TV advert for Irish ferry

A major television advertising campaign is under way to boost visitors to Kintyre and Argyll, using the Ballycastle to Campbeltown ferry.

Advertisements highlighting the beauty of the West Highlands and the convenience of the ferry route are now showing on Ulster TV and will continue in late May and throughout June.

The ads use the tagline, “How Far Can You Drive in Three Hours?” and lead to the message – “The Scottish Highlands are closer than you think.”

The 30 second ads, which are featured alongside popular shows, such as Wish You Were Here?, Stars In Their Eyes, Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Blind Date, will be seen by 90 per cent of all viewers in Northern Ireland.

The £150,000 campaign is being sponsored by Argyll and the Islands Enterprise, Argyll and Bute Council, Scottish Tourist Board and the operator, the Argyll and Antrim Steam Packet Company.

The initiative is being implemented on behalf of the partnership by Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and Trossachs Tourist Board.

The television commercial, designed to increase awareness of the route, is being backed by a special advertising insert to appear on April 30 in the Belfast Telegraph, which has 160,000 readers and a drop-door campaign, with 175,000 targeted households due to receive details of the ferry route and area during May.

Local tourist board director, Bruce Urquhart, said: “A great deal of hard work needs to be done to make the route economically viable, especially against the backdrop of high competition from other Irish ferry routes.

“I am delighted that agencies have recognised the need to invest in building the market potential of the service, although we fully recognise that there is no ‘quick fix’ and it is vital to take a long-term view to developing the route.”