Women to write home about: Cat Leaver

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In the latest in our Women to Write Home About series, we caught up with Cat Leaver,  Head of Brand & Global Marketing at VisitScotland .  Cat shares her background and what brought her to work for the national tourism agency; as well as highlight the opportunities for Scottish tourism in 2024.

Tell us about your background, skills and experience

As a Scot and a marketer, I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do what I do. To focus my energy on sharing Scotland’s stories with the world and on making tourism a real force for good , feels like both a worthy and a thoroughly enjoyable endeavour. And, perhaps, I’m biased, but I really do feel like we have the best brand to work with. It’s easy to look good with a brand like Scotland, and with colleagues as passionate and experienced as those at VisitScotland and from across our industry.

Having studied International Business and Modern Languages at the University of Strathclyde, including a year in Spain studying at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, I entered the world of marketing at a time when ‘digital’ was still in its relative infancy and ‘digital marketing’ was exploding across new channels and delivery models. So, after starting in a fairly traditional company (a solid foundation where I also learned a lot), I was excited to delve into the world of digital agency. I spent over seven years agency side, and it was a steep but agreeable learning curve. There, I developed a multitude of new skills and was given a degree of autonomy that allowed me to identify where my craft really lay, which it turned out was the intersection of strategy and marketing. I loved working with businesses of all shapes, sizes and sectors on big digital transformation and strategy projects. It gave me unprecedented access to interesting business leaders and their inner workings. I revelled in digging into what made a great brand, a great organisation and a great customer experience.  And, I was fascinated by both the technical and very human challenges around which we explored solutions.

Outside of work, my family lived for some time in various African countries, with me spending the first year or so of my life in Zambia before returning to the Scottish Borders and then moving to Glasgow at 17. I come from a long line of family on both sides who have lived overseas and speak various languages, and so travel and interacting with people from different cultures has always been something I cherish.

cat leaver visit scotland

I joined the public sector in 2018 in the very exciting role of Director of Brand Scotland, where I worked with colleagues across Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise (Scottish Development International), Universities Scotland and VisitScotland, on how we strengthened our nation’s global identity and reputation with the ultimate aim of economic prosperity. And this was also the beginning of my journey with VisitScotland. My role today involves working across our creative and marketing teams to design and develop compelling brand and marketing initiatives that help us to share Scotland’s stories with the world.

Beyond work, I’m proud to be an ambassador for the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, which is an incredible charity offering care for people living with life-limiting illnesses. If you’ve never heard of them, they’re well worth checking out as an example of innovative business practice, exceptional fund-raising strategy, a state-of-the-art facility and passionate people.

What are the biggest challenges for Scotland as a tourism destination just now?

Tourism right now is fiercely competitive. Destinations around the world are investing more than ever for a share of the global tourism pie.

For Scotland, tourism is a cornerstone of our economy , yet it’s facing some of its biggest challenges in an uncertain macroeconomic environment. Operating costs continue to rise in line with inflationary pressures and businesses, particularly those in more remote locations, continue to face challenges around staff recruitment and retention. And, for consumers, whilst some benefit from favourable exchange rates, in the UK – our largest market by volume of visits – the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact domestic consumer confidence and spending. All of this has a compounding impact, meaning some businesses have to reduce their service offering, therefore limiting supply from the industry.

However, there remains much opportunity. Demand for tourism remains largely positive . International visits are up and global data suggests consumers will continue to prioritise spend on travel. Package bookings remain particularly strong in some of our large inbound markets. And there are some positive indicators at home as well – as the cost of holidays worldwide continue to increase, the appeal of a staycation only grows. It’s worth noting that the impact of the cost-of-living crisis is not uniform and there are segments of our domestic market who remain less affected, including retirees.

And the level of collaboration demonstrated throughout and in response to the pandemic has been deeply heartening. We’ve seen innovative new experiences and products introduced to the market and considerable growth in our sector offerings, including agritourism, outdoor adventure, and food and drink tourism.

When you look ahead to 2024, what do you feel the biggest opportunities are for Scottish tourism will be?

Collaboration will remain key as we seek to maximise collective resources and identify innovative ways to drive greater value for and from our visitor economy. This will particularly come to the fore as we seek to identify more ways to drive sustainability, like local and community-based partnerships and supply chains.

