Fans book up TITP accommodation for next year

The final T in the Park in Balado. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Some B&Bs near Strathallan, Perthshire, are already sold out for the weekend in July 2015.

After 18 years at Balado, festival organisers announced they were moving because of safety concerns over a buried oil pipeline.

The Victoria House B&B, in Crieff, took its first £70-a-night booking the day the announcement was made of the move to Strathallan Castle.

Manager Maxine Ottolini said: “We’re fully booked already.

“We took the first booking on June 25, then another on June 29 and one more the following day.

“The final room was booked on Monday, so we have no rooms left for the weekend now.”

Mrs Ottolini said they didn’t normally set their rates until August.

“It’s amazing and we’re looking forward to it,” she said.

The Craigrossie Hotel in Auchterarder has already got one £90 triple room booked for the weekend in July 2015

Manager Dave von Geyer said: “It came the same day they announced that the event would be moving to Strathallan.

“The guys are from friends from down south and wanted to get in there early.”

Dave said other enquiries included one from a woman who wanted to pitch her tent in the garden.

Another asked about booking 22 rooms for the week, even though they have just five rooms.

“We expect to be fully booked for T in the Park, it’s good news for us,” he said.

B&B owner Mary Campbell, from Auchterarder, said: “Within half an hour of the announcement I had a girl on the phone wanting two rooms.

“One boy who called sounded like he had called everywhere trying to find someone to stay.

“We’ve had emails and phone calls well in advance of the event, theres a lot of interest from people for rooms.”

Tickets have now gone on sale for next summer’s event in the grounds of Strathallan Castle, near Auchterarder, in Perthshire.

But yesterday a couple who live in the grounds of the new venue called for the Scottish Government to review the planned move.

Kim and Mark Liddiard said they were prepared to take the matter to the Court of Session for a judicial review.

The couple, who would have a campsite on their doorstep throughout the festival, have written to the Scottish Government’s planning and architecture division.

A spokeswoman for T in the Park said: “We’re not in the least bit surprised because we know there is a huge amount of excitement from our audience to experience the very first T in the Park at Strathallan Castle.

“We’ve just finished an incredible year at Balado which saw the atmosphere and the audience praised by Police Scotland and the bands and this has really whet the appetite already for 2015.

“The festival currently generates over £1.7 million at a local level and its excellent news that this benefit is already spreading to our new home.”