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The Courier
7 days ago
- Business
- The Courier
How Pitlochry tourist office closure sparked resurgence of printed tour guides
It's an open secret that Pitlochry is one of Scotland's most popular destinations, but when the tourist information centre closed last year, visitors found themselves somewhat lost. And in the age of digital first, it's perhaps expected for the company printing physical tour guides to see a continuing decline in the number of maps they manufacture. But not so for Explore Scotland. The makers of Explore Pitlochry and Highland Perthshire are instead experiencing a significant boom. And this year they've printed off 70,000 physical guides to meet anticipated demand. The business has worked with Pitlochry artist Dylan Gibson to reflect how the area has changed over the past three decades. Highland Perthshire companies have also welcomed the surge in guide use, allowing them to advertise prominently to tourists seeking somewhere to stay. The guides have been circulating in Pitlochry and Perthshire for 30 years. And when the new custodians of the maps, Marius and Angela Bezuidenhout took over during the pandemic, the expectation was for around 40,000 of them to be used seasonally at most. So in September last year, when VisitScotland shuttered their Atholl Road offices, they thought they would end up making fewer maps, as tourists turn to Google Maps and Amazon Kindle digital versions. But the opposite has happened, says co-director Marius. 'The demand has been unprecedented,' he said. 'We are already having requests for restocks. 'People probably thought that the printed tourist guide was dead, with everything moving online. It seems not. It is actually more popular now than it has been for years.' Head of design and development, Ali Penman, added: 'The previous owners and producers did a great job and published the Guide for 30 years. 'However, when the tourist office closed, there was no information that hotels, B&Bs and businesses that cater for tourists, could leave for guests. 'What it also shows is that Highland Perthshire remains a destination that visitors from near and far want to come to.' First published in 1997, the guide has recently benefitted from an update, upgrading old maps of Highland Perthshire towns which had not kept pace with new buildings and historic sites. The new hand-drawn maps have been commissioned from Pitlochry-based illustrator, Dylan Gibson, who has also incorporated popular walks on the new maps. 'Marius wanted to produce a definitive map of the area which tourists could use as a physical map and take with them, explore the town and the surrounding area. 'Some of the existing maps went back 20 years or more,' Dylan said. The guide nods towards changing visitor trends with QR Codes now placed on the maps, offering additional online access. But even with 10,000 downloads to Kindle last season, demand for an old fashioned paper map is higher by a factor of seven. 'The guide has been a remarkable journey,' added co-director Angela. 'People love accessing trip information and booking from phones but they also appreciate something physical that they can keep, even as a memento.'
The Courier
22-04-2025
- Business
- The Courier
High street round-up: Fife publican's 3rd venue, Dundee Overgate shop closure and Perth Costa opens
A Fife publican is opening her third venue, while changes at the Overgate in Dundee and in Perth city centre are among the other developments on local high streets. The Courier has rounded up the latest from pubs, restaurants and shops across Tayside, Fife and Stirling in one handy place. Our regular updates will bring you up to speed with what's going on in your local high streets and shopping centres. Lauren Hutchison, 26, who already runs The Steadings and Alfie's in Kirkcaldy, has taken over The Glen Tavern in Dunfermline – promising 'positive changes'. The Pittencrieff Street venue shut suddenly in February when the firm previously running it went into liquidation. A new tenant is being sought for a historic former Bridge of Allan pub and restaurant. The Old Bridge Inn on Inverallan Road, which dates from 1710, is being offered for lease as a 'rare opportunity'. Kirkcaldy's former Society nightclub has reopened as The Venue. Ross Anderson, 37, has taken over the Charlotte Street building alongside a group of silent investors with The Courier invited for a first look. An image of a new McDonald's restaurant planned for Dundee has been revealed as part of a public consultation. Readers of The Courier have also reacted to the plans for the firm's fourth city outlet. A new Costa store in Perth has opened despite damage to its store window. Costa Coffee has relocated from its Scott Street unit to High Street. A Dundee cafe is set to open a new coffee shop in St Andrews. Empire State Coffee is taking over the former Rocca Italian deli on the Fife town's Bell Street. A Stirlingshire cafe and deli is set to close after 12 'wonderful' years. Rhubarb Lime on Main Street in Kippen will shut on May 25 with owner Shona Sanders thanking customers. Pizza Hut has confirmed its new location in Stirling. The chain will move into the former Papa John's unit on Goosecroft Road in the coming weeks from its former home on Cowane Street. Restaurants across Tayside, Fife and Stirling have been recognised at the Scottish Curry Awards 2025. The 17th annual awards were held in Glasgow last week. A Highland Perthshire woman who beat cancer has opened a new coffee truck on the banks of Loch Tay. Santra Taylor, 41, opened Tay-Lawers Coffee in Ardeonaig on Friday. A shopkeeper in Dunkeld is urging the public to buy local after a closure scare. Munur Kara paused trading at the shop for several weeks, citing financial hurdles faced by small businesses, and says he can only survive with help from the public. The Regatta shop in Dundee's Overgate shopping centre is to shut. Signs advertising a closing-down sale appeared in the shop window last week. Fife Council has asked for more time to decide on plans for a new Lidl supermarket in Dunfermline. Details of some objections to the plans for the former King Malcolm Hotel site have also been revealed. Another retail building on the Murraygate in Dundee city centre has been put up for sale. The unit currently houses Horeb Food Company on the ground floor and The Hair Lounge on the two upper floors, which have long-term leases. A barbershop in Crieff that was run by the same owner for more than 50 years has come onto the market. Naismith's on East High Street – also known as Johnny the Barbers – has been put up for sale. A new beauty salon has opened in Dundee offering hairdressing, makeup and men's hair loss services. Niamh Kilcullen and Caitlin Harris, both 24, have opened Blend Studios in a former window showroom on Mains Road on the edge of Hilltown. Danish furniture and homeware brand Sostrene Grene is opening in the Thistles shopping centre in Stirling this summer. The firm – which has an outlet in Dundee's Overgate – will move into a unit next to Superdrug.