Global trends data show travellers plan to continue prioritising leisure travel into 2024 , meaning there remains high levels of intent and with this, consumers state they will pay for more personalised, unique experiences – something Scotland can offer in abundance.

Forward booking is key for many international markets, with recent TripAdvisor data suggesting some 67% of their audience book most of their activities before they arrive, further reinforced by year on year growth in Scottish experience bookings via Expedia. And partner data also shows that trip planning and research windows are growing. This means we need to be reaching consumers and inspiring them early in their visitor journey, not just on where to go but also allowing us the opportunity to influence what they do whilst in Scotland.

The return of markets that previously delivered high volumes of visitors to Scotland like China, as well as the emergence of new visitor market pipelines particularly from other short haul markets, present growth opportunity.

Consumer and booking trends are showing increased interest in multi-generational trips , presenting new value add opportunities to tourism businesses with more heads per booking and an increased demand for activities to suit all. And the continued rise of ‘bleisure’ trips – business mixed with leisure – presents opportunity to capture business travellers, elongate their stay whilst in Scotland, and cater to their travel partners/families.

On the ground, initiatives like the ScotRail Peak Fares Removal Pilot from the Scottish Government demonstrate real commitment to getting people moving around via more sustainable public transport. But they also make travel far more affordable for many, encouraging greater levels of exploration across our country. This combined with a fantastic range of free and low-cost attractions offers opportunity to bolster day trips and domestic tourism, as well as facilitating greater spread of international visitors when in Scotland.

What are your three top leadership tips for women in the industry?

  • Be humble – no one person has all the answers and there is real strength in remaining open, curious, and humble. It is through asking questions and welcoming diverse perspectives that we identify the most innovative and rounded solutions. And its why successful leaders always talk about ‘hiring smarter’ and ‘active listening’.
  • Find what makes you tick – understanding what gets your creative juices flowing and where your passion lies will help you identify paths that not only feel right for you, but also where you add the most value. An engaged leader is a far more effective one. So, ask yourself what is your purpose and what are you passionate about?
  • Be present and available – being visible, transparent and clear will earn and instil confidence from others. They will know who to turn to and have a level of clarity in your vision and direction. And it will allow you to build a core level of understanding and trust that is essential to high performing teams.

And remember, it is not being a woman that dictates (or limits) your success. It’s what you do.

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Cat Leaver arrives as Brand Scotland project director

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By John Glenday, Reporter

May 10, 2018 | 2 min read

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Cat Leaver has been handed responsibility for overseeing a new marketing strategy for Scotland after being appointed as project director of Brand Scotland, hot on the heels of the launch of Scotland is Now.

Cat Leaver

Assuming her new role on 3 July Leaver will coordinate marketing activity by VisitScotland , Scottish Development International and the Scottish Government internationally; including responsibility for managing digital infrastructure and talent.

Leaver currently serves as head of strategy at After Digital managing both its marketing and digital marketing teams as well as co-leading its digital transformation consulting.

Leaver said: “We’re witnessing growing visitor numbers and investment, have world class education and research, are globally renowned for our creative industries and are primed to become a global tech hub. But we’re also facing increasing international competition. Scotland is Now will share our whole story with the rest of the world, communicating both our unique heritage and our progressive, pioneering vision for the future.”

Scotland is Now launched last month to champion Scotland's 'openness' to international ideas, people and markets.

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Head of Brand & Global Marketing at VisitScotland.

A strategic marketing leader with experience across traditional and digital channels, complex stakeholder management and a track record of delivering results in both agency and client-side environments. Cat is the Head of Brand & Content at VisitScotland, former director of Brand Scotland, holds a non-executive board position for CodeClan – Scotland’s national digital skills academy – and an advisory board position for City Nation Place.

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a conversation with Cat Leaver, Director, of newly created Brand Scotland #ScotlandIsNow

By Anna Doyle 20 Dec 2018

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As the year draws to a close, we caught up with Cat Leaver, Director, of newly created Brand Scotland. Almost six months into her new role we asked how things were going and what was on the agenda…

BIMA: You are well known for  your work at digital agency, After Digital, and as a leader of TEDx Glasgow. What do you think are the most valuable skills and learnings you will bring from your previous roles to Brand Scotland?

