Date :
22/02/2013
After undergoing a major redevelopment one of the Borders’ leading tourist attractions is set to enhance its visitor offering and attract a wider audience to its gates.
Home to Sir Walter Scott and his family, Abbotsford was first open to the public in 1833, and at its height attracted some 80,000 visitors a year.
Thanks to a major fundraising campaign that attracted contributions from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Scottish Executive, Historic Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Borders Council, the house has undergone vital renovation work and will reopen to the public in July this year.
Meanwhile, the visitor centre and grounds re-opened in August 2012 and have already attracted over 18,000 visitors, exceeding expectations and receiving very positive feedback.
The house’s closure allowed the management to reposition the enterprise and it has done that using the new Scottish tourism strategy, Tourism Scotland 2020, as a major tool in its planning.
In targeting key growth markets, the enterprise has adopted the Strategy’s terminology of Home Turf, Near Neighbours, Distant Cousins and Emerging Markets. Interest in Sir Walter Scott is particularly strong in Russia – where he is seen as the grandfather of modern literature – and markets such as the US, while Near Neighbours like Germany provided some 20 percent of visitors before the house closed.
“The Strategy has really helped us focus on what our key markets are, where we should invest our marketing and how we develop our offering for those markets,” says Communications Manager Beverley Rutherford.
The House enjoys a diverse range of assets, which the management team is looking to develop into authentic experiences for visitors, as Beverley explains.
“We are looking at how we deliver every aspect of the business from providing the opportunity of staying in the Hope Scott Wing to get a real feel of staying in Scott’s home, to having an in-depth conversation with the curator,” she says. “Every experience should be authentic and special.”
Abbotsford is also collaborating with other businesses to maximise the area’s assets and encourage people to spend even longer in the Borders.
Focus Groups such as ‘Big Houses in the Borders’ are developing promotional material for trade shows, while a travel trade group led by the Business Gateway is building itineraries for the coach and group market.
With a Learning and Engagement Officer recently taken on board and opportunities to share resources with other museums and the academic community, it’s an exciting time for Abbotsford.
“Our aim is to build a financially sustainable business,” says Beverley. “And that means maximising the quality of the visitor experiences, making sure we continually refresh and diversify our offering and working with strategic partners to offer that little bit more.”
For further information, visit the Abbotsford website