Holiday accommodation booking firm sees Scots listings double

A website for booking campsites, “glamping” sites and caravan parks has seen its Scottish listings almost double in the past year – while its total global bookings have exceeded £100 million.
Also on its books are Loch Shin Luxury Pods. Picture: Nicholas Hill.Also on its books are Loch Shin Luxury Pods. Picture: Nicholas Hill.
Also on its books are Loch Shin Luxury Pods. Picture: Nicholas Hill.

Pitchup.com said its listings north of the Border have grown to 128 from 66, with 111 of those live for last summer surpassing the original target of 100. Some of the new additions in 2019 include luxury camping pods in Lairg, a site on the shores of Loch Ness, and safari tents above Scotland’s largest dam in Stirling.

Last year, Pitchup.com forecast that Scotland would see a boost in domestic tourism, and now founder Dan Yates has hailed a 46 per cent jump in bookings in the region, seeing it “significantly” outperform the rest of the market.

Read More
Pitchup predicts boom year for Scots bookings
The firm's offering includes safari tents above Scotlands largest dam in Stirling. Picture: Eilidh Robertson Photography.The firm's offering includes safari tents above Scotlands largest dam in Stirling. Picture: Eilidh Robertson Photography.
The firm's offering includes safari tents above Scotlands largest dam in Stirling. Picture: Eilidh Robertson Photography.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The firm also said that Scotland is “revelling in record