Cat:  It’s a brand new and massively exciting role , so I’ll be leaning on a lot of my past experiences to shape it and reach our (big) ambitions, but likewise there will be lots of new learnings. My experience has taught me to always challenge assumptions, to look for the why rather than the what (purpose before action) and the importance of building relationships. These, and many more, learnings are already forming the foundations of how I take this role forward. It’s complicated and complex, but massively interesting and I’m excited that I’m in a position where I can continue to develop amongst an impassioned team.

We’re at the very beginning of this journey but it really is an honour and a privilege to be part of shaping how we present Scotland to the world.

BIMA: Due to its recency there isn’t much information out there about Brand Scotland yet. Are you able to tell us a little more about its scope, deliverables and what success looks like?

Cat:  Brand Scotland is the collaborative effort of Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, VisitScotland, Universities Scotland and partners to harness our national stories, our technology and our talent for all of Scotland’s benefit. Our aim is that Scotland has a strong and compelling identity which clearly articulates to the world why it is a top contender to live, work, study, invest in, do business with and visit.

With internationalisation and increasing connectivity, we’re facing more competition than ever and are at the behest of our reputation to attract tourists, international students, talent and investment. Despite many perceptions, Scotland is not as well known internationally as you may assume and whilst our research suggests that people do look upon us fondly it is with a somewhat one-dimensional view of what we have to offer as a nation. At Brand Scotland we’re looking to reinvigorate Scotland’s presence in international markets with a view to stimulating sustainable economic growth and to build on Scotland’s positive international reputation.

Success will be joined up, efficient activity from both the public sector and beyond. It will be in our ability to capture the might of many and amplify our voice across the globe. And, ultimately, it will be in increased profile for Scotland and the return on our economy. When we manage to attract the attention of the world and have started to change misconceptions on who they think we are, then we’ll be succeeding. But success is as much about momentum as it is about goals.

BIMA: Where does #ScotlandisNow fit in?

Cat:  Scotland Is Now was the first step in our collaborative journey. Launched on 11th April 2018, it was our first global, collective campaign where we began to focus on shifting the international narrative around Scotland. It is our core storytelling platform, which looks to uncover the many moments of brilliance and examples of excellence present in every nook and cranny of our landscape. But it is also a movement that looks to unite not only the lead partners and the public sector but the private sector and the people of Scotland.

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BIMA: Who is your target audience?

Cat: We’re operating in a highly complex stakeholder environment. With a whole host of internal audiences as well as external audiences with whom we need to engage.

Externally, we want to reach out to anyone that doesn’t know about Scotland or has a skewed perception of who we are. From attracting more tourists particularly in the off-peak seasons and with a better regional spread, to growing the number of international students coming to study here, through to business professionals looking to expand, invest and trade and talent looking for a new place to call home – our audiences span demographics and geographies.

But, that’s not to say we’re not being highly targeted in our activity. We’ve prioritised international markets and attributes that offer the biggest potential for us at each stage.

BIMA: What are the values of Brand Scotland?

Cat:   Our values revolve around those we see within the Scottish people – welcoming, inclusive, progressive, innovative and generous of spirit. We are, however, just about to enter into a period of stakeholder engagement to really dig deep into what values we hold dearest as a nation and truly reflect the unique Scottish spirit.

BIMA: Does the project have a life span?

Cat:  Building a nation’s profile and reputation is a long-term game, so we don’t see an end point for Brand Scotland. It’s a business unit rather than a project with a whole programme of activity and multiple projects within it. Similarly, the Scotland is Now campaign vehicle will continue to evolve but exist for years to come as a major collaborative marketing movement.

BIMA: How do think Scotland is currently perceived and how do you want to change that?

Cat:   Despite our best wishes, Scotland is not as well known internationally as you might think and our research suggests there is a lot of work to do around building our presence and profile. We are arguably best known for our landscapes and heritage, which are incredible assets to have and we should feel incredibly proud of these. The job now is to compliment these with a fuller picture of our offering in lesser known areas, like our outstanding (and ongoing) record of innovation, our progressive nature and commitment to inclusivity and diversity, our world-class education and healthcare, our ground-breaking renewables work and so much more.

We’re in the enviable position of having a whole host of natural, intellectual and cultural assets that are unique to Scotland. As Churchill highlighted; “Of all the small nations of this earth, perhaps only the ancient Greeks surpass the Scots in their contribution to mankind.”

