Scotland’s ‘ best- kept secret’ driving interest from tourists across the UK
Scotland’s latest driving route, where castles, mountains, distilleries, sandy beaches and pretty coastal villages meet, is enjoying a “surge” in interest, according to tourism chiefs.
The North East 250 was set up to drive visitors into Moray and Aberdeenshire with Visits cotland saying the route “might be Scotland’s best- kept secret”.
It takes motorists from Glenshee t hrough t he easterns Cai r ngorms t o S c ot l a nd’s highest village at Tomintoul before dipping into Speyside and the Moray Coast. Drivers then drop down towards Aberdeen b e f ore heading inland once again to the Deeside towns of Banchory and Ballater.
T h e r o u t e was r e c e n t l y ranked by Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List in the top 500 unmissable global travel experiences with the driving experience blending history, rugged landscapes, malt whisky and coastal views.
Dunnottar and Balmoral castles, the marine wildlife of the Moray Firth and the Glenfiddich Distiller y have been named as highlights of the drive.
The tourism body said that its recent campaign to promote the route had captured interest from across the UK, with a video highlighting the North East 250 being watched almost 2 million times across social media platforms Faceb o ok and I nst agram. The North East 250 website was visited almost 110,000 times.
Jo Robinson, Regional Director, Visitscotland, said: “We
knew t he visitor economy around the North East 250 was already a strong proposition but now we have clear evidence of the high demand for the region. The marketing around outdoor and heritage worked particularly well, and this gives us great insight for future campaigns. It is also further proof of the positive impact that collaboration can have on stimulating recov
ery following the devastating impact of Covid- 19 on the tourism and events industry.”
The route was first devised by Guy Macpherson- Grant, owner of Ballindalloch Castle in Banffshire, to draw more visitors into the region.
Mr Mac p h e r s o n - G r a n t , director of North East 250, said : “This has been a tremendous opportunity to partner with our national tourism organi
sation and Visit Moray Speyside, to promote an area of the country that has such exciting and varied attractions for visitors, both local and from afar. "
Laurie Piper, Chief Executive of Visit Moray Speyside, said the campaign had been performing well when it was paused due to the Covid- 19 pandemic and the restrictions o travel. He added: “What is even more impressive is that
upon resuming in August the numbers were even stronger than before – proving that the Moray and the North- east hold huge appeal for visitors from across the UK and beyond.”
The North East 250 is funded by businesses who are then included in promotional material for the route.
About 25,000 maps have also been produced by the firms to help visitors navigate their
way through the north- east landscape. The popularity of Scotland’s driving routes have become central to the country’s tourism business.
A report last year found that the North Coast 500 through the north and west Highlands boosted the local economy by more than £ 22 million over 12 months.