Corporate Conferencing News

Visit Scotland Familiarisation Trip

The trip started off with a stay in the Best Western plus Keavil House, Dunfermline which is set in 12 acres of land and has ample meeting space for conferences, gala dinners and celebrations. It was then onto the Balbirnie House, a delightful 18th century Georgian mansion nestled amidst 400 acres of rolling parkland in the heart of Fife. The meeting space was great and had lots of airy meeting spaces perfect for dinner and conferences.

After lunch, it was time to travel to Hill of Tarvit which is one of Scotland’s finest Edwardian mansion houses, replete with a splendid collection of antiques, furniture, Chinese porcelain and superb paintings by Sir Henry Raeburn, Allan Ramsay and eminent Dutch artists. This venue would be perfect for an external dinner to really give guests the wow factor. As guests we even got to try out some Hickory Golf in the grounds of the Hill or Tarvit which is a brilliant idea as an activity for delegates.

We then moved on to Saint Andrews where we were lucky enough to stay at the Fairmont St Andrews which has some excellent meeting facilities and breathtaking views of the golf course. The food was fabulous and we had some brilliant singing entertainment. The next day it was time to get the adrenaline pumping when the group had a go at Land Yachting on Saint Andrews beach with a company called Blown Away who specialise in corporate away days and exciting activities on the beach. A great time was had by all and we would 100% recommend Blown Away to help with any external activities for events. It was then on for a show round at the Old Course Hotel which has a lovely conservatory area over looking the pond for small conferences and it also has a magnificent boardroom which looks out onto the golf course to really give the wow factor.

We then took a trip up to Dundee where we had some lovely afternoon tea at the Apex which has ample meeting space and is in a really convienient location. We then travelled a short distance to the Malmaison in Dundee which has only been open since February 2014 – the hotel itself is stunning and really boutiquey – the main meeting room is a very good size and the bedrooms are cosy and warm – the Eggs Benedict are definitely recommended. In the evening, we travelled half an hour to Kinnettles Castle which is set in the heart of the Angus countryside. Kinnettles Castle is an amazing venue for external dinner and has some lovely intimate meeting rooms to offer which would make an event very special.

On the final day of the trip we managed to view the Perth Racecourse which is brilliant for large meetings or incentives to really treat delegates – the marquee is good for summer meetings and there is also room for BBQ’s and other outdoor activities. The final leg of the trip was a visit to the stunning Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire which is set in 850 acres of land – the venue really does sell itself and is literally breathtaking. There is a plenty of light airy meeting spaces and syndicate rooms for small and large conferences and also the opportunity to take part in outdoor activities such as falconary and archery as well as the signature golf. The venue really did win us over and really will stay with us for along time.

The whole trip was excellent and very well organised – as conference organisers we got to see a lot of what Scotland has to offer in terms of meeting and event space, culture and as a destination as a whole. It was an amazing weekend and we will definitely be pushing Scotland forward as an exciting conference and events destination.