As a marketer, I really do have the best product to work with. And, what greater honour is there than to work in the promotion and prosperity of your nation?

cat leaver visit scotland

BIMA: How is your team shaping up? It is an exciting project you must have lots of interest from talent keen to be involved.

Cat:   I manage several teams across agencies. At Brand Scotland’s core, we have a very small, dedicated team but we have the benefit of being able to access and leverage talent from across organisations and disciplines. It’s a truly agile way of working, with project teams delivering against key activity and ensuring we can strive ahead with a considerable scope of pretty ground-breaking work.

It’s not without its challenges – working across different calendar, email and file management systems means even fairly basic operational tasks can be far from straight forward – but, it is absolutely a step in the right direction and testament to the commitment and ambition of our national organisations to build a bold and consistent narrative for Scotland.

BIMA: How can SME’s benefit from the Brand Scotland programme and how can they support it?

Cat:   We aim to support all of Scotland’s businesses and people in communicating with the world. Whether it’s aligning with our national bodies and biggest brands or accessing assets and tools that support them in doing business both here and overseas, or joining up in-market activity to increase our reach and impact.

A place’s identity belongs to all of its citizens and it is only through SME’s and individuals engaging with us that we will create something truly reflective, far-reaching and resilient.

I implore everyone to consider what makes them proud to call Scotland home or to have a Scottish connection. You can contribute to Scotland’s narrative by joining the conversation online using the #ScotlandIsNow hashtag, following our digital channels or registering for a free account on our toolkit (https://assets.scotlandisnow.com/) to access collateral that you can use to tell your unique stories. We want to create shared resources and networks that enable bigger, better and bolder conversations about Scotland that are consistent in quality, values and vision.

BIMA: What do you perceive to be your biggest challenge ahead: personal and/or the project as a whole?

Cat:   The challenge is to prioritise and manage expectations. Our goals are audacious and our programme of activity vast, so we need to be strict in assessing the most effective ways of delivering these and set realistic timelines. But, all of this needs to be balanced with our ability to maintain momentum, both perceived and actual.

BIMA: What does your To Do list look like and what is at the top?

Cat:  The To Do list is ever evolving, but I thrive on being busy and there is such passion displayed across the team that you can’t help but feel inspired. The top items currently are around stakeholder engagement and our international network strategy.

BIMA: Having been a brilliant supporter of Scotland’s digital and creative programme through BIMA, along with other organisations, how can the BIMA community now support you in your new endeavours?

Cat:  Firstly, can I say that it’s fantastic to see the ongoing achievements of the sector and BIMA in Scotland. There are some incredibly exciting initiatives underway and a lot of activity that everyone should be immensely proud of. I certainly feel very lucky to have been (no matter how small) part of that dynamic community.

Now, in my new role, I would ask everyone to get behind Scotland. We have the charming ability to undersell ourselves and our achievements, but if we wish to grow our profile internationally we need to let the world know who we are and exactly what we have to offer. After all, we’re the nation that gave the world the television, the telephone, the NHS, 19 world-class higher education institutes, golf, the Big Yin, chicken tikka masala… – and that’s only a small part of our story. We continue to thrive and innovate.

In French philosopher Voltaire’s words; “We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation.”

Change is here and you should be part of it. This is our nation and identity and we all play a part in shaping it. So get involved, share knowledge, support others, take action, advocate everything that gives you a sense of pride and enable others wherever you can. We can all influence Brand Scotland.

Twitter: @C_Leaver

Twitter: @Scotland

Facebook: @ScotlandIsNow

Website: Scotland.org

cat leaver visit scotland

A member of the BIMA Team since 2012, Anna‘s time is focused on the day-to-day operations of BIMA, building BIMA communities across regions and disciplines and, best of all, spending time with BIMA members to learn more about their business challenges and aspirations. Based in Glasgow, Anna is also responsible for delivering member services and support for BIMA Scotland. Everyday offers a new insight.

Previous experience includes 4 years in the BBC Arabic Service newsroom, heading up a pan-BBC World Service change management programme, and working in a diverse range of industries from financial derivatives trading, petroleum engineering and spring manufacturing.

