Find out how Philiphaugh Estate and Salmon Viewing Centre is using technology to improve visitor experience.
Philiphaugh Estate and its Salmon Viewing Centre in Selkirk have developed fresh and exciting ways of presenting the attractions on offer using technology to attract first time tourists as well as encouraging repeat visits.
The centre gives visitors a rare glimpse of the wildlife on the Estate with the use of video technology. Cameras are located underwater capturing the migration of salmon from a ‘fish-eye’ perspective, with further cameras mounted on the turbine house to capture salmon leaping and allowing visitors to see the river flow from different vantage points.
A fully automatic hydro station has been installed into the river which generates electricity and also measures water flow. Alongside the hydro station is a ‘Larinier fish pass,’ a state of the art method of slowing down the flow of a river helping migrating salmon to ascend the dam.
Guests visiting the centre are invited to download an app to their mobile phone or mp3 player featuring a fascinating audio tour of the estate. The series of short audio guides tells visitors what they can find on the estate, the life of the salmon and their journey up the river and there is a stirring account of the Battle of Philiphaugh, fought in 1645.
All of the video and audio feeds are available on the centre’s website, ensuring that even when the salmon migration has ended, those who have been to the cauld can relive their experience and potential visitors can get a taste of what to expect.
find out how your business could benefit from wildlife tourism with the Tourism Intelligence Scotland Wildlife Tourism Guide.