straightforward and are delighted to
see our exhibitions presented as a smart on-
line catalogue via a widget on our website
The first catalogue we created in March
2014 was for the ceramics and paintings of
Ian McWhinnie and it can still be seen via
our website at wwwcastlegallerycouk We
plan to upload catalogues for all our main
exhibitions this year If you are not yet con-
nected to ISSUU
I would recommend it
Antiques of the future
Later this year in October the Castle Gallery
will be hosting a solo show of hand-
decorated earthenware ceramics by
Maureen Minchin
Her bowls plates
mugs jugs and
other vessels are
painted with su-
perb free flowing
drawings of wildlife
She lives on the re-
mote peninsula or
Ardnamurchan and
the flora and fauna of her wilderness sur-
roundings have been a great inspiration to
her work
I particularly like her depictions of otters
tiger moths goldcrests red squirrels and
herons I am not the only one to admire her
work however as serious ceramic collectors
and reputable auction houses have begun
to notice her pieces
Each year Bonhams in London invites partic-
ular ceramicists to provide a few pieces for
an auction of contemporary ceramics ndash the
antiques of the future maybe Maureenrsquos
exhibition preview at the Castle Gallery will
be held on 3rd October 2014 and if the last
one is anything to go by we will have cus-
tomers queuing down the street and then
rushing into the gallery to grab their pur-
chases a bit like a Harrods sale Please
contact the gallery if you would like a pre-
view invitation
Denise Col l ins D irector
Castle Gallery Inverness
The Castle Gallery in Inverness
Page 6 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquohand-
decorated
earthenware
ceramics by
Maureenrdquo
I would like to introduce myself as
part of the Explore Scotland Team
My name is Fionna and I co-ordinate
the social media sites Facebook
Twitter amp Google+ for Explore Scot-
land and look out for events to add
to the events (Whatrsquos On) section of
the Explore Scotland web sites
Events ndash Whatrsquos On
We coordinate the events in the
area on the Whatrsquos On section of the
web site by highlighting the events
in the area If you are on holiday
how much time do you spend trying
to find out where all the events are
Surely better to have them all in one place
What makes the Explore Whatrsquos On so spe-
cial
Well you and your guests can-
Sort events by category family mu-
sic outdoors markets talks etc
Sort events by date of arrival and
departure for your guests
Print specific days events to suit
your guestrsquos stay ndash so they have all
the events during their stay
Monthly Whatrsquos On brochure
Each months events are compiled in to an
on line brochure which you can print off for
your guests We know hotels Guest houses
that print off the months events
brochure and leave it in the recep-
tion for their guests reprinting if
guests take it away with them
Adding events FREE of charge ndash if
you are running a tourist event (it
can be of interest to locals too)
and would like it to be included in
the above all you have to do is-
Go to the Explore Whatrsquos On
web site section
Top left just under the logo
click on lsquoSubmit your eventrsquo link
Fill in your event details
This will come to us at Explore Scot-
land and we will double check all the
content before publishing it We try
and do this process as quickly as
possible usually with in 24 hours
your event will be live
Social Media
I manage the day to day Explore FaceBook
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On
7
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On (cont)
Twitter and Google+ channels talking
about and championing the area promot-
ing many of the events that are on during
each month in the Whatrsquos On
If you would like me to help promote an
event coming up please make sure the
details are in our Whatrsquos On
page You can send a photo too
and I will add it to the entry to
help enhance it I will then post
and talk about your event on
our social media sites and help
you get your message out
Also let me know when you have
something to say and you would
like our support in helping to get
the word out we will be delight-
ed to support you if at all possi-
ble
You can contact me on
Fionnaexplorescotlandnet
I would like to take this opportunity to ask
you for some help and I look forward to
hearing from you
Page 7 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
The Big Hitters on the Internet
The big hitters - accommo-
dation booking engines
dominate the Internet
I remember back in 2000 there was a web
site called Smooth Hound that was the
leader in providing bookings for accommo-
dation providers Almost every where we
went we would see their stickers on the
doors of hotels and guest houses
I have just done a quick search and Smooth
Hound is still around but I no longer see it
appearing in the accommodation searches
as it once did
The current big players that we
hear many accommodation pro-
viders talk about are Book-
ingscom Late Rooms and Trip
Adviser
Bookingscom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoBookingcom
is a Dutch online booking portal
owned and operated by Priceline
It was established in 1996 and
offers accommodation booking
It claims to deal with more than
550000 room nights reserva-
tions per day and in 2013 ac-
counted for more than two thirds
of Pricelines reve-
nue It was acquired
by Priceline in 2005
Bookingcom is available in
more than 41 languagesrdquo
Who are Priceline Wikipedia
tells us ldquoPricelinecom is an
American company and a com-
mercial website that claims to
help users obtain discount
rates for travel-related purchas-
es such as airline tickets and
hotel stays The company is not
a direct supplier of these ser-
vices instead it facilitates the
provision of travel services by
its suppliers to its customers It
is headquartered in Norwalk
Connecticut United Statesrdquo
No registration fees subscriptions or fixed
costs - Registration with Bookingcom is
completely free There are no sign-up or
subscription costs
Commission-based model - Guests pay you
directly so you donrsquot have to wait for pay-
ment You will receive a monthly commis-
sion invoice from Bookingscom based on
the guests that stayed with you that month
Trip Advisorcom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoTripAdvisor was an early
adopter of user-generated content The
8
The Big Hitters on the Internet (cont)
website services are free to users who pro-
vide most of the content and the website is
supported by an advertising business mod-
elrdquoand ldquoTripAdvisor Media Group operates
seventeen travel brandsrdquo
The site that many business owners hate
while many agree at the same time using it
to help them make their holiday choices
The Guardian sums up the situation quite
well in an article ldquoBarely a week goes by
without the restaurant industry and TripAd-
visor falling out Last week it was reported
that mischievous web-users had propelled a
fictitious venue to a top ranking in Brixham
reports followed this week about how it was
all a ruse to prove you can game the sys-
tem while despite vociferous objections
from its owner a Yorkshire restaurant had
numerous positive reviews removed after
TAs filters judged them suspicious Claims
and counter claims swirl around such sto-
ries most generating more heat than lightrdquo
The article sums up the situation quite well
too ldquoMe Im happy to go one better and
admit that in researching my budget eats
series for the Guardian I find TripAdvisor
invaluable As one of several research tools
(local contacts trawling guides blogs and
so on) it regularly points me towards excel-
lent cafes and restaurants that I would oth-
erwise have missed
TripAdvisor is very quick its very democrat-
ic and so particularly at that sub-pound10 price-
point its useful Of course places crop up
in any towns top 20 that are there because
said venue does an enormous carveryits
Nandosthe chef spends more time drum-
ming up online support than
cooking but to ignore TripAdvi-
sor would be peculiarly arrogant
and self-defeatingrdquo
So Trip Adviser is a necessary
and important part of a tourist
businesses marketing whether
you like it or not
As one commentator said ldquoLove
it or hate it no one in our indus-
try can afford to ignore Trip Advi-
sorrdquo
One restaurant owner of a very
good establishment in Highland
Perthshire told he that ldquoThe
restaurant standards around
here are generally of a
very good standardrdquo
adding ldquoIt was due in
some greater or lesser extent to
Trip Advisor you just can not ig-
nore itrdquo
So what should you as a business
owner do about Trip Advisor
Trip Adviser does have a page with
lsquoTop Tips for Dealing with Negative
reviews on Trip Advisorrsquo
Our suggestion is-
1 Monitor your TripAdvisor page You
can not expect all feedback to be
positive do NOT get upset when you
are criticised
2 Respond to all reviews both positive
and negative diplomatically and
with as much objectivity as you can
muster Remember try as it might
TripAdvisor cannot ensure all re-
views are from genuine customers
3 You can report reviews to TripAdvi-
sor you consider are false and
TripAdvisor does claim to investigate
and remove any that it believes are
suspicious This process can be
frustratingly ineffective as it is al-
most impossible to prove a review is
not genuine
Importantly remember with
TripAdvisor take everything you
read with a good pinch of salt
enjoy the positive reviews take
heed of the constructive criti-
cism and if you receive false
reviews be flattered as some
one sees you as a threat John
McEnroe said ldquoEverybody
loves success but they hate
successful peoplerdquo
Page 8 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquoBarely a week goes by without the restaurant
industry and TripAdvisor falling outrdquo
2
Explore Scotland News
Page 2 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
them what caught their eye when they were
doing their holiday research
We have also learnt that Events can make a
big difference to peoplersquos holidays Events
are generally scattered across a whole host
of web sites that most holiday makers will
never have the time nor the energy to trawl
through So we have specialised in pulling
the events together in one place and made
them highly searchable (see the article on
page 6)
The big hitters on the Internet
The big money generators on the internet
are the accommodation booking engines
(see article on page 7) which charge com-
mission to the owners and the purchaser
making millions in the process
None of us like to travel to a destination not
knowing where we are going to stay It
would be a real lottery and highly stressful
So we prepare for our holiday by searching
the internet and taking time to work out
where we can stay and get our broad travel
itinerary worked out before we leave home
Leaving many of the minor decisions for
when we are on holiday such as where we
are going to eat and do
Despite all this technology people still like
to have something they can read in their
hand preferably with maps to help them
make these decisions This is where our
Explore Guides fit the Explore guides do not
sell accommodation which we believe is for
the internet but it does set out to promote
the area in a easy to use informative style
(no graffiti adverts where businesses buy a
space and splash what ever they want on it
trying to out compete the other spaces sold
in the publication) We control the infor-
mation format and style Many visitors tell
us they collect the Explore guides for the
different areas they visit tak-
ing them home as holiday sou-
venirs
We see accommodation pro-
viders as part of the Explore
Scotland team The Explore
guides were first developed
back in 1999 with lots of excel-
lent feedback and constructive
criticisms from accommodation providers
over the years which has helped shaped
todayrsquos Explore Guides
Our objective has always been to give ac-
commodation providers a reasonable quali-
ty publication that promotes their area for
their guests Maps supported by good infor-
mation helps them learn the choices they
have and hopefully encourages some of