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Lessons in stakeholder management from Brand Scotland

Cat Leaver is Director of the cross-agency initiative Brand Scotland . In an interview with Claire Farrow, editorial contributor at City Nation Place, Cat shares her approach to tackling complex place brand challenges such as stakeholder management and sends out a call to action for fellow place brand and marketing professionals.

Stronger together: working to engage key stakeholders

Brand Scotland’s collaborative approach is what sets it apart. The agencies involved are Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, VisitScotland and Universities Scotland. 

Cat explains that: “Brand Scotland was born from a recognition that whilst successes were being had, the separate agencies working on behalf of Scotland’s economic interests were often working in silos”. The agency boards and Marketing Directors agreed that by collaborating they would maximise resources, be more consistent and increase global impact.

In order to avoid resistance, each agency pooled resources – each contributing an element of their talent and budget to Brand Scotland.

Cat acknowledges that: “The key to achieving this collaboration was having the right people; strong and ambitious leaders across the different agencies who were happy to take their egos - and their organisation’s egos - off the table and challenge others to do the same”.

The stakes are high

Cat explains that when managing stakeholders, it’s important to acknowledge their differences and their requirements. Often stakeholder management has a blanket approach that removes the human element. But, naturally, how you engage with a lead partner is different from the way in which you might engage a Minister or a local business.

Cat also recommends being realistic about what you can take on. She says: “Don’t try to do everything at once. With the scale of the challenges and opportunities you need to prioritise and take steps that allow you to take others on the journey with you. But that doesn’t mean don’t be ambitious”.

Brand Scotland has a governance model in place for key stakeholder management. Monthly programme board meetings are scheduled that bring the marketing directors from the different agencies together to focus on the core programme of work, meanwhile the delivery team maintain relations across the wider marketing teams of the stakeholder organisations.

The International Board, comprised of CEOs and directors of internationally facing public organisations and stakeholders, meet quarterly and offer a collective strategic oversight.

On a practical note Cat explains that rather than reinventing the wheel and trying to bring together multiple stakeholder groups who likely already have arrangements in place, it has made sense to look to existing networks. This was how the International Board was identified and in other instances simply adding a Brand Scotland point to meeting agendas keeps their goals front of mind.

The reality is that, as custodians of Brand Scotland, every citizen is a stakeholder. This in some ways is the biggest challenge as it is not possible to monitor or control every communication that they receive. So, it’s important, Cat explains, to stay authentic.

The skills needed for effective management: “You are automatically working with a brand extension strategy, building on an image and identity that already exists in people's psyches. So, the skills that are most critical are analysis, communication and diplomacy. You must display a willingness to listen and also the information necessary to convey your direction and message with conviction and rationale. You also need to be open to always learning and adapting”.

One of the hardest obstacles Cat has had to overcome is getting people to truly understand what Brand Scotland is trying to achieve. As a team and programme of work that has evolved and developed so dramatically over the past 18 months, the most visible part of their work is the #ScotlandIsNow marketing platform. But, this is just one part of the story. And, to add to the confusion many in the public sector, and beyond, don’t relate to the use of the word “brand”. To overcome this, she tries to articulate the strategy simply – Brand Scotland is all about how we promote Scotland to the rest of the world. She recognises that the strategy’s evolution must be aligned to ongoing stakeholder engagement to ensure maintained buy-in and momentum.

Proud successes

To maximise resources, Brand Scotland outsources as little as possible and draws on skills at hand on a project and campaign basis. For social and digital work, she has an incredible pool of talent in house.

Cat effused about her pride in her team’s development. In particular, she admires their consistent ability to be agile, adapt and innovate based on insight and learnings within a cross-agency environment.

As an example, she cites the    Scotland Is Open campaign as exemplar of a place brand message that resonated for all the right reasons. Care was taken to develop a piece of creative that avoided the political and focused on the emotive message they wanted to convey – friendship, openness and welcome. A narrative that already existed and endures of a valued relationship no matter the circumstances. In a hugely complex time and environment this was not without it’s challenges, but the results speak for themselves - in just two weeks the campaign activity reached over 80 million people, generating 27% awareness in key markets against a target of 10% and the video was viewed over 52 million times. All objectives were exceeded, but more importantly, the response from the target audience was overwhelmingly loud and positive.

