Meeting News - September 8, 2008 - (Page 62)

Scotland Incentives Edited by Terri Hardin terri.hardin@nielsen.com Paradise in Plaid Scotland calls incentive winners to “come home” in 2009 With golf and whisky tastings the cornerstones of its incentive market, Scotland is a perennial favorite destination for corporate groups. But in 2009, planners will have more from which to choose, as the “the auld country” prepares for an entire year dedicated to the “homecoming” of diaspora Scots—and those who love them. Pipin’ hot Glasgow Once the United Kingdom’s most powerful city of business, Glasgow is also the seat of some of the most beloved Scots traditions. Close as it is to the traditional cultures of the Western Isles, the city has one of the strongest native Gaelic-speaking populations in Scotland. It is home to the Scottish Piping Centre, a large complex dedicated to the bagpipe that includes a restaurant, small hotel, and museum where incentive groups can arrange private viewings of the collections of rare bagpipes, learn how to play the pipes, and shop for the instruments themselves. Laid on whisky tastings can also be arranged, with the center providing its own catering. A cornerstone of Homecoming Scotland 2009 is the exhibit “Inspired” at the Mitchell Library, which offers rare Robert Burns artifacts and manuscripts, including the original manuscript of “Auld Lang Syne” and images along with modern interpretations of the Scottish poet. Private viewings and lectures—and a whisky tasting or two—can be arranged on site. Also spiffing up in time for 2009’s festivities, the famed Glasgow School of Art recently added a new interpretative center to explain how the design by famed architect Charles Rennie Macintosh continues to inspire. The school is a warren of private rooms filled with priceless Macintosh furniture and design; some rooms are available for meetings and incentive groups. One of the most “Scottish” of all traveler’s tales is that of Nessie, the monster who lives in Loch Ness, one of the deepest inland lakes in the world. Incentive groups can learn more about Nessie and perhaps encounter her themselves at the new Loch Ness Lodge, an exclusive venue built in traditional style right next to the lake. Along with private whisky tastings from the stocks of the nearby, famed Whisky Trail, the lodge offers incentive groups the opportunity to tour the lake with local Nessie expert, Adrian Shine, who has been featured in many documentaries on the legend. He can regale incentive groups with his tales either on the Loch or from the comfort of a peat fire in the drawing room of the lodge itself. —Gretchen Kelly Castle-hopping in Edinburgh The fortress Edinburgh Castle, high atop Castle Rock, dominates Edinburgh’s skyline. Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots, Sir Walter Scott, and others are part of its history; today, it welcomes groups for everything from dinners to exclusive-access receptions for up to 1,000, with private tours of the Royal Apartments, Scottish Crown Jewels, and other castle highlights included in the evening. Accommodations can be had at the nearby, luxury Balmoral Hotel (a Rocco Forte property), where J. K. Rowling sequestered herself for several months to finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The hotel can arrange a whisky tasting and a private dinner featuring the ceremonial Piping to the Haggis, complete with kilted piper, the recitation of Robert Burns’ “Address to a Haggis,” and, finally, a taste of Scotland’s national dish. Other area incentives may include an evening aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia at her permanent berth in the port of Leith, only minutes from central Edinburgh. Or, groups can use Hopetoun House, a stately Georgian home set on 150 acres of parkland 20 minutes away, where events range from a dinner party for 20 to a marquee reception on the lawn for 2,000. There, groups can have the additional treat of a falconry (and owl, and kestrel, and eagle) display. Along the western coast, groups can check into the Westin Turnberry Resort, renowned for its championship golf and boasting a fine spa as well. Not far away, on a cliff overlooking the Firth of Clyde, the romantic Culzean Castle, designed by the great Robert Adams, is a venue for dinners and receptions. Of special interest to American attendees is General Dwight Eisenhower’s personal flat, offered to him in gratitude for his aid of Scotland in World War II. Groups will also enjoy an expedition to the Glengoyne Distillery in the Highlands for a master blending session with lots of “nosing” and sipping of whisky. r —Joy Anderson You might not spot Nessie (left), but there’s plenty to catch at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. 62 MeetingNews September 8, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - September 8, 2008

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