Connel couple help visitors on the Tartan Road

A new Oban-based business has started trading despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Emily and Johannes Woolard, of Connel, have founded The Tartan Road Limited, a tour company providing bespoke self-drive tours and holiday packages including transport, accommodation, experiences and activities. It will initially help visitors from across Scotland and the UK enjoy all that the country has to offer.

When conditions allow, it will expand to serve international travellers and is already seeing inquiries coming in for 2021.

Founded in May at the height of the pandemic, it has adapted its business model in response to the challenges faced in travel and tourism.

Ms Woolard, a co-founder and director, said: ‘The pandemic has completely changed the way people travel, forcing those who would normally head overseas to stay closer to home and shifting demand from large group tours to single-vehicle, single-household arrangements.

‘People will still want to travel post-Covid, although we think demand may have shifted permanently. The desire for more control and the tendency to travel in smaller groups are probably going to persist even once there’s a vaccine.

‘Following a sustained period of real and understandable reluctance to commit, we’re now seeing enquiries for trips through the end of 2021, which shows that people now want something to look forward to.’

The company, which is a member of the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers, emphasised it operates within the current restrictions.

‘Like most tour operators, we’ll usually arrange trips at least a few months ahead of time though, so whilst we’re starting up now, we don’t actually expect any departures until next year - restrictions permitting. We are going through the early stages of the trip planning process with clients interested in departing during the course of 2021 and we’ll be able to firm up their bookings once restrictions have eased sufficiently.’

Another value of the company is guarding against over-tourism and unsustainable travel across Argyll and Bute.

‘We’ll be encouraging our clients to travel responsibly and selecting providers of accommodation, activities and experiences that fit with this approach,’ she said.