them to stay longer and others to come
back again as there was so much to do
This year 2014 we have expanded the Ex-
plore inverness Guide to include the whole
of Loch Ness The area map on the back
page has been expanded to show this new
area with new maps for Drumnadrochit and
Fort August added
We would appreciate any comments you
may have as good constructive criticism
and ideas is what has always helped us to
evolve what we do to contact us e-mail
jamesexplorescotlandnet or Tel 01796
473335
ldquoDolphins
are the
obvious
attraction
and we
encounter
them on
many of the
tripsrdquo
We are a
small local
family run
souvenir and
gift shop We
c o n s t a n t l y
strive to offer
our visitors a
unique shop-
ping experi-
ence and can
safely state
that we offer
the best ser-
vice and the
most competitively priced gifts and souve-
nirs than anyone else with in the city
We would be happy to help furnish your
breakfast rooms with the latest Scottish
related coasters aprons table mats etc at a
15 discount on production of your relevant
business card Just pop in and we will do it
at the till
We have fluent German Italian and French
speakers and I extend to all readers the
opportunity to contact Josef at the shop if
you feel you might need a translator even
to the extent of working out if your custom-
ers want their eggs boiled or scrambled
Just pick up the phone
In addition to the usual credit card facilities
we accept euro notes and are the only re-
tailer in Inverness accepting euro coins for
purchases even giving change in euros
We are located opposite Costa Coffee on
Inglis street and we trade from 9am till
10pm 7 days a week
I hope we all have a busy season ahead
good luck to Inverness martin
Highland Souvenirs
15 Inglis street
Inverness IV1 1HN
Tel 01463 713 475
Highland Souvenirs
3
Lockhartrsquos Event Catering has been estab-
lished for over 15 years
Providing a professional bespoke service
throughout Scotland we have proven expe-
rience in many types of events including
weddings corporate events TV and film
shoots field events and much more Lock-
hartrsquos are also available to the service and
hospitality sector be it general manage-
ment restaurant management or event
management - so if you are a hotel or a
corporate company looking to organise an
event and are not sure where to start con-
tact us and we can help to manage your
event from start to finish
We have an excellent team of proven quality
suppliers and staff all helping to make any
event a massive success We also have a
superb network of industry professionals
through whom we can source almost any-
thing We are immensely proud to have
been awarded the Scottish regional event
caterer of the year for 2013 an achieve-
ment well deserved
For more information on how we are able to
help add to your event please contact us
either by e mail facebook through our web
site or by telephone
W wwwlockhartseventcateringcouk
E johnlockhartseventcateringcouk
T 01463 232333 M 07980560962
Lockhartrsquos Event Catering
Page 3 April 2014
Groam House Museum GROAM HOUSE GAINS NATIONAL STATUS
FROM MUSEUMS GALLERIES SCOTLAND
The George Bain Collection cared for by
Groam House Museum has been awarded
national importance status by Museums
Galleries Scotland becoming the latest
Recognised Collection of National Signifi-
cance the first and only one in the High-
lands
Described as the ldquofather of mod-
ern Celtic designrdquo George Bain
(1881- 1968) was an artist and
teacher who devoted his life to
the painstaking study of Celtic Art
and the techniques used by art-
ists to construct these intricate
pictures Groam House Museum
situated in the Black Isle village
of Rosemarkie is home to a wide
range of Bainrsquos work and is the
only collection of its kind The
collection includes his designs
and examples of paintings em-
broidery knitting patterns em-
bossed leatherwork sculpture
carpets and jewellery
The purpose of Bainrsquos work was
not to simply recreate Celtic de-
signs but to use this understanding of how
the ancient work was created to inspire new
designs and even new methods of working
The Textiles Collection cared for by Shetland
Amenity Trust has also received the same
award
Ray Macfarlane Chair of Museums Galler-
ies Scotlandrsquos Recognition Committee said
ldquoTo gain Recognition status a museum must
prove that their collection is of national im-
portance The Recognition Committee unan-
imously felt that the collections cared for by
Groam House Museum and Shetland Amen-
ity Trust are completely unique ndash there are
no other collections like
these anywhere in the
worldrdquo
Fiona Hyslop Cabinet
Secretary for Culture and
External Affairs said
ldquoThe latest announce-
ment brings the total of
Recognised Collections
of National Significance
to 41 These Recog-
nised Collections are
located in towns and
cities across Scotland
From Orkney to Dumfries
and from Dundee to Ayr
visitors are inspired by
collections of remarka-
ble historic and social
significancerdquo
Recognition status brings many advantages
for a museum as it opens up access to
Recognition funding from Museums Galler-
ies Scotland The funding boosts the muse-
ums ability to conserve the collection and to
explore new ways to deliver their visitor
experience The museums also receive a
plaque and certificate to display alongside
their collections
Bill Bound Chairman and Treasurer of
Groam House Museum said
ldquoWe are proud to gain the award of National
Recognition The George Bain Collection is
such that we can exhibit teach research
and share to a wide audience We have
exciting plans to undertake all these activi-
ties over the next few yearsrdquo
One of Bainrsquos spectacular teaching aids
from the Collection
ldquoThe George Bain
Collection cared
for by Groam
House Museum
has been
awarded national
importance
status by
Museums
Galleries
Scotland rdquo
4
Page 4 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquo70-71
Huntly St
Inverness IV3
5JN
Tel 01463
233870rdquo
2014 Is a very exciting year for us as we
now have 2 Restaurants in Inverness With
Little Italy being so popular amp already trad-
ing for 5 years we decided to expand and
open up another Little Italy (nearly) next
door in November 2013
The new Little Italy is an Italian Tapas amp
Prosecco bar with modern quirky amp elegant
deacutecor and our original restaurant is an Au-
thentic Italian restaurant which is small and
intimate just like one yoursquoll find in Italy
At Little Italy we are Italians serving real
Authentic Italian food whether it be in small
plate style or a meal We are a family busi-
ness thatrsquos hands on with our customers
and serve all customers as if they are old
friendshellip We speak Italian Spanish Afri-
kaans and even a little French
Both restaurants benefit from excellent
outside seating on Stephens Brae and only
a few meters from Eastgate Shopping Cen-
tre The difference between us and all the
other restaurants in Inverness is that we are
open to serve food all day and our new res-
taurant Little Italy Italian Tapas amp Prosecco
bar is open on a Sunday too
We also do a variety of Prosecco (we have 6
different kinds) Prosecco cocktails amp deli-
cious Italian wines and liqueurs If yoursquore
looking for a real Italian experience then
Little Italy is the place to be and now yoursquore
spoilt for choice Booking is advisable as we fill up very quick-
ly as the word is spreading through Inver-
ness and beyond
Little Italy
ldquo2014 Is a very
exciting year
for us as we
now have
2 Restaurants
in Inverness rdquo
5
Inverness Bike Hire at Caledonian Gifts
Caledonian gifts amp souvenirs in church
street are expanding their bike hire busi-
ness with more bikes and later opening
times we will be open from 9am until
1030pm during the summer months
We can deliver mountain or hybrid bikes
direct to your door or your visitors can come
to the shop opposite the old Mcewans of
Perth
We guarantee to be the cheapest bike hire
in town with the best service available If
your visitor breaks down we will go and get
them
We will offer helmets maps and loads of
advice
We also run guided bike tours down to Loch
Ness and Culloden
Our website is wwwinvernessbikehirecouk
We accept all denominations of Euro
All FX exchanges only convert notes
We accept all coins
The Time Travellers Tavern
Historically Themed Events Banquets
or Travelling Tavern The Time Travellerrsquos Tavern are a well es-
tablished company offering your guests the
opportunity to be part of a unique magical
and memorable dining or socialising experi-
ence
Transforming your venue by using history as
a backdrop we transport your guests in a
fully interactive experience where the audi-
ence make the show Whether it is cheering
as loudly as they can for their own Knights
fighting in a full contact tournament as part
of the lsquoMedieval Banquet Experiencersquo to
sitting back in amazement at our profes-
sional fire troupe and magician your guests
will leave your venue having felt included in
the experience determined to come back
for more
Wersquove had some astounding feedback from
previous clients and guests including His-
toric Scotland the Curtis Cup Dunfermline
delivers and numerous hotels to name but a
few
From Themed Weddings Murder Mystery
nights Valentines dinners even Medieval
Birthdays Banquets we at the Time Travel-
lerrsquos Tavern believe that every occasion has
the ability to be transformed into a fantastic
experience Even if you donrsquot have a special
occasion we have the ability to transform
every night into a special one
For more information please contact us at
Tel 01463 232333 (M) 07832374442
Web wwwtimetravellerstaverncom
Emailinfotimetravellerstaverncom
Page 5 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
6
IS U or IS U aint connected
James Rattray of Explore Scotland
is a mine of useful technical infor-
mation and likes to keep up-to-
date with developments This is
something I havenrsquot time to do
properly and so it is useful to pick
his brains for useful ideas such as
using ISSUU
You can find links to on-line publi-
cations through the company IS-
SUU for Explore Scotland and
now also for on-line exhibition
catalogues for the Castle Gallery Inverness
We found the whole process of uploading
very straightforward and are delighted to
see our exhibitions presented as a smart on-
line catalogue via a widget on our website
The first catalogue we created in March
2014 was for the ceramics and paintings of
Ian McWhinnie and it can still be seen via
our website at wwwcastlegallerycouk We
plan to upload catalogues for all our main
exhibitions this year If you are not yet con-
nected to ISSUU
I would recommend it
Antiques of the future
Later this year in October the Castle Gallery
will be hosting a solo show of hand-
decorated earthenware ceramics by
Maureen Minchin
Her bowls plates
mugs jugs and
other vessels are
painted with su-
perb free flowing
drawings of wildlife
She lives on the re-
mote peninsula or
Ardnamurchan and
the flora and fauna of her wilderness sur-
roundings have been a great inspiration to
her work
I particularly like her depictions of otters
tiger moths goldcrests red squirrels and
herons I am not the only one to admire her
work however as serious ceramic collectors
and reputable auction houses have begun
to notice her pieces
Each year Bonhams in London invites partic-
ular ceramicists to provide a few pieces for
an auction of contemporary ceramics ndash the
antiques of the future maybe Maureenrsquos
exhibition preview at the Castle Gallery will
be held on 3rd October 2014 and if the last
one is anything to go by we will have cus-
tomers queuing down the street and then
rushing into the gallery to grab their pur-
chases a bit like a Harrods sale Please
contact the gallery if you would like a pre-
view invitation
Denise Col l ins D irector
Castle Gallery Inverness
The Castle Gallery in Inverness
Page 6 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquohand-
decorated
earthenware
ceramics by
Maureenrdquo
I would like to introduce myself as
part of the Explore Scotland Team
My name is Fionna and I co-ordinate
the social media sites Facebook
Twitter amp Google+ for Explore Scot-