Cat also admires the work that Scotland’s cities have been doing related to place branding and marketing, with a few examples below:

Glaswegians were put at the very heart of the development of their crowd-sourced city brand “People Make Glasgow”, an identity that instils pride. This has been well received around the world, gaining credit for it's successful stakeholder engagement and ongoing profile.

Dundee has transformed its image domestically and capitalised on the opportunity to shine an international spotlight on the city with the opening of the renowned new V&A Museum. One of the catalysts for all of this was the city’s application to become European City of Culture. Whilst it didn’t win, the city jumped on the opportunity and pressed on with plans to redevelop the waterfront and its cultural offering. Evidence of success is the Wall Street Journal naming Dundee one of 10 hot destinations to visit in the world.

Aberdeen is a great example of a city that has directed energy into changing its image. Once known primarily for oil and gas, various stakeholders have come together to look at exciting investment opportunities and the development of their Abzolutely campaign and toolkit, which aims to show the wider offering of the granite city. This joined up approach has reaped rewards with the opening of the vast new Aberdeen Exhibition Centre and attraction of world-class events, such as the Sports Personality of the Year Awards 2019.

Call to action for 2020 and beyond

The next step for Cat and her team is to translate the buy-in and ambition surrounding Brand Scotland into an operating model that is more sustainable in the long-term and which mitigates risks.

To maintain the momentum of her work she plans to continue proactive stakeholder engagement, looking at themes that demonstrate Scotland’s world-first and world-leading qualities, behind which Brand Scotland can galvanise support and advocacy.

She is keen to look to ways in which wider place brand marketers can share in their learnings and success, such as supporting local teams and organisations to develop best practice standards. In a discipline like place marketing she sees incredible opportunity for collaboration.

When talking of best practise, Cat says she tends to be most drawn to other relatively small, innovative nations. She admires New Zealand Stories longevity, global reach and consistent quality, remarking on the clear investment into a strong team, infrastructure and output.  Iceland and Finland’s bold yet authentic humour and creativity also resonates, reflected too in their progressive outlook.

In terms of the place branding and marketing discipline more broadly, Cat calls for more diversity of voices in the field. She would also like to see the sophistication of measurement and evaluation improve along with shared industry standards around benchmarks for best practice.

Cat explains: “We look at performance, engagement and advocacy across our ‘always on’ channels and any campaigns have very specific KPIs so that we can effectively measure success. However, measurement from a broader place perspective is always very challenging. There are so many macro and micro factors to take into account”.

She says: “Whilst of course places compete against one another for talent, investment and tourists, there is such great opportunity in building a community of experts who work to support one another in this developing discipline. After all we are all just one small piece of the global puzzle. Collectively we can define what good looks like and then what better looks like too”.

City Nation Place provides the ideal hub for collaboration and knowledge sharing.

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New project director to drive forward Scotland Is Now campaign

Cat Leaver, who is currently head of strategy at After Digital and it one of five who run TEDxGlasgow, will take up her Brand Scotland role in July

  • 09:53, 10 MAY 2018

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A new project director for Brand Scotland whose role will involve driving forward the new £6 million global Scotland Is Now campaign has been announced.

Cat Leaver takes on the Brand Scotland role in July and will also manage its digital infrastructure and talent.

She is currently head of strategy at After Digital, managing its marketing and digital marketing teams and output as well as co-leading on digital transformation consulting.

Leaver is also one of five who run TEDxGlasgow , one of Europe's most established TEDx organisations.

It aims to provide a platform to stimulate change in Scotland and welcomed more than 2,000 people to its main annual event at the Scottish Event Campus.

She said: "I'm honoured and excited to be taking on the role. It feels like the perfect time to show off what Scotland has to offer visitors, investors, students and those considering making Scotland their home."

VisitScotland director of marketing and digital Charlie Smith said: "Cat brings a wealth of experience, a fresh perspective and the creative energy that will be vital in a highly competitive global marketplace."

Scottish Enterprise MD Jane Martin added: We are determined our joint efforts to date marks the start of a much broader partnership across the wider public sector, industry and business to put out a compelling, confident and consistent story about Scotland internationally."

Scotland Is Now was unveiled in April and aims to put Scotland in the international spotlight by showcasing the country's assets to a global audience.

It was launched simultaneously in North America, London and China.

