Does a Country the size of Scotland need 5 International Airports?

[Paris]

I was watching a Dutch tourist biker's you tube blog of his recent tour of Scotland, he started in Edinburgh, where he bought a CU Jimmy hat, ate the horrible haggis, posed for a picture with a blue faced William Wallace lookalike and had a couple of drams before heading off the following day on his grand tour.

The tour consisted of following the coast up through Fife, Angus, Grampian, around the top through Sutherland, ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway, down through the islands, then Lochmaddy to Skye and finally cut across diagonally via Glencoe back to Edinburgh, where he concluded he'd had a great tour of Scotland. I was left thinking what chance does Argyll, Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and D&G have with agenda tours like that ? Edinburgh as ever being presented as the perfect starting and end point for any Scottish visit or tour.

Bollocks: Why shouldn’t a countries capital city be the perfect starting and end point of any tour?

[hads]

I am most certainly not a Scottish patriot but even I see that Edinburgh have very quickly, and regrettably, very easily won the battle for just about all things Scottish.
Its no longer a contest. Its a huge big tartan Disney theme park and fair play to them.
Its the Capital and as much as it pains me, those of us in the west need to accept it and stop spitting our dummy's out.

[Clive]

I am most certainly not a Scottish patriot but even I see that Edinburgh have very quickly, and regrettably, very easily won the battle for just about all things Scottish.
Its no longer a contest. Its a huge big tartan Disney theme park and fair play to them.
Its the Capital and as much as it pains me, those of us in the west need to accept it and stop spitting our dummy's out.

True enough. And tough as it is, this is the real life hard nosed business fact that GLA management have to work within.

In the USA and dare I say the rest of the world, if they know Scotland at all, they know about Edinburgh Castle and whisky. Apart from that we are a remote part of Londonshire to the uneducated masses. (Those with ancestral links excepted).

[hads]

I remember playing golf with my brother and two wealthy Americans in Florida years ago. We said we lived in Scotland. One said how much he would love to play St Andrews.
" What ferry do we get?"
Theres your problem right there..

[Allen McL]

I remember playing golf with my brother and two wealthy Americans in Florida years ago. We said we lived in Scotland. One said how much he would love to play St Andrews.
" What ferry do we get?"
Theres your problem right there..

I was standing at the ticket office in Paisley Gilmour Street station, waiting to meet a friend. Four elderly American tourists approached the clerk, asking for four tickets to Wemyss Bay (pronounced "Wemmiss") The ticket man asked if they'd like tickets for the ferry too ? Elderly American tourist replies "Hell, if it's any quicker, we'll take those...".

More recently, whilst doing a rigging job on Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, ahead of the military tattoo, a female American tourist fitting the "somewhat portly" stereotype approached me with her teenage son, (also conforming to stereotype) to ask if I could answer a question for him ? "Ok" says me. He pointed in the general direction of Fife and asked me "If that land over there was Iceland ? Apparently he'd seen it from the plane coming over so reckoned it was close. Jings, crrivens and indeed, help ma boab !

[hads]

I think its probably for the best that the majority of them choose not to travel outside their own Lands!

[Allen McL]

I am most certainly not a Scottish patriot but even I see that Edinburgh have very quickly, and regrettably, very easily won the battle for just about all things Scottish.
Its no longer a contest. Its a huge big tartan Disney theme park and fair play to them.
Its the Capital and as much as it pains me, those of us in the west need to accept it and stop spitting our dummy's out.

I do find the term "spitting our dummy's out" somewhat objectionable if I'm honest. Allowing one city to grow unrestricted to the point it dominates the entire country, economically and otherwise is reckless IMHO. Look at the effect on the south east, London has had, a city now so bloated, not only can the locals scarcely afford to remain there but now big business and conglomerations are finding the same.

Edinburgh would appear to be cruising to a similar (Scottish) fate, judging by concerns already raised. Its not just business either, not so long ago Edinburgh was bidding to woo the SFA away from Hampden and out east to further contribute to the ongoing 'smash and grab' of cultural experiences, sporting events and hey, airline routes available in Scotland. This notion that it's ok because 'its the capital city' just doesn't wash and never has done with me. The tourism vacuum we've discussed at length is just one example of an all consuming attitude. That issue at least could be dealt with using some balanced and targeted advertising campaigns, and yes I dare say 'Visit Glasgow' if such a thing exists could be doing better in that respect too.

Who knows, maybe in future years we could be referring to the capital city as "Disneyland-Edinburgh" once it's fully succumbed to global capitalisation and been purchased by some Mickey Mouse company. Meanwhile over here in the west we'll still have a much reduced GLA where the New York flight 'Disnae land'.

[Allen McL]

I was watching a Dutch tourist biker's you tube blog of his recent tour of Scotland, he started in Edinburgh, where he bought a CU Jimmy hat, ate the horrible haggis, posed for a picture with a blue faced William Wallace lookalike and had a couple of drams before heading off the following day on his grand tour.

The tour consisted of following the coast up through Fife, Angus, Grampian, around the top through Sutherland, ferry from Ullapool to Stornoway, down through the islands, then Lochmaddy to Skye and finally cut across diagonally via Glencoe back to Edinburgh, where he concluded he'd had a great tour of Scotland. I was left thinking what chance does Argyll, Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and D&G have with agenda tours like that ? Edinburgh as ever being presented as the perfect starting and end point for any Scottish visit or tour.

Bollocks: Why shouldn’t a countries capital city be the perfect starting and end point of any tour?

Why shouldn't the whole country be represented in a 'tour of Scotland' video puporting to represent a tour of Scotland ? But to directly answer your question...Why should it ?

[hads]

I do find the term "spitting our dummy's out" somewhat objectionable if I'm honest

Please feel free to replace my choice of words with something similar to describe the angst narrated by many on here.
Its merely a statement. Happy to update it should something better be provided.

[atuk]

I do find the term "spitting our dummy's out" somewhat objectionable if I'm honest

Please feel free to replace my choice of words with something similar to describe the angst narrated by many on here.
Its merely a statement. Happy to update it should something better be provided.

Maybe “spitting feathers” might be appropriate. It’s a phrase my late mother used when she was annoyed at something.

That said I can quite understand some of the angst regards regards Visit Scotland. Either have both GIP and AGS board members or have none at all. That way equilibrium is achieved.