land and look out for events to add
to the events (Whatrsquos On) section of
the Explore Scotland web sites
Events ndash Whatrsquos On
We coordinate the events in the
area on the Whatrsquos On section of the
web site by highlighting the events
in the area If you are on holiday
how much time do you spend trying
to find out where all the events are
Surely better to have them all in one place
What makes the Explore Whatrsquos On so spe-
cial
Well you and your guests can-
Sort events by category family mu-
sic outdoors markets talks etc
Sort events by date of arrival and
departure for your guests
Print specific days events to suit
your guestrsquos stay ndash so they have all
the events during their stay
Monthly Whatrsquos On brochure
Each months events are compiled in to an
on line brochure which you can print off for
your guests We know hotels Guest houses
that print off the months events
brochure and leave it in the recep-
tion for their guests reprinting if
guests take it away with them
Adding events FREE of charge ndash if
you are running a tourist event (it
can be of interest to locals too)
and would like it to be included in
the above all you have to do is-
Go to the Explore Whatrsquos On
web site section
Top left just under the logo
click on lsquoSubmit your eventrsquo link
Fill in your event details
This will come to us at Explore Scot-
land and we will double check all the
content before publishing it We try
and do this process as quickly as
possible usually with in 24 hours
your event will be live
Social Media
I manage the day to day Explore FaceBook
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On
7
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On (cont)
Twitter and Google+ channels talking
about and championing the area promot-
ing many of the events that are on during
each month in the Whatrsquos On
If you would like me to help promote an
event coming up please make sure the
details are in our Whatrsquos On
page You can send a photo too
and I will add it to the entry to
help enhance it I will then post
and talk about your event on
our social media sites and help
you get your message out
Also let me know when you have
something to say and you would
like our support in helping to get
the word out we will be delight-
ed to support you if at all possi-
ble
You can contact me on
Fionnaexplorescotlandnet
I would like to take this opportunity to ask
you for some help and I look forward to
hearing from you
Page 7 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
The Big Hitters on the Internet
The big hitters - accommo-
dation booking engines
dominate the Internet
I remember back in 2000 there was a web
site called Smooth Hound that was the
leader in providing bookings for accommo-
dation providers Almost every where we
went we would see their stickers on the
doors of hotels and guest houses
I have just done a quick search and Smooth
Hound is still around but I no longer see it
appearing in the accommodation searches
as it once did
The current big players that we
hear many accommodation pro-
viders talk about are Book-
ingscom Late Rooms and Trip
Adviser
Bookingscom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoBookingcom
is a Dutch online booking portal
owned and operated by Priceline
It was established in 1996 and
offers accommodation booking
It claims to deal with more than
550000 room nights reserva-
tions per day and in 2013 ac-
counted for more than two thirds
of Pricelines reve-
nue It was acquired
by Priceline in 2005
Bookingcom is available in
more than 41 languagesrdquo
Who are Priceline Wikipedia
tells us ldquoPricelinecom is an
American company and a com-
mercial website that claims to
help users obtain discount
rates for travel-related purchas-
es such as airline tickets and
hotel stays The company is not
a direct supplier of these ser-
vices instead it facilitates the
provision of travel services by
its suppliers to its customers It
is headquartered in Norwalk
Connecticut United Statesrdquo
No registration fees subscriptions or fixed
costs - Registration with Bookingcom is
completely free There are no sign-up or
subscription costs
Commission-based model - Guests pay you
directly so you donrsquot have to wait for pay-
ment You will receive a monthly commis-
sion invoice from Bookingscom based on
the guests that stayed with you that month
Trip Advisorcom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoTripAdvisor was an early
adopter of user-generated content The
8
The Big Hitters on the Internet (cont)
website services are free to users who pro-
vide most of the content and the website is
supported by an advertising business mod-
elrdquoand ldquoTripAdvisor Media Group operates
seventeen travel brandsrdquo
The site that many business owners hate
while many agree at the same time using it
to help them make their holiday choices
The Guardian sums up the situation quite
well in an article ldquoBarely a week goes by
without the restaurant industry and TripAd-
visor falling out Last week it was reported
that mischievous web-users had propelled a
fictitious venue to a top ranking in Brixham
reports followed this week about how it was
all a ruse to prove you can game the sys-
tem while despite vociferous objections
from its owner a Yorkshire restaurant had
numerous positive reviews removed after
TAs filters judged them suspicious Claims
and counter claims swirl around such sto-
ries most generating more heat than lightrdquo
The article sums up the situation quite well
too ldquoMe Im happy to go one better and
admit that in researching my budget eats
series for the Guardian I find TripAdvisor
invaluable As one of several research tools
(local contacts trawling guides blogs and
so on) it regularly points me towards excel-
lent cafes and restaurants that I would oth-
erwise have missed
TripAdvisor is very quick its very democrat-
ic and so particularly at that sub-pound10 price-
point its useful Of course places crop up
in any towns top 20 that are there because
said venue does an enormous carveryits
Nandosthe chef spends more time drum-
ming up online support than
cooking but to ignore TripAdvi-
sor would be peculiarly arrogant
and self-defeatingrdquo
So Trip Adviser is a necessary
and important part of a tourist
businesses marketing whether
you like it or not
As one commentator said ldquoLove
it or hate it no one in our indus-
try can afford to ignore Trip Advi-
sorrdquo
One restaurant owner of a very
good establishment in Highland
Perthshire told he that ldquoThe
restaurant standards around
here are generally of a
very good standardrdquo
adding ldquoIt was due in
some greater or lesser extent to
Trip Advisor you just can not ig-
nore itrdquo
So what should you as a business
owner do about Trip Advisor
Trip Adviser does have a page with
lsquoTop Tips for Dealing with Negative
reviews on Trip Advisorrsquo
Our suggestion is-
1 Monitor your TripAdvisor page You
can not expect all feedback to be
positive do NOT get upset when you
are criticised
2 Respond to all reviews both positive
and negative diplomatically and
with as much objectivity as you can
muster Remember try as it might
TripAdvisor cannot ensure all re-
views are from genuine customers
3 You can report reviews to TripAdvi-
sor you consider are false and
TripAdvisor does claim to investigate
and remove any that it believes are
suspicious This process can be
frustratingly ineffective as it is al-
most impossible to prove a review is
not genuine
Importantly remember with
TripAdvisor take everything you
read with a good pinch of salt
enjoy the positive reviews take
heed of the constructive criti-
cism and if you receive false
reviews be flattered as some
one sees you as a threat John
McEnroe said ldquoEverybody
loves success but they hate
successful peoplerdquo
Page 8 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquoBarely a week goes by without the restaurant
industry and TripAdvisor falling outrdquo
3
Lockhartrsquos Event Catering has been estab-
lished for over 15 years
Providing a professional bespoke service
throughout Scotland we have proven expe-
rience in many types of events including
weddings corporate events TV and film
shoots field events and much more Lock-
hartrsquos are also available to the service and
hospitality sector be it general manage-
ment restaurant management or event
management - so if you are a hotel or a
corporate company looking to organise an
event and are not sure where to start con-
tact us and we can help to manage your
event from start to finish
We have an excellent team of proven quality
suppliers and staff all helping to make any
event a massive success We also have a
superb network of industry professionals
through whom we can source almost any-
thing We are immensely proud to have
been awarded the Scottish regional event
caterer of the year for 2013 an achieve-
ment well deserved
For more information on how we are able to
help add to your event please contact us
either by e mail facebook through our web
site or by telephone
W wwwlockhartseventcateringcouk
E johnlockhartseventcateringcouk
T 01463 232333 M 07980560962
Lockhartrsquos Event Catering
Page 3 April 2014
Groam House Museum GROAM HOUSE GAINS NATIONAL STATUS
FROM MUSEUMS GALLERIES SCOTLAND
The George Bain Collection cared for by
Groam House Museum has been awarded
national importance status by Museums
Galleries Scotland becoming the latest
Recognised Collection of National Signifi-
cance the first and only one in the High-
lands
Described as the ldquofather of mod-
ern Celtic designrdquo George Bain
(1881- 1968) was an artist and
teacher who devoted his life to
the painstaking study of Celtic Art
and the techniques used by art-
ists to construct these intricate
pictures Groam House Museum
situated in the Black Isle village
of Rosemarkie is home to a wide
range of Bainrsquos work and is the
only collection of its kind The
collection includes his designs
and examples of paintings em-
broidery knitting patterns em-
bossed leatherwork sculpture
carpets and jewellery
The purpose of Bainrsquos work was
not to simply recreate Celtic de-
signs but to use this understanding of how
the ancient work was created to inspire new
designs and even new methods of working
The Textiles Collection cared for by Shetland
Amenity Trust has also received the same
award
Ray Macfarlane Chair of Museums Galler-
ies Scotlandrsquos Recognition Committee said
ldquoTo gain Recognition status a museum must
prove that their collection is of national im-
portance The Recognition Committee unan-
imously felt that the collections cared for by
Groam House Museum and Shetland Amen-
ity Trust are completely unique ndash there are
no other collections like
these anywhere in the
worldrdquo
Fiona Hyslop Cabinet
Secretary for Culture and
External Affairs said
ldquoThe latest announce-
ment brings the total of
Recognised Collections
of National Significance
to 41 These Recog-
nised Collections are
located in towns and
cities across Scotland
From Orkney to Dumfries
and from Dundee to Ayr
visitors are inspired by
collections of remarka-
ble historic and social
significancerdquo
Recognition status brings many advantages
for a museum as it opens up access to
Recognition funding from Museums Galler-
ies Scotland The funding boosts the muse-
ums ability to conserve the collection and to
explore new ways to deliver their visitor
experience The museums also receive a
plaque and certificate to display alongside
their collections
Bill Bound Chairman and Treasurer of
Groam House Museum said
ldquoWe are proud to gain the award of National
Recognition The George Bain Collection is
such that we can exhibit teach research
and share to a wide audience We have
exciting plans to undertake all these activi-
ties over the next few yearsrdquo
One of Bainrsquos spectacular teaching aids
from the Collection
ldquoThe George Bain
Collection cared
for by Groam
House Museum
has been
awarded national
importance
status by
Museums
Galleries
Scotland rdquo
4
Page 4 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquo70-71
Huntly St
Inverness IV3
5JN
Tel 01463
233870rdquo
2014 Is a very exciting year for us as we
now have 2 Restaurants in Inverness With