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Edinburgh Castle viewed from Salisbury Crags

On the right track

Londoners inspired to switch up commute and experience enchanting scotland.

VisitScotland has announced a new partnership with train operator London North Eastern Railway (LNER) to encourage London commuters to escape the daily grind and enjoy the magic of a break in Scotland.

The national tourism organisation and the long-distance rail provider are teaming up on a campaign, highlighting the ease of train travel to Edinburgh from London, and promoting the range of unique experiences on offer in the Scottish capital and beyond.

Adverts will be displayed at prominent sites on the London underground and rail network including the new Elizabeth line. They appear in real time - so a commuter heading home in the evening will see what they could be doing at the same time in Scotland. The journey direct from London’s Kings Cross to Edinburgh with LNER takes four hours and 20 minutes.

The joint-funded project features a mix of social media, digital display and billboard advertising. They highlight “magical” moments on offer in the Scottish capital such as cocktails at sunset from SKYbar Edinburgh and castle view dining at The Outsider Restaurant, as well as the breath-taking panoramic views from the Salisbury Crags. The moments are unveiled as imagery of LNER train sliding doors open, giving the appearance of movement and depth to static pictures.

Recent research* has shown that around a third of UK adults (33 per cent) indicated they are more likely to choose a trip in the UK than overseas, compared to pre-pandemic, with 73 per cent planning to take a trip within the UK in the next 12 months. It also revealed that 30 per cent of people planning on visiting Edinburgh this summer intend to get there by train, the majority of whom live in London.

Edinburgh serves as a gateway destination between London and Scotland on the LNER route which serves 26 locations across Scotland, including Glasgow, Tay, the North East and the Highlands.

The campaign – which is now live - is the latest from the VisitScotland Global Marketing team who have cultivated successful content with Hilton Hotels, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, Hostelling Scotland, and Citylink over the last year.

Cat Leaver, VisitScotland Head of Brand and Global Marketing, said: “Identifying and working with strategic partners is an important part of VisitScotland’s marketing strategy and our work to support the recovery and growth of Scotland’s tourism industry. Since the pandemic, we have seen strong demand for a break in Scotland from people in other parts of the UK, particularly from London which is why we are excited to be partnering with LNER on this campaign.

“From spectacular scenery to world class events and culture, leading attractions and food and drink, this campaign highlights the range of unforgettable experiences Edinburgh and Scotland has to offer visitors with the added convenience and sustainability of rail travel, an important part of our plans to develop Scotland into a leading destination for responsible tourism.”

David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “We are proud to serve so many must-see destinations along the LNER route. We are continuing to welcome more and more customers back to rail, maintaining our lead over the planes, with more than 50 per cent of journeys between Edinburgh and London being made by train as people increasingly look to travel in a more sustainable way.

“We know our services deliver significant economic, social and environmental benefits to the towns, cities and wider regions we serve, and we are delighted to be working with VisitScotland and tourism organisations across our route to further enhance the visitor economy.”

*Taken from the UK Consumer Sentiment Tracking Report: 1-7 March and from the UK Consumer Sentiment Tracking Report: Scotland Level Summary 4 Jan - 8 March 2023

VisitScotland and London North Eastern Railway (LNER) partnered on a campaign to encourage London commuters to explore the beauty of Scotland. The campaign will highlight the ease of train travel from London to Edinburgh and showcase unique experiences in the Scottish capital.

Asset type post

Word count 638 words

Expiry No expiry date

Released 27 April 2023

Source: VisitScotland Media Toolkit

Credit VisitScotland

Usage Editorial content can be published in a variety of formats ranging from print or digital to online. In print content can be featured in *newspapers *magazines *brochures. Online content can be published in a *blog *website *article or *social media. Regardless of the format this content should always promote Scotland’s tourism in a positive way.

Location Scotland

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For ages 7yrs to Adult This FREE performance is built around a selection from T S Eliot’s anthology Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and brings to life six wonderful feline characters. A charming show celebrating the magical words of this great poet, suitable for all ages from Primary School to those entitled to King Charles’ Telegram! Featuring the following stories: THE NAMING OF CATS > GUS THE THEATRE CAT > GROWLTIGER’S LAST STAND OLD DEUTERONOMY > MR MISTOFFELEES > MACAVITY THE MYSTERY CAT THE AD-DRESSING OF CATS > CAT MORGAN INTRODUCES HIMSELF This event is free, but we would welcome a donation at the time of booking, to help towards future free events!

