Scotland 2014: a country making rapid progress

It is now just under three months until Glasgow plays host to the biggest sporting event ever held in Scotland. With up to a million spectators descending on the city and many millions more watching events unfold from around the globe, the eyes of the world will well and truly be on this country, thrusting it into the international spotlight like never before. It is a momentous year – the year that Scotland welcomes the world, not only with the Commonwealth Games, but also with The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and the 800-plus nationwide events that form Homecoming Scotland 2014.
     
Celebrating the ancestry, food and drink, active and sporting, creative and natural aspects of Scottish culture, these celebrations provide a stunning backdrop to any business events taking place in Scotland in 2014.
    
Meanwhile, The Ryder Cup, the historic clash between the very best golfers from Europe and the United States, will also help to underline Scotland’s unrivalled capacity to host major meetings, conventions and events, not to mention reinforce its position as the Home of Golf.
 
A significant year
“This is a huge year for Scotland,” said Tom Maxwell from VisitScotland. “The combination of the hundreds of events of exciting events of Homecoming 2014, the staging of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the return of The Ryder Cup will showcase to the world the many reasons why event organisers choose Scotland.
     
“Our world-class hospitality, our warm welcome, our abundance of stunning venues, range of accommodation, the most beautiful landscapes in the world, and of course our passion for sport, especially golf.
    
“In 2014 we want to celebrate Scotland but we want the world to celebrate with us. Meetings and events are hugely important to our country and we want them to come to Scotland in 2014 and beyond. Many of our fantastic venues will be in the spotlight as the events of 2014 unfold and will give organisers a flavour of the variety and quality available when organising an event in Scotland.”

Change & innovation
Like the sprint stars who will be appearing at the legendary Hampden Park this year, things in Scotland don’t stand still for long, and the country has seen a wealth of investment spent on enhancing its conference and events facilities in the lead-up to 2014.
     
A literal example of this can be found at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre which, following a multi-million pound expansion, is now home to the world’s first hall-wide moving floor system. The building’s stunning glass atrium provides a perfect welcome point to the 1600 square metre Lennox Suite – Europe’s most technologically advanced meetings and events space. The moving floor can be reconfigured into many different set-ups, including flat-floored exhibition banqueting for 1,400 guests, a tiered auditorium for 2,000 and arena mode for 1,400.
     
Also in Scotland’s historic capital are the famous Assembly Rooms – a unique, A-listed city-centre venue which re-opened last summer following a major restoration and refurbishment project. A popular venue during the Edinburgh International Festivals, the Music Hall and Ballroom are large, opulent spaces, ornately decorated with intricate plasterwork and crystal chandeliers.

It’s not only the venues that in Scotland’s capital that have seen change, a number of iconic city hotels have undergone major development.
     
Re-launched following a multi‑million pound refurbishment, the Sheraton Grand now offers a new dedicated meetings and events complex, complete with its own private entrance. With 14 flexible function rooms, the Conference & Banqueting complex is the largest of its kind in Edinburgh. The Atrium forms the centrepiece of the new events space offering over 5,400 square feet of floor space for receptions, exhibitions or break-out sessions. The Edinburgh Suite continues to be the largest hotel function space in the city able to accommodate up to 1,500 guests for a reception when combined with The Atrium.
     
After a £24 million investment programme, the iconic Caledonian Hilton Edinburgh was unveiled as the latest edition to the Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts portfolio in September 2012. Following the significant investment, the landmark property is now known as The Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, marking the luxury brand’s Scottish debut.
     
The Edinburgh Caledonian, a legend in the Scottish hospitality industry, opened its doors to international travellers more than a century ago. The hotel has now been gloriously restored to inspire at every level and will provide a guest experience that continues the legacy of The Waldorf Astoria New York.
 
The stunning Waldorf Astoria property offers a range of meeting and event spaces, sure to impress even the world-travelled delegates.

|The newly restored listed Castle Suite adds a touch of luxury guaranteeing a memorable event, while the hotel also houses a further eight flexible meeting rooms, each uniquely inspiring. The Caledonian, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel can host events for up to 250 guests with WIFI access across all meeting rooms. The hotel also features 241 bedrooms, seven suites and a luxury Guerlain Spa. Furthermore, four food and beverage outlets spoil guests for choice, including two restaurants from the Michelin-starred Galvin brothers, their first Scottish venture.
 
Investing in progress
New investment has seen the first Scotland properties for a Munich-based hotel operator known for affordable design. Motel One Edinburgh-Royal, on Market Street, sits within a stone’s throw of both the Royal Mile and of Princes Street, while a second Motel One in the capital, Motel One Edinburgh‑Princes, sits on Princes Street itself. Each Motel One hotel uses high-quality materials and design classics alongside contemporary elements such as leather chairs and natural stone walls – all at a budget room rate. The Market Street development is integrated into an existing, traditional building. The 208 bedrooms vary in size and have views of the city. The public area features “One Lounge” serving as a lobby, breakfast lounge and bar, free Wi-Fi and is open to guests 24 hours a day.
     