Little Italy being so popular amp already trad-
ing for 5 years we decided to expand and
open up another Little Italy (nearly) next
door in November 2013
The new Little Italy is an Italian Tapas amp
Prosecco bar with modern quirky amp elegant
deacutecor and our original restaurant is an Au-
thentic Italian restaurant which is small and
intimate just like one yoursquoll find in Italy
At Little Italy we are Italians serving real
Authentic Italian food whether it be in small
plate style or a meal We are a family busi-
ness thatrsquos hands on with our customers
and serve all customers as if they are old
friendshellip We speak Italian Spanish Afri-
kaans and even a little French
Both restaurants benefit from excellent
outside seating on Stephens Brae and only
a few meters from Eastgate Shopping Cen-
tre The difference between us and all the
other restaurants in Inverness is that we are
open to serve food all day and our new res-
taurant Little Italy Italian Tapas amp Prosecco
bar is open on a Sunday too
We also do a variety of Prosecco (we have 6
different kinds) Prosecco cocktails amp deli-
cious Italian wines and liqueurs If yoursquore
looking for a real Italian experience then
Little Italy is the place to be and now yoursquore
spoilt for choice Booking is advisable as we fill up very quick-
ly as the word is spreading through Inver-
ness and beyond
Little Italy
ldquo2014 Is a very
exciting year
for us as we
now have
2 Restaurants
in Inverness rdquo
5
Inverness Bike Hire at Caledonian Gifts
Caledonian gifts amp souvenirs in church
street are expanding their bike hire busi-
ness with more bikes and later opening
times we will be open from 9am until
1030pm during the summer months
We can deliver mountain or hybrid bikes
direct to your door or your visitors can come
to the shop opposite the old Mcewans of
Perth
We guarantee to be the cheapest bike hire
in town with the best service available If
your visitor breaks down we will go and get
them
We will offer helmets maps and loads of
advice
We also run guided bike tours down to Loch
Ness and Culloden
Our website is wwwinvernessbikehirecouk
We accept all denominations of Euro
All FX exchanges only convert notes
We accept all coins
The Time Travellers Tavern
Historically Themed Events Banquets
or Travelling Tavern The Time Travellerrsquos Tavern are a well es-
tablished company offering your guests the
opportunity to be part of a unique magical
and memorable dining or socialising experi-
ence
Transforming your venue by using history as
a backdrop we transport your guests in a
fully interactive experience where the audi-
ence make the show Whether it is cheering
as loudly as they can for their own Knights
fighting in a full contact tournament as part
of the lsquoMedieval Banquet Experiencersquo to
sitting back in amazement at our profes-
sional fire troupe and magician your guests
will leave your venue having felt included in
the experience determined to come back
for more
Wersquove had some astounding feedback from
previous clients and guests including His-
toric Scotland the Curtis Cup Dunfermline
delivers and numerous hotels to name but a
few
From Themed Weddings Murder Mystery
nights Valentines dinners even Medieval
Birthdays Banquets we at the Time Travel-
lerrsquos Tavern believe that every occasion has
the ability to be transformed into a fantastic
experience Even if you donrsquot have a special
occasion we have the ability to transform
every night into a special one
For more information please contact us at
Tel 01463 232333 (M) 07832374442
Web wwwtimetravellerstaverncom
Emailinfotimetravellerstaverncom
Page 5 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
6
IS U or IS U aint connected
James Rattray of Explore Scotland
is a mine of useful technical infor-
mation and likes to keep up-to-
date with developments This is
something I havenrsquot time to do
properly and so it is useful to pick
his brains for useful ideas such as
using ISSUU
You can find links to on-line publi-
cations through the company IS-
SUU for Explore Scotland and
now also for on-line exhibition
catalogues for the Castle Gallery Inverness
We found the whole process of uploading
very straightforward and are delighted to
see our exhibitions presented as a smart on-
line catalogue via a widget on our website
The first catalogue we created in March
2014 was for the ceramics and paintings of
Ian McWhinnie and it can still be seen via
our website at wwwcastlegallerycouk We
plan to upload catalogues for all our main
exhibitions this year If you are not yet con-
nected to ISSUU
I would recommend it
Antiques of the future
Later this year in October the Castle Gallery
will be hosting a solo show of hand-
decorated earthenware ceramics by
Maureen Minchin
Her bowls plates
mugs jugs and
other vessels are
painted with su-
perb free flowing
drawings of wildlife
She lives on the re-
mote peninsula or
Ardnamurchan and
the flora and fauna of her wilderness sur-
roundings have been a great inspiration to
her work
I particularly like her depictions of otters
tiger moths goldcrests red squirrels and
herons I am not the only one to admire her
work however as serious ceramic collectors
and reputable auction houses have begun
to notice her pieces
Each year Bonhams in London invites partic-
ular ceramicists to provide a few pieces for
an auction of contemporary ceramics ndash the
antiques of the future maybe Maureenrsquos
exhibition preview at the Castle Gallery will
be held on 3rd October 2014 and if the last
one is anything to go by we will have cus-
tomers queuing down the street and then
rushing into the gallery to grab their pur-
chases a bit like a Harrods sale Please
contact the gallery if you would like a pre-
view invitation
Denise Col l ins D irector
Castle Gallery Inverness
The Castle Gallery in Inverness
Page 6 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquohand-
decorated
earthenware
ceramics by
Maureenrdquo
I would like to introduce myself as
part of the Explore Scotland Team
My name is Fionna and I co-ordinate
the social media sites Facebook
Twitter amp Google+ for Explore Scot-
land and look out for events to add
to the events (Whatrsquos On) section of
the Explore Scotland web sites
Events ndash Whatrsquos On
We coordinate the events in the
area on the Whatrsquos On section of the
web site by highlighting the events
in the area If you are on holiday
how much time do you spend trying
to find out where all the events are
Surely better to have them all in one place
What makes the Explore Whatrsquos On so spe-
cial
Well you and your guests can-
Sort events by category family mu-
sic outdoors markets talks etc
Sort events by date of arrival and
departure for your guests
Print specific days events to suit
your guestrsquos stay ndash so they have all
the events during their stay
Monthly Whatrsquos On brochure
Each months events are compiled in to an
on line brochure which you can print off for
your guests We know hotels Guest houses
that print off the months events
brochure and leave it in the recep-
tion for their guests reprinting if
guests take it away with them
Adding events FREE of charge ndash if
you are running a tourist event (it
can be of interest to locals too)
and would like it to be included in
the above all you have to do is-
Go to the Explore Whatrsquos On
web site section
Top left just under the logo
click on lsquoSubmit your eventrsquo link
Fill in your event details
This will come to us at Explore Scot-
land and we will double check all the
content before publishing it We try
and do this process as quickly as
possible usually with in 24 hours
your event will be live
Social Media
I manage the day to day Explore FaceBook
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On
7
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On (cont)
Twitter and Google+ channels talking
about and championing the area promot-
ing many of the events that are on during
each month in the Whatrsquos On
If you would like me to help promote an
event coming up please make sure the
details are in our Whatrsquos On
page You can send a photo too
and I will add it to the entry to
help enhance it I will then post
and talk about your event on
our social media sites and help
you get your message out
Also let me know when you have
something to say and you would
like our support in helping to get
the word out we will be delight-
ed to support you if at all possi-
ble
You can contact me on
Fionnaexplorescotlandnet
I would like to take this opportunity to ask
you for some help and I look forward to
hearing from you
Page 7 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
The Big Hitters on the Internet
The big hitters - accommo-
dation booking engines
dominate the Internet
I remember back in 2000 there was a web
site called Smooth Hound that was the
leader in providing bookings for accommo-
dation providers Almost every where we
went we would see their stickers on the
doors of hotels and guest houses
I have just done a quick search and Smooth
Hound is still around but I no longer see it
appearing in the accommodation searches
as it once did
The current big players that we
hear many accommodation pro-
viders talk about are Book-
ingscom Late Rooms and Trip
Adviser
Bookingscom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoBookingcom
is a Dutch online booking portal
owned and operated by Priceline
It was established in 1996 and
offers accommodation booking
It claims to deal with more than
550000 room nights reserva-
tions per day and in 2013 ac-
counted for more than two thirds
of Pricelines reve-
nue It was acquired
by Priceline in 2005
Bookingcom is available in
more than 41 languagesrdquo
Who are Priceline Wikipedia
tells us ldquoPricelinecom is an
American company and a com-
mercial website that claims to
help users obtain discount
rates for travel-related purchas-
es such as airline tickets and
hotel stays The company is not
a direct supplier of these ser-
vices instead it facilitates the
provision of travel services by
its suppliers to its customers It
is headquartered in Norwalk
Connecticut United Statesrdquo
No registration fees subscriptions or fixed
costs - Registration with Bookingcom is
completely free There are no sign-up or
subscription costs
Commission-based model - Guests pay you
directly so you donrsquot have to wait for pay-
ment You will receive a monthly commis-
sion invoice from Bookingscom based on
the guests that stayed with you that month
Trip Advisorcom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoTripAdvisor was an early
adopter of user-generated content The
8
The Big Hitters on the Internet (cont)
website services are free to users who pro-
vide most of the content and the website is
supported by an advertising business mod-
elrdquoand ldquoTripAdvisor Media Group operates
seventeen travel brandsrdquo
The site that many business owners hate
while many agree at the same time using it
to help them make their holiday choices
The Guardian sums up the situation quite
well in an article ldquoBarely a week goes by
without the restaurant industry and TripAd-
visor falling out Last week it was reported
that mischievous web-users had propelled a
fictitious venue to a top ranking in Brixham
reports followed this week about how it was
all a ruse to prove you can game the sys-
tem while despite vociferous objections
from its owner a Yorkshire restaurant had
numerous positive reviews removed after
TAs filters judged them suspicious Claims
and counter claims swirl around such sto-
ries most generating more heat than lightrdquo
The article sums up the situation quite well
too ldquoMe Im happy to go one better and
admit that in researching my budget eats
series for the Guardian I find TripAdvisor
invaluable As one of several research tools
(local contacts trawling guides blogs and
so on) it regularly points me towards excel-
lent cafes and restaurants that I would oth-
erwise have missed
TripAdvisor is very quick its very democrat-
ic and so particularly at that sub-pound10 price-
point its useful Of course places crop up
in any towns top 20 that are there because
said venue does an enormous carveryits
Nandosthe chef spends more time drum-