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Something witchy this way comes

Explore scotland's tales of witchcraft with new trail.

Visitors are being invited to discover some lesser-known spooky stories, dark history, truly magical places and find ways to live like a modern-day witch through a new trail and map launched to mark our Year of Stories 2022.

The downloadable guide features 15 locations and will be hosted on visitscotland.com alongside a blog taking a deeper dive on the subject and offering even more witchcraft-themed visitor experiences. 

Experiences on the map include:

  • Calanais Standing Stones, Isle of Lewis - Standing for over 5,000 years, the Calanais Standing Stones have a rich culture of magical folklore. One legend tells how a fairy cow came to give milk to the starving people of Calanais. All was well until a rumoured witch seeking more than her share brought the giving to an end by milking the cow dry before vanishing. The stones are thought to have inspired Outlander’s magical Craigh na Dun. 
  • The Witchery by the Castle, Edinburgh - Located in an impressive 16th century building at the gates of Edinburgh Castle, this unique and atmospheric hotel and restaurant takes its name from the hundreds of women and men burned at the stake as witches on Castlehill. Today, visitors can dine in the luxurious surroundings of the original oak-panelled dining room and unwind in one of the lavishly decorated suites. Castlehill also features The Witches’ Well, a drinking fountain dedicated to those who lost their lives after being accused of witchcraft. 
  • Kirkwall Witchy Walk, Orkney – This island was once a hotbed of allegations and accusations. Peer into Marwick’s Hole where those accused of witchcraft were imprisoned at St Magnus Cathedral and walk in the footsteps of the condemned to Gallow’Ha on a guided tour with Spiritual Orkney. 
  • Blair Castle, Perthshire – This castle has a fascinating history of visitors, including Mary Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and an alleged witch. Legend has it that the mountains overlooking the castle have acted as a hiding spot for a powerful witch who could shape shift into wildlife. Visitors should keep an eye out for creatures on a stroll around the grounds. 
  • East Neuk Seaweed, Fife - Seaweed is believed to have been used by local wise women and healers of times gone by. East Neuk Seaweed offer various hands-on workshops in the coastal locations throughout Fife that highlight the healing properties and nutritional value of this sea vegetable. Dip your toes into the clear waters of Scotland and learn how to forage for and cook with wild seaweed. 
  • Abbotsford House, Scottish Borders - The home of 19th-century novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott boasts a world-famous collection of rare books on witchcraft, demonology, and popular superstitions. Visitors to Scott’s stunning library can see his treasured “Witch Corner” overlooking the River Tweed. Find out how the facts inspired the fiction in some of the writer’s most iconic novels and explore how Scott used Abbotsford to help him bring the past to life.

Explore Scotland's tales of witchcraft

Download the Witch Trail Map or visit our Witch Trail blog for a deeper dive on Scotland's magical history

Scotland's magical history

Witches and witchcraft make for a formative chapter in the story of Scotland covering history, woman's rights, superstition and the supernatural. There are numerous local tales spread across Scotland about witches and witchcraft based in both fact and legend. A key focus for Scotland's Year of Stories is highlighting these tales from communities passed down through the generations.

The trail and map highlight these locations and attractions all with links to themes associated with witchcraft including a love of nature and modern takes on the lore. They can be enjoyed year-round as part of a longer holiday or trip. 

As we mark Scotland's Year of Stories, it is important to showcase tales of all kinds and highlight some of the truly unique experiences on offer in Scotland. Highlighting fun, educational and engaging experiences like those featured in the map will help inspire people to discover Scotland's rich and diverse stories for themselves. Cat Leaver, Head of Brand and Content, VisitScotland
Generations of visitors to Sir Walter Scott's home have been fascinated by 'Witch Corner', a cabinet within his library containing around 250 prized volumes dating from 1477 to 1832. Due to the popularity of Witch Corner, Abbotsford are currently building a sculpture trail inspired by the stories found within these books; from tales of witchcraft, to ourisks, elves, fairies and other mystical beings. Giles Ingram, Chief Executive, Abbotsford

Related links

Day in the life: the bookseller, eventful autumn tales with year of stories 2022, latest statistics.

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