Also recently opened in the heart of Edinburgh is the Point Hotel and Penthouse Suite – a Hilton Doubletree property.  Featuring 139 stylishly appointed bedrooms and a contemporary conference centre with six meeting rooms, including the outstanding Penthouse Suite, the hotel is conveniently located within short proximity of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
 
Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city, is one of the best equipped and most competitive conference destinations in Europe – and the world – thanks to its compactness, ease of access and ‘can do’ culture.
    
The world-class Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre has undergone an exciting expansion with the building of the SSE Hydro.

Opened last September, the venue has recently been ranked fourth in Pollstar’s top 100 worldwide arena venues above Madison Square Gardens in New York and Wembley Arena. With a capacity of 12,000, the stunning silver building will play host to around 140 events each year. It has been designed to be flexible, accommodating a wide range of conferences and events, including some of the world’s biggest music stars. It will attract an audience of one million a year, positioning it in the top five entertainment arenas in the world, alongside iconic venues mentioned above such as Madison Square Gardens in New York and London’s O2 arena. The unique façade of The Hydro, made up of pneumatic translucent cushions, allows natural light to illuminate the foyers during the day and the arena to ‘glow’ at night.
    
Among Glasgow’s dazzling range of hotels is the five-star, £26 million Blythswood Square. Home to a 10,000 square foot Urban Day Spa, the 100-room hotel includes seven suites. The Monte Carlo Suites, beautiful oak-panelled events spaces, offer bespoke private dining menus and a range of flexible room layouts, as well as cutting edge audio visual technology.

There is even a custom-designed 52-seater meeting table for those all‑important round-table discussions.

The Screening Room, meanwhile, is perfect for product launches and presentations. A unique cinema available for private hire, each of the Screening Room’s 40 seats are finished in a custom Harris Tweed fabric.
 
Elsewhere in Scotland
It is important to remember, however, that expansion in Scotland does not begin and end with the two largest cities and with the events of 2014. In Dundee, work is under way on a £45 million museum that will add significantly to the country’s appeal among the business tourism community. Featuring more than 1,500 square metres of flexible gallery space, the new V&A, which is due to open in 2017, will boast one of the largest dedicated museum-standard exhibition spaces in Scotland. The facilities at the museum will provide first-class opportunities for conferences and other events to be held in unique venues. These include the great hall, which will be available to host receptions, while galleries can be hired on a private access basis. There will also be a number of workshops and meeting rooms which will be suitable for the needs of business customers.
    
The once-grand Tay Hotel is being given a major facelift and is now a Malmaison hotel. Once one of the most prominent buildings in Dundee, the listed sandstone building had lain derelict for more than 15 years. The Malmaison Dundee has kept intact its original 1890s exterior, with a full overhaul within. It has 93 bedrooms and suites, a bar and brasserie, a whisky snug, a wine-tasting room and cellar. The Malmaison Dundee is the 13th hotel within the group.
     
The Malmaison Dundee is one of three in the city’s £1 billion Waterfront regeneration programme. The three new hotels represent an investment of nearly £30 million and will double bedroom capacity in the Waterfront area to more than 500 rooms In Aberdeen there are also plans for a new conference and arena in the pipeline, which would see completion in 2017. A number of hotel chains including Marriott, Novotel, Ibis and DeVere are currently investing in the city.
     
Grand country house living
Particularly apt in this year of all things sport is Scottish tennis superstar Andy Murray’s decision to enter the tourism game with the acquisition of the Cromlix. Situated close to his home town of Dunblane, it signalled not only a return to his roots but also the chance to reinvent the glorious era of grand country house living.
     
Following extensive refurbishment, the Wimbledon champion has now transformed the elegant Victorian Perthshire mansion into a luxury 15-bedroom destination. The hotel, which opened in Spring 2014, offers guests the chance to experience the sort of decadent lifestyle once enjoyed by the Lairds of Cromlix, redefined for the 21st century by sumptuous surroundings and impeccable yet discreet service. Cromlix is set in 34 acres of secluded woodlands and garden grounds, with its own chapel and house loch. The hotel boasts a Chez Roux restaurant with a focus on using seasonal locally sourced produce wherever possible.

“I want people to come to Cromlix from near and far and to leave having had such an exceptional experience that they come back,” said Murray.
     
“I spend a lot of my life in hotels and I know how much guests value good personal service and enjoy a bit of good banter with the staff! I want my hotel to offer just that.
     
“With this year, the biggest year for tourism in Scotland for many a year I know the team at Cromlix are 100 per cent committed to putting on the best show in town, but I guess more importantly it’s about next year, and the next year, and the year after that.”
    
Further north, a journey into the magical Scottish Highlands may be just the thing to get creative juices flowing. Set within acres of manicured grounds, the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness is the perfect blend of historic grandeur, contemporary design and passionate service. It offers 410 sq m of the newest design-led meeting and events space. A relaxing circulation and breakout area, exclusively for guests of the Kingsmills Suite, enables unsurpassed choice of event schedules.
 
Setting the stage
From the opening of new venues and hotels to significant investment in stunning refurbishments, Scotland is home to myriad exciting opportunities and never will this be more obvious than in 2014, a perfect stage for the perfect event.
 
Further information
www.visitscotland.com