ming up online support than
cooking but to ignore TripAdvi-
sor would be peculiarly arrogant
and self-defeatingrdquo
So Trip Adviser is a necessary
and important part of a tourist
businesses marketing whether
you like it or not
As one commentator said ldquoLove
it or hate it no one in our indus-
try can afford to ignore Trip Advi-
sorrdquo
One restaurant owner of a very
good establishment in Highland
Perthshire told he that ldquoThe
restaurant standards around
here are generally of a
very good standardrdquo
adding ldquoIt was due in
some greater or lesser extent to
Trip Advisor you just can not ig-
nore itrdquo
So what should you as a business
owner do about Trip Advisor
Trip Adviser does have a page with
lsquoTop Tips for Dealing with Negative
reviews on Trip Advisorrsquo
Our suggestion is-
1 Monitor your TripAdvisor page You
can not expect all feedback to be
positive do NOT get upset when you
are criticised
2 Respond to all reviews both positive
and negative diplomatically and
with as much objectivity as you can
muster Remember try as it might
TripAdvisor cannot ensure all re-
views are from genuine customers
3 You can report reviews to TripAdvi-
sor you consider are false and
TripAdvisor does claim to investigate
and remove any that it believes are
suspicious This process can be
frustratingly ineffective as it is al-
most impossible to prove a review is
not genuine
Importantly remember with
TripAdvisor take everything you
read with a good pinch of salt
enjoy the positive reviews take
heed of the constructive criti-
cism and if you receive false
reviews be flattered as some
one sees you as a threat John
McEnroe said ldquoEverybody
loves success but they hate
successful peoplerdquo
Page 8 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquoBarely a week goes by without the restaurant
industry and TripAdvisor falling outrdquo
4
Page 4 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquo70-71
Huntly St
Inverness IV3
5JN
Tel 01463
233870rdquo
2014 Is a very exciting year for us as we
now have 2 Restaurants in Inverness With
Little Italy being so popular amp already trad-
ing for 5 years we decided to expand and
open up another Little Italy (nearly) next
door in November 2013
The new Little Italy is an Italian Tapas amp
Prosecco bar with modern quirky amp elegant
deacutecor and our original restaurant is an Au-
thentic Italian restaurant which is small and
intimate just like one yoursquoll find in Italy
At Little Italy we are Italians serving real
Authentic Italian food whether it be in small
plate style or a meal We are a family busi-
ness thatrsquos hands on with our customers
and serve all customers as if they are old
friendshellip We speak Italian Spanish Afri-
kaans and even a little French
Both restaurants benefit from excellent
outside seating on Stephens Brae and only
a few meters from Eastgate Shopping Cen-
tre The difference between us and all the
other restaurants in Inverness is that we are
open to serve food all day and our new res-
taurant Little Italy Italian Tapas amp Prosecco
bar is open on a Sunday too
We also do a variety of Prosecco (we have 6
different kinds) Prosecco cocktails amp deli-
cious Italian wines and liqueurs If yoursquore
looking for a real Italian experience then
Little Italy is the place to be and now yoursquore
spoilt for choice Booking is advisable as we fill up very quick-
ly as the word is spreading through Inver-
ness and beyond
Little Italy
ldquo2014 Is a very
exciting year
for us as we
now have
2 Restaurants
in Inverness rdquo
5
Inverness Bike Hire at Caledonian Gifts
Caledonian gifts amp souvenirs in church
street are expanding their bike hire busi-
ness with more bikes and later opening
times we will be open from 9am until
1030pm during the summer months
We can deliver mountain or hybrid bikes
direct to your door or your visitors can come
to the shop opposite the old Mcewans of
Perth
We guarantee to be the cheapest bike hire
in town with the best service available If
your visitor breaks down we will go and get
them
We will offer helmets maps and loads of
advice
We also run guided bike tours down to Loch
Ness and Culloden
Our website is wwwinvernessbikehirecouk
We accept all denominations of Euro
All FX exchanges only convert notes
We accept all coins
The Time Travellers Tavern
Historically Themed Events Banquets
or Travelling Tavern The Time Travellerrsquos Tavern are a well es-
tablished company offering your guests the
opportunity to be part of a unique magical
and memorable dining or socialising experi-
ence
Transforming your venue by using history as
a backdrop we transport your guests in a
fully interactive experience where the audi-
ence make the show Whether it is cheering
as loudly as they can for their own Knights
fighting in a full contact tournament as part
of the lsquoMedieval Banquet Experiencersquo to
sitting back in amazement at our profes-
sional fire troupe and magician your guests
will leave your venue having felt included in
the experience determined to come back
for more
Wersquove had some astounding feedback from
previous clients and guests including His-
toric Scotland the Curtis Cup Dunfermline
delivers and numerous hotels to name but a
few
From Themed Weddings Murder Mystery
nights Valentines dinners even Medieval
Birthdays Banquets we at the Time Travel-
lerrsquos Tavern believe that every occasion has
the ability to be transformed into a fantastic
experience Even if you donrsquot have a special
occasion we have the ability to transform
every night into a special one
For more information please contact us at
Tel 01463 232333 (M) 07832374442
Web wwwtimetravellerstaverncom
Emailinfotimetravellerstaverncom
Page 5 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
6
IS U or IS U aint connected
James Rattray of Explore Scotland
is a mine of useful technical infor-
mation and likes to keep up-to-
date with developments This is
something I havenrsquot time to do
properly and so it is useful to pick
his brains for useful ideas such as
using ISSUU
You can find links to on-line publi-
cations through the company IS-
SUU for Explore Scotland and
now also for on-line exhibition
catalogues for the Castle Gallery Inverness
We found the whole process of uploading
very straightforward and are delighted to
see our exhibitions presented as a smart on-
line catalogue via a widget on our website
The first catalogue we created in March
2014 was for the ceramics and paintings of
Ian McWhinnie and it can still be seen via
our website at wwwcastlegallerycouk We
plan to upload catalogues for all our main
exhibitions this year If you are not yet con-
nected to ISSUU
I would recommend it
Antiques of the future
Later this year in October the Castle Gallery
will be hosting a solo show of hand-
decorated earthenware ceramics by
Maureen Minchin
Her bowls plates
mugs jugs and
other vessels are
painted with su-
perb free flowing
drawings of wildlife
She lives on the re-
mote peninsula or
Ardnamurchan and
the flora and fauna of her wilderness sur-
roundings have been a great inspiration to
her work
I particularly like her depictions of otters
tiger moths goldcrests red squirrels and
herons I am not the only one to admire her
work however as serious ceramic collectors
and reputable auction houses have begun
to notice her pieces
Each year Bonhams in London invites partic-
ular ceramicists to provide a few pieces for
an auction of contemporary ceramics ndash the
antiques of the future maybe Maureenrsquos
exhibition preview at the Castle Gallery will
be held on 3rd October 2014 and if the last
one is anything to go by we will have cus-
tomers queuing down the street and then
rushing into the gallery to grab their pur-
chases a bit like a Harrods sale Please
contact the gallery if you would like a pre-
view invitation
Denise Col l ins D irector
Castle Gallery Inverness
The Castle Gallery in Inverness
Page 6 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquohand-
decorated
earthenware
ceramics by
Maureenrdquo
I would like to introduce myself as
part of the Explore Scotland Team
My name is Fionna and I co-ordinate
the social media sites Facebook
Twitter amp Google+ for Explore Scot-
land and look out for events to add
to the events (Whatrsquos On) section of
the Explore Scotland web sites
Events ndash Whatrsquos On
We coordinate the events in the
area on the Whatrsquos On section of the
web site by highlighting the events
in the area If you are on holiday
how much time do you spend trying
to find out where all the events are
Surely better to have them all in one place
What makes the Explore Whatrsquos On so spe-
cial
Well you and your guests can-
Sort events by category family mu-
sic outdoors markets talks etc
Sort events by date of arrival and
departure for your guests
Print specific days events to suit
your guestrsquos stay ndash so they have all
the events during their stay
Monthly Whatrsquos On brochure
Each months events are compiled in to an
on line brochure which you can print off for
your guests We know hotels Guest houses
that print off the months events
brochure and leave it in the recep-
tion for their guests reprinting if
guests take it away with them
Adding events FREE of charge ndash if
you are running a tourist event (it
can be of interest to locals too)
and would like it to be included in
the above all you have to do is-
Go to the Explore Whatrsquos On
web site section
Top left just under the logo
click on lsquoSubmit your eventrsquo link
Fill in your event details
This will come to us at Explore Scot-
land and we will double check all the
content before publishing it We try
and do this process as quickly as
possible usually with in 24 hours
your event will be live
Social Media
I manage the day to day Explore FaceBook
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On
7
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On (cont)
Twitter and Google+ channels talking
about and championing the area promot-
ing many of the events that are on during
each month in the Whatrsquos On
If you would like me to help promote an
event coming up please make sure the
details are in our Whatrsquos On
page You can send a photo too
and I will add it to the entry to
help enhance it I will then post
and talk about your event on
our social media sites and help
you get your message out
Also let me know when you have
something to say and you would
like our support in helping to get
the word out we will be delight-
ed to support you if at all possi-
ble
You can contact me on
Fionnaexplorescotlandnet
I would like to take this opportunity to ask
you for some help and I look forward to
hearing from you
Page 7 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
The Big Hitters on the Internet
The big hitters - accommo-
dation booking engines
dominate the Internet
I remember back in 2000 there was a web
site called Smooth Hound that was the
leader in providing bookings for accommo-
dation providers Almost every where we
went we would see their stickers on the
doors of hotels and guest houses
I have just done a quick search and Smooth
Hound is still around but I no longer see it
appearing in the accommodation searches
as it once did
The current big players that we
hear many accommodation pro-
viders talk about are Book-
ingscom Late Rooms and Trip
Adviser
Bookingscom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoBookingcom
is a Dutch online booking portal
owned and operated by Priceline
It was established in 1996 and
offers accommodation booking
It claims to deal with more than
550000 room nights reserva-
tions per day and in 2013 ac-
counted for more than two thirds
of Pricelines reve-
nue It was acquired
by Priceline in 2005
Bookingcom is available in
more than 41 languagesrdquo
Who are Priceline Wikipedia
tells us ldquoPricelinecom is an
American company and a com-
mercial website that claims to
help users obtain discount
rates for travel-related purchas-
es such as airline tickets and
hotel stays The company is not
a direct supplier of these ser-
vices instead it facilitates the
provision of travel services by
its suppliers to its customers It
is headquartered in Norwalk
Connecticut United Statesrdquo
No registration fees subscriptions or fixed
