Scotland: National Rural NetworkIn this article, you can find out about the aims of the Motorcycle Scotland project, how it is funded, their top tips for others and more.
The project aims to make Dumfries & Galloway a must visit motorcycle touring destination. The vehicle for this project is the development and marketing of a route based website - www.motorcyclescotland.com. The website highlights the very best routes in southern Scotland for and by motorcyclists: the amazing scenery of lochs, mountains and coast, castles and gardens; a whole host of biker friendly places to stay and visit; the quiet roads and the sheer joy of the place.
Also, we aim to recruit other biker friendly businesses in southern Scotland who share our passion, to appear on the website and ensure touring bikers visit the most welcoming establishments.
We have our sights set on being one of the first motorcycle sites to introduce a carbon offsetting scheme and hope to develop some bespoke navigational tools. In a nutshell, we aim to increase the value of motorcycle tourism to our region, targeting UK and international bikers.
Where is it?The project group is based in Moffat, Dumfries & Galloway.
The project comprises three accommodation providers: Buccleuch Arms Hotel, Lochhouse Farm Retreat and Limetree House Guest House. A visitor attraction - the Moffat Woollen Mill and Adam Balmer; a motorcycle engineer, supported by the Moffat & District Community Initiative.
The lion's share of the funding came from LEADER; further support came from the Dumfries and Galloway Council along with the Safety Camera Partnership, Crichton Carbon Centre, website developer Nathon Jones and the private sector members of the group.
Where did you go for help and advice?The Leader team were very helpful, gave great feedback on the initial project outline and kept up the dialogue through to the final draft. The local Council's Economic Regeneration Officer was very supportive with contacts and funding. Our best tip is to be creative and approach other organisations with well constructed proposals and remember they need to be made aware how they will benefit from their involvement. Motorcycling is a passion for the group members and this enthusiasm is probably our greatest asset.
We have succeeded in attracting more motorcyclists who are staying for longer. This summer has seen a large increase in motorcyclists staying with Moffat accommodation providers.
And the biggest challenge?Managing the cash flow and making the project claims are always a challenge for any group.
A project is a bit like an iceberg, only a fraction of it is seen. By far the biggest input for any group is in the planning, implementation and monitoring. This ‘back room' work involved in making the application, its subsequent delivery and evaluation is greater than you anticipate - plan this into your project from the outset.
Visit our website www.motorcyclescotland.com. You can link to our Facebook entry, why not become a friend and keep up to-date on our activities. Use the link on our website to take a look at our ITN video feature on YouTube or watch it below:
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