costs - Registration with Bookingcom is
completely free There are no sign-up or
subscription costs
Commission-based model - Guests pay you
directly so you donrsquot have to wait for pay-
ment You will receive a monthly commis-
sion invoice from Bookingscom based on
the guests that stayed with you that month
Trip Advisorcom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoTripAdvisor was an early
adopter of user-generated content The
8
The Big Hitters on the Internet (cont)
website services are free to users who pro-
vide most of the content and the website is
supported by an advertising business mod-
elrdquoand ldquoTripAdvisor Media Group operates
seventeen travel brandsrdquo
The site that many business owners hate
while many agree at the same time using it
to help them make their holiday choices
The Guardian sums up the situation quite
well in an article ldquoBarely a week goes by
without the restaurant industry and TripAd-
visor falling out Last week it was reported
that mischievous web-users had propelled a
fictitious venue to a top ranking in Brixham
reports followed this week about how it was
all a ruse to prove you can game the sys-
tem while despite vociferous objections
from its owner a Yorkshire restaurant had
numerous positive reviews removed after
TAs filters judged them suspicious Claims
and counter claims swirl around such sto-
ries most generating more heat than lightrdquo
The article sums up the situation quite well
too ldquoMe Im happy to go one better and
admit that in researching my budget eats
series for the Guardian I find TripAdvisor
invaluable As one of several research tools
(local contacts trawling guides blogs and
so on) it regularly points me towards excel-
lent cafes and restaurants that I would oth-
erwise have missed
TripAdvisor is very quick its very democrat-
ic and so particularly at that sub-pound10 price-
point its useful Of course places crop up
in any towns top 20 that are there because
said venue does an enormous carveryits
Nandosthe chef spends more time drum-
ming up online support than
cooking but to ignore TripAdvi-
sor would be peculiarly arrogant
and self-defeatingrdquo
So Trip Adviser is a necessary
and important part of a tourist
businesses marketing whether
you like it or not
As one commentator said ldquoLove
it or hate it no one in our indus-
try can afford to ignore Trip Advi-
sorrdquo
One restaurant owner of a very
good establishment in Highland
Perthshire told he that ldquoThe
restaurant standards around
here are generally of a
very good standardrdquo
adding ldquoIt was due in
some greater or lesser extent to
Trip Advisor you just can not ig-
nore itrdquo
So what should you as a business
owner do about Trip Advisor
Trip Adviser does have a page with
lsquoTop Tips for Dealing with Negative
reviews on Trip Advisorrsquo
Our suggestion is-
1 Monitor your TripAdvisor page You
can not expect all feedback to be
positive do NOT get upset when you
are criticised
2 Respond to all reviews both positive
and negative diplomatically and
with as much objectivity as you can
muster Remember try as it might
TripAdvisor cannot ensure all re-
views are from genuine customers
3 You can report reviews to TripAdvi-
sor you consider are false and
TripAdvisor does claim to investigate
and remove any that it believes are
suspicious This process can be
frustratingly ineffective as it is al-
most impossible to prove a review is
not genuine
Importantly remember with
TripAdvisor take everything you
read with a good pinch of salt
enjoy the positive reviews take
heed of the constructive criti-
cism and if you receive false
reviews be flattered as some
one sees you as a threat John
McEnroe said ldquoEverybody
loves success but they hate
successful peoplerdquo
Page 8 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquoBarely a week goes by without the restaurant
industry and TripAdvisor falling outrdquo
5
Inverness Bike Hire at Caledonian Gifts
Caledonian gifts amp souvenirs in church
street are expanding their bike hire busi-
ness with more bikes and later opening
times we will be open from 9am until
1030pm during the summer months
We can deliver mountain or hybrid bikes
direct to your door or your visitors can come
to the shop opposite the old Mcewans of
Perth
We guarantee to be the cheapest bike hire
in town with the best service available If
your visitor breaks down we will go and get
them
We will offer helmets maps and loads of
advice
We also run guided bike tours down to Loch
Ness and Culloden
Our website is wwwinvernessbikehirecouk
We accept all denominations of Euro
All FX exchanges only convert notes
We accept all coins
The Time Travellers Tavern
Historically Themed Events Banquets
or Travelling Tavern The Time Travellerrsquos Tavern are a well es-
tablished company offering your guests the
opportunity to be part of a unique magical
and memorable dining or socialising experi-
ence
Transforming your venue by using history as
a backdrop we transport your guests in a
fully interactive experience where the audi-
ence make the show Whether it is cheering
as loudly as they can for their own Knights
fighting in a full contact tournament as part
of the lsquoMedieval Banquet Experiencersquo to
sitting back in amazement at our profes-
sional fire troupe and magician your guests
will leave your venue having felt included in
the experience determined to come back
for more
Wersquove had some astounding feedback from
previous clients and guests including His-
toric Scotland the Curtis Cup Dunfermline
delivers and numerous hotels to name but a
few
From Themed Weddings Murder Mystery
nights Valentines dinners even Medieval
Birthdays Banquets we at the Time Travel-
lerrsquos Tavern believe that every occasion has
the ability to be transformed into a fantastic
experience Even if you donrsquot have a special
occasion we have the ability to transform
every night into a special one
For more information please contact us at
Tel 01463 232333 (M) 07832374442
Web wwwtimetravellerstaverncom
Emailinfotimetravellerstaverncom
Page 5 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
6
IS U or IS U aint connected
James Rattray of Explore Scotland
is a mine of useful technical infor-
mation and likes to keep up-to-
date with developments This is
something I havenrsquot time to do
properly and so it is useful to pick
his brains for useful ideas such as
using ISSUU
You can find links to on-line publi-
cations through the company IS-
SUU for Explore Scotland and
now also for on-line exhibition
catalogues for the Castle Gallery Inverness
We found the whole process of uploading
very straightforward and are delighted to
see our exhibitions presented as a smart on-
line catalogue via a widget on our website
The first catalogue we created in March
2014 was for the ceramics and paintings of
Ian McWhinnie and it can still be seen via
our website at wwwcastlegallerycouk We
plan to upload catalogues for all our main
exhibitions this year If you are not yet con-
nected to ISSUU
I would recommend it
Antiques of the future
Later this year in October the Castle Gallery
will be hosting a solo show of hand-
decorated earthenware ceramics by
Maureen Minchin
Her bowls plates
mugs jugs and
other vessels are
painted with su-
perb free flowing
drawings of wildlife
She lives on the re-
mote peninsula or
Ardnamurchan and
the flora and fauna of her wilderness sur-
roundings have been a great inspiration to
her work
I particularly like her depictions of otters
tiger moths goldcrests red squirrels and
herons I am not the only one to admire her
work however as serious ceramic collectors
and reputable auction houses have begun
to notice her pieces
Each year Bonhams in London invites partic-
ular ceramicists to provide a few pieces for
an auction of contemporary ceramics ndash the
antiques of the future maybe Maureenrsquos
exhibition preview at the Castle Gallery will
be held on 3rd October 2014 and if the last
one is anything to go by we will have cus-
tomers queuing down the street and then
rushing into the gallery to grab their pur-
chases a bit like a Harrods sale Please
contact the gallery if you would like a pre-
view invitation
Denise Col l ins D irector
Castle Gallery Inverness
The Castle Gallery in Inverness
Page 6 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquohand-
decorated
earthenware
ceramics by
Maureenrdquo
I would like to introduce myself as
part of the Explore Scotland Team
My name is Fionna and I co-ordinate
the social media sites Facebook
Twitter amp Google+ for Explore Scot-
land and look out for events to add
to the events (Whatrsquos On) section of
the Explore Scotland web sites
Events ndash Whatrsquos On
We coordinate the events in the
area on the Whatrsquos On section of the
web site by highlighting the events
in the area If you are on holiday
how much time do you spend trying
to find out where all the events are
Surely better to have them all in one place
What makes the Explore Whatrsquos On so spe-
cial
Well you and your guests can-
Sort events by category family mu-
sic outdoors markets talks etc
Sort events by date of arrival and
departure for your guests
Print specific days events to suit
your guestrsquos stay ndash so they have all
the events during their stay
Monthly Whatrsquos On brochure
Each months events are compiled in to an
on line brochure which you can print off for
your guests We know hotels Guest houses
that print off the months events
brochure and leave it in the recep-
tion for their guests reprinting if
guests take it away with them
Adding events FREE of charge ndash if
you are running a tourist event (it
can be of interest to locals too)
and would like it to be included in
the above all you have to do is-
Go to the Explore Whatrsquos On
web site section
Top left just under the logo
click on lsquoSubmit your eventrsquo link
Fill in your event details
This will come to us at Explore Scot-
land and we will double check all the
content before publishing it We try
and do this process as quickly as
possible usually with in 24 hours
your event will be live
Social Media
I manage the day to day Explore FaceBook
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On
7
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On (cont)
Twitter and Google+ channels talking
about and championing the area promot-
ing many of the events that are on during
each month in the Whatrsquos On
If you would like me to help promote an
event coming up please make sure the
details are in our Whatrsquos On
page You can send a photo too
and I will add it to the entry to
help enhance it I will then post
and talk about your event on
our social media sites and help
you get your message out
Also let me know when you have
something to say and you would
like our support in helping to get
the word out we will be delight-
ed to support you if at all possi-
ble
You can contact me on
Fionnaexplorescotlandnet
I would like to take this opportunity to ask
you for some help and I look forward to
hearing from you
Page 7 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
The Big Hitters on the Internet
The big hitters - accommo-
dation booking engines
dominate the Internet
I remember back in 2000 there was a web
site called Smooth Hound that was the
leader in providing bookings for accommo-
dation providers Almost every where we
went we would see their stickers on the
doors of hotels and guest houses
I have just done a quick search and Smooth
Hound is still around but I no longer see it
appearing in the accommodation searches
as it once did
The current big players that we
hear many accommodation pro-
viders talk about are Book-
ingscom Late Rooms and Trip
Adviser
Bookingscom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoBookingcom
is a Dutch online booking portal
owned and operated by Priceline
It was established in 1996 and
offers accommodation booking
It claims to deal with more than
550000 room nights reserva-
tions per day and in 2013 ac-
counted for more than two thirds
of Pricelines reve-
nue It was acquired
by Priceline in 2005
Bookingcom is available in
more than 41 languagesrdquo
Who are Priceline Wikipedia
tells us ldquoPricelinecom is an
American company and a com-
mercial website that claims to
help users obtain discount
rates for travel-related purchas-
es such as airline tickets and
hotel stays The company is not
a direct supplier of these ser-
vices instead it facilitates the
provision of travel services by
its suppliers to its customers It
is headquartered in Norwalk
Connecticut United Statesrdquo
No registration fees subscriptions or fixed
costs - Registration with Bookingcom is
completely free There are no sign-up or
subscription costs
Commission-based model - Guests pay you
directly so you donrsquot have to wait for pay-
ment You will receive a monthly commis-
sion invoice from Bookingscom based on
the guests that stayed with you that month
Trip Advisorcom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoTripAdvisor was an early
adopter of user-generated content The
8
The Big Hitters on the Internet (cont)
website services are free to users who pro-
vide most of the content and the website is
supported by an advertising business mod-
elrdquoand ldquoTripAdvisor Media Group operates
seventeen travel brandsrdquo
The site that many business owners hate
while many agree at the same time using it
to help them make their holiday choices
The Guardian sums up the situation quite
well in an article ldquoBarely a week goes by
without the restaurant industry and TripAd-
visor falling out Last week it was reported
that mischievous web-users had propelled a
fictitious venue to a top ranking in Brixham
reports followed this week about how it was
all a ruse to prove you can game the sys-
tem while despite vociferous objections
from its owner a Yorkshire restaurant had
numerous positive reviews removed after
TAs filters judged them suspicious Claims
and counter claims swirl around such sto-
ries most generating more heat than lightrdquo
The article sums up the situation quite well
too ldquoMe Im happy to go one better and
admit that in researching my budget eats
series for the Guardian I find TripAdvisor
invaluable As one of several research tools
(local contacts trawling guides blogs and
so on) it regularly points me towards excel-
lent cafes and restaurants that I would oth-
erwise have missed
TripAdvisor is very quick its very democrat-
ic and so particularly at that sub-pound10 price-
point its useful Of course places crop up
in any towns top 20 that are there because
said venue does an enormous carveryits
Nandosthe chef spends more time drum-
ming up online support than
cooking but to ignore TripAdvi-
sor would be peculiarly arrogant
and self-defeatingrdquo
So Trip Adviser is a necessary
and important part of a tourist
businesses marketing whether
you like it or not
As one commentator said ldquoLove
it or hate it no one in our indus-
try can afford to ignore Trip Advi-
sorrdquo
One restaurant owner of a very
good establishment in Highland
Perthshire told he that ldquoThe
restaurant standards around
here are generally of a
very good standardrdquo
adding ldquoIt was due in
some greater or lesser extent to
Trip Advisor you just can not ig-
nore itrdquo
So what should you as a business
owner do about Trip Advisor
Trip Adviser does have a page with
lsquoTop Tips for Dealing with Negative
reviews on Trip Advisorrsquo
Our suggestion is-
1 Monitor your TripAdvisor page You
can not expect all feedback to be
positive do NOT get upset when you
are criticised
2 Respond to all reviews both positive
and negative diplomatically and
with as much objectivity as you can
muster Remember try as it might
TripAdvisor cannot ensure all re-
views are from genuine customers
3 You can report reviews to TripAdvi-
sor you consider are false and
TripAdvisor does claim to investigate
and remove any that it believes are
suspicious This process can be
frustratingly ineffective as it is al-
most impossible to prove a review is
not genuine
Importantly remember with
TripAdvisor take everything you
read with a good pinch of salt
enjoy the positive reviews take
heed of the constructive criti-
cism and if you receive false
reviews be flattered as some
one sees you as a threat John
McEnroe said ldquoEverybody
loves success but they hate
successful peoplerdquo
Page 8 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquoBarely a week goes by without the restaurant
industry and TripAdvisor falling outrdquo
6
IS U or IS U aint connected
James Rattray of Explore Scotland
is a mine of useful technical infor-
mation and likes to keep up-to-
date with developments This is
something I havenrsquot time to do
properly and so it is useful to pick
his brains for useful ideas such as
using ISSUU
You can find links to on-line publi-
cations through the company IS-
SUU for Explore Scotland and
now also for on-line exhibition
catalogues for the Castle Gallery Inverness
We found the whole process of uploading
very straightforward and are delighted to
see our exhibitions presented as a smart on-
line catalogue via a widget on our website
The first catalogue we created in March
2014 was for the ceramics and paintings of
Ian McWhinnie and it can still be seen via
our website at wwwcastlegallerycouk We
plan to upload catalogues for all our main
exhibitions this year If you are not yet con-
nected to ISSUU
I would recommend it
Antiques of the future
Later this year in October the Castle Gallery
will be hosting a solo show of hand-
decorated earthenware ceramics by
Maureen Minchin
Her bowls plates
mugs jugs and
other vessels are
painted with su-
perb free flowing
drawings of wildlife
She lives on the re-
mote peninsula or
Ardnamurchan and
the flora and fauna of her wilderness sur-
roundings have been a great inspiration to
her work
I particularly like her depictions of otters
tiger moths goldcrests red squirrels and
herons I am not the only one to admire her
work however as serious ceramic collectors
and reputable auction houses have begun
to notice her pieces
Each year Bonhams in London invites partic-
ular ceramicists to provide a few pieces for
an auction of contemporary ceramics ndash the
antiques of the future maybe Maureenrsquos
exhibition preview at the Castle Gallery will
be held on 3rd October 2014 and if the last
one is anything to go by we will have cus-
tomers queuing down the street and then
rushing into the gallery to grab their pur-
chases a bit like a Harrods sale Please
contact the gallery if you would like a pre-
view invitation
Denise Col l ins D irector
Castle Gallery Inverness
The Castle Gallery in Inverness
Page 6 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquohand-
decorated
earthenware
ceramics by
Maureenrdquo
I would like to introduce myself as
part of the Explore Scotland Team
My name is Fionna and I co-ordinate
the social media sites Facebook
Twitter amp Google+ for Explore Scot-
land and look out for events to add
to the events (Whatrsquos On) section of
the Explore Scotland web sites
Events ndash Whatrsquos On
We coordinate the events in the
area on the Whatrsquos On section of the
web site by highlighting the events
in the area If you are on holiday
how much time do you spend trying
to find out where all the events are
Surely better to have them all in one place
What makes the Explore Whatrsquos On so spe-
cial
Well you and your guests can-
Sort events by category family mu-
sic outdoors markets talks etc
Sort events by date of arrival and
departure for your guests
Print specific days events to suit
your guestrsquos stay ndash so they have all
the events during their stay
Monthly Whatrsquos On brochure
Each months events are compiled in to an
on line brochure which you can print off for
your guests We know hotels Guest houses
that print off the months events
brochure and leave it in the recep-
tion for their guests reprinting if
guests take it away with them
Adding events FREE of charge ndash if
you are running a tourist event (it
can be of interest to locals too)
and would like it to be included in
the above all you have to do is-
Go to the Explore Whatrsquos On
web site section
Top left just under the logo
click on lsquoSubmit your eventrsquo link
Fill in your event details
This will come to us at Explore Scot-
land and we will double check all the
content before publishing it We try
and do this process as quickly as
possible usually with in 24 hours
your event will be live
Social Media
I manage the day to day Explore FaceBook
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On
7
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On (cont)
Twitter and Google+ channels talking
about and championing the area promot-
ing many of the events that are on during
each month in the Whatrsquos On
If you would like me to help promote an
event coming up please make sure the
details are in our Whatrsquos On
page You can send a photo too
and I will add it to the entry to
help enhance it I will then post
and talk about your event on
our social media sites and help
you get your message out
Also let me know when you have
something to say and you would
like our support in helping to get
the word out we will be delight-
ed to support you if at all possi-
ble
You can contact me on
Fionnaexplorescotlandnet
I would like to take this opportunity to ask
you for some help and I look forward to
hearing from you
Page 7 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
The Big Hitters on the Internet
The big hitters - accommo-
dation booking engines
dominate the Internet
I remember back in 2000 there was a web
site called Smooth Hound that was the
leader in providing bookings for accommo-
dation providers Almost every where we
went we would see their stickers on the
doors of hotels and guest houses
I have just done a quick search and Smooth
Hound is still around but I no longer see it
appearing in the accommodation searches
as it once did
The current big players that we
hear many accommodation pro-
viders talk about are Book-
ingscom Late Rooms and Trip
Adviser
Bookingscom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoBookingcom
is a Dutch online booking portal
owned and operated by Priceline
It was established in 1996 and
offers accommodation booking
It claims to deal with more than
550000 room nights reserva-
tions per day and in 2013 ac-
counted for more than two thirds
of Pricelines reve-
nue It was acquired
by Priceline in 2005
Bookingcom is available in
more than 41 languagesrdquo
Who are Priceline Wikipedia
tells us ldquoPricelinecom is an
American company and a com-
mercial website that claims to
help users obtain discount
rates for travel-related purchas-
es such as airline tickets and
hotel stays The company is not
a direct supplier of these ser-
vices instead it facilitates the
provision of travel services by
its suppliers to its customers It
is headquartered in Norwalk
Connecticut United Statesrdquo
No registration fees subscriptions or fixed
costs - Registration with Bookingcom is
completely free There are no sign-up or
subscription costs
Commission-based model - Guests pay you
directly so you donrsquot have to wait for pay-
ment You will receive a monthly commis-
sion invoice from Bookingscom based on
the guests that stayed with you that month
Trip Advisorcom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoTripAdvisor was an early
adopter of user-generated content The
8
The Big Hitters on the Internet (cont)
website services are free to users who pro-
vide most of the content and the website is
supported by an advertising business mod-
elrdquoand ldquoTripAdvisor Media Group operates
seventeen travel brandsrdquo
The site that many business owners hate
while many agree at the same time using it
to help them make their holiday choices
The Guardian sums up the situation quite
well in an article ldquoBarely a week goes by
without the restaurant industry and TripAd-
visor falling out Last week it was reported
that mischievous web-users had propelled a
fictitious venue to a top ranking in Brixham
reports followed this week about how it was
all a ruse to prove you can game the sys-
tem while despite vociferous objections
from its owner a Yorkshire restaurant had
numerous positive reviews removed after
TAs filters judged them suspicious Claims
and counter claims swirl around such sto-
ries most generating more heat than lightrdquo
The article sums up the situation quite well
too ldquoMe Im happy to go one better and
admit that in researching my budget eats
series for the Guardian I find TripAdvisor
invaluable As one of several research tools
(local contacts trawling guides blogs and
so on) it regularly points me towards excel-
lent cafes and restaurants that I would oth-
erwise have missed
TripAdvisor is very quick its very democrat-
ic and so particularly at that sub-pound10 price-
point its useful Of course places crop up
in any towns top 20 that are there because
said venue does an enormous carveryits
Nandosthe chef spends more time drum-
ming up online support than
cooking but to ignore TripAdvi-
sor would be peculiarly arrogant
and self-defeatingrdquo
So Trip Adviser is a necessary
and important part of a tourist
businesses marketing whether
you like it or not
As one commentator said ldquoLove
it or hate it no one in our indus-
try can afford to ignore Trip Advi-
sorrdquo
One restaurant owner of a very
good establishment in Highland
Perthshire told he that ldquoThe
restaurant standards around
here are generally of a
very good standardrdquo
adding ldquoIt was due in
some greater or lesser extent to
Trip Advisor you just can not ig-
nore itrdquo
So what should you as a business
owner do about Trip Advisor
Trip Adviser does have a page with
lsquoTop Tips for Dealing with Negative
reviews on Trip Advisorrsquo
Our suggestion is-
1 Monitor your TripAdvisor page You
can not expect all feedback to be
positive do NOT get upset when you
are criticised
2 Respond to all reviews both positive
and negative diplomatically and
with as much objectivity as you can
muster Remember try as it might
TripAdvisor cannot ensure all re-
views are from genuine customers
3 You can report reviews to TripAdvi-
sor you consider are false and
TripAdvisor does claim to investigate
and remove any that it believes are
suspicious This process can be
frustratingly ineffective as it is al-
most impossible to prove a review is
not genuine
Importantly remember with
TripAdvisor take everything you
read with a good pinch of salt
enjoy the positive reviews take
heed of the constructive criti-
cism and if you receive false
reviews be flattered as some
one sees you as a threat John
McEnroe said ldquoEverybody
loves success but they hate
successful peoplerdquo
Page 8 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquoBarely a week goes by without the restaurant
industry and TripAdvisor falling outrdquo
7
Explore Scotland - Social media and Whatrsquos On (cont)
Twitter and Google+ channels talking
about and championing the area promot-
ing many of the events that are on during
each month in the Whatrsquos On
If you would like me to help promote an
event coming up please make sure the
details are in our Whatrsquos On
page You can send a photo too
and I will add it to the entry to
help enhance it I will then post
and talk about your event on
our social media sites and help
you get your message out
Also let me know when you have
something to say and you would
like our support in helping to get
the word out we will be delight-
ed to support you if at all possi-
ble
You can contact me on
Fionnaexplorescotlandnet
I would like to take this opportunity to ask
you for some help and I look forward to
hearing from you
Page 7 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
The Big Hitters on the Internet
The big hitters - accommo-
dation booking engines
dominate the Internet
I remember back in 2000 there was a web
site called Smooth Hound that was the
leader in providing bookings for accommo-
dation providers Almost every where we
went we would see their stickers on the
doors of hotels and guest houses
I have just done a quick search and Smooth
Hound is still around but I no longer see it
appearing in the accommodation searches
as it once did
The current big players that we
hear many accommodation pro-
viders talk about are Book-
ingscom Late Rooms and Trip
Adviser
Bookingscom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoBookingcom
is a Dutch online booking portal
owned and operated by Priceline
It was established in 1996 and
offers accommodation booking
It claims to deal with more than
550000 room nights reserva-
tions per day and in 2013 ac-
counted for more than two thirds
of Pricelines reve-
nue It was acquired
by Priceline in 2005
Bookingcom is available in
more than 41 languagesrdquo
Who are Priceline Wikipedia
tells us ldquoPricelinecom is an
American company and a com-
mercial website that claims to
help users obtain discount
rates for travel-related purchas-
es such as airline tickets and
hotel stays The company is not
a direct supplier of these ser-
vices instead it facilitates the
provision of travel services by
its suppliers to its customers It
is headquartered in Norwalk
Connecticut United Statesrdquo
No registration fees subscriptions or fixed
costs - Registration with Bookingcom is
completely free There are no sign-up or
subscription costs
Commission-based model - Guests pay you
directly so you donrsquot have to wait for pay-
ment You will receive a monthly commis-
sion invoice from Bookingscom based on
the guests that stayed with you that month
Trip Advisorcom
Wikipedia tells us ldquoTripAdvisor was an early
adopter of user-generated content The
8
The Big Hitters on the Internet (cont)
website services are free to users who pro-
vide most of the content and the website is
supported by an advertising business mod-
elrdquoand ldquoTripAdvisor Media Group operates
seventeen travel brandsrdquo
The site that many business owners hate
while many agree at the same time using it
to help them make their holiday choices
The Guardian sums up the situation quite
well in an article ldquoBarely a week goes by
without the restaurant industry and TripAd-
visor falling out Last week it was reported
that mischievous web-users had propelled a
fictitious venue to a top ranking in Brixham
reports followed this week about how it was
all a ruse to prove you can game the sys-
tem while despite vociferous objections
from its owner a Yorkshire restaurant had
numerous positive reviews removed after
TAs filters judged them suspicious Claims
and counter claims swirl around such sto-
ries most generating more heat than lightrdquo
The article sums up the situation quite well
too ldquoMe Im happy to go one better and
admit that in researching my budget eats
series for the Guardian I find TripAdvisor
invaluable As one of several research tools
(local contacts trawling guides blogs and
so on) it regularly points me towards excel-
lent cafes and restaurants that I would oth-
erwise have missed
TripAdvisor is very quick its very democrat-
ic and so particularly at that sub-pound10 price-
point its useful Of course places crop up
in any towns top 20 that are there because
said venue does an enormous carveryits
Nandosthe chef spends more time drum-
ming up online support than
cooking but to ignore TripAdvi-
sor would be peculiarly arrogant
and self-defeatingrdquo
So Trip Adviser is a necessary
and important part of a tourist
businesses marketing whether
you like it or not
As one commentator said ldquoLove
it or hate it no one in our indus-
try can afford to ignore Trip Advi-
sorrdquo
One restaurant owner of a very
good establishment in Highland
Perthshire told he that ldquoThe
restaurant standards around
here are generally of a
very good standardrdquo
adding ldquoIt was due in
some greater or lesser extent to
Trip Advisor you just can not ig-
nore itrdquo
So what should you as a business
owner do about Trip Advisor
Trip Adviser does have a page with
lsquoTop Tips for Dealing with Negative
reviews on Trip Advisorrsquo
Our suggestion is-
1 Monitor your TripAdvisor page You
can not expect all feedback to be
positive do NOT get upset when you
are criticised
2 Respond to all reviews both positive
and negative diplomatically and
with as much objectivity as you can
muster Remember try as it might
TripAdvisor cannot ensure all re-
views are from genuine customers
3 You can report reviews to TripAdvi-
sor you consider are false and
TripAdvisor does claim to investigate
and remove any that it believes are
suspicious This process can be
frustratingly ineffective as it is al-
most impossible to prove a review is
not genuine
Importantly remember with
TripAdvisor take everything you
read with a good pinch of salt
enjoy the positive reviews take
heed of the constructive criti-
cism and if you receive false
reviews be flattered as some
one sees you as a threat John
McEnroe said ldquoEverybody
loves success but they hate
successful peoplerdquo
Page 8 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquoBarely a week goes by without the restaurant
industry and TripAdvisor falling outrdquo
8
The Big Hitters on the Internet (cont)
website services are free to users who pro-
vide most of the content and the website is
supported by an advertising business mod-
elrdquoand ldquoTripAdvisor Media Group operates
seventeen travel brandsrdquo
The site that many business owners hate
while many agree at the same time using it
to help them make their holiday choices
The Guardian sums up the situation quite
well in an article ldquoBarely a week goes by
without the restaurant industry and TripAd-
visor falling out Last week it was reported
that mischievous web-users had propelled a
fictitious venue to a top ranking in Brixham
reports followed this week about how it was
all a ruse to prove you can game the sys-
tem while despite vociferous objections
from its owner a Yorkshire restaurant had
numerous positive reviews removed after
TAs filters judged them suspicious Claims
and counter claims swirl around such sto-
ries most generating more heat than lightrdquo
The article sums up the situation quite well
too ldquoMe Im happy to go one better and
admit that in researching my budget eats
series for the Guardian I find TripAdvisor
invaluable As one of several research tools
(local contacts trawling guides blogs and
so on) it regularly points me towards excel-
lent cafes and restaurants that I would oth-
erwise have missed
TripAdvisor is very quick its very democrat-
ic and so particularly at that sub-pound10 price-
point its useful Of course places crop up
in any towns top 20 that are there because
said venue does an enormous carveryits
Nandosthe chef spends more time drum-
ming up online support than
cooking but to ignore TripAdvi-
sor would be peculiarly arrogant
and self-defeatingrdquo
So Trip Adviser is a necessary
and important part of a tourist
businesses marketing whether
you like it or not
As one commentator said ldquoLove
it or hate it no one in our indus-
try can afford to ignore Trip Advi-
sorrdquo
One restaurant owner of a very
good establishment in Highland
Perthshire told he that ldquoThe
restaurant standards around
here are generally of a
very good standardrdquo
adding ldquoIt was due in
some greater or lesser extent to
Trip Advisor you just can not ig-
nore itrdquo
So what should you as a business
owner do about Trip Advisor
Trip Adviser does have a page with
lsquoTop Tips for Dealing with Negative
reviews on Trip Advisorrsquo
Our suggestion is-
1 Monitor your TripAdvisor page You
can not expect all feedback to be
positive do NOT get upset when you
are criticised
2 Respond to all reviews both positive
and negative diplomatically and
with as much objectivity as you can
muster Remember try as it might
TripAdvisor cannot ensure all re-
views are from genuine customers
3 You can report reviews to TripAdvi-
sor you consider are false and
TripAdvisor does claim to investigate
and remove any that it believes are
suspicious This process can be
frustratingly ineffective as it is al-
most impossible to prove a review is
not genuine
Importantly remember with
TripAdvisor take everything you
read with a good pinch of salt
enjoy the positive reviews take
heed of the constructive criti-
cism and if you receive false
reviews be flattered as some
one sees you as a threat John
McEnroe said ldquoEverybody
loves success but they hate
successful peoplerdquo
Page 8 Explore Inverness Tourism Newsletter 2014
ldquoBarely a week goes by without the restaurant
industry and TripAdvisor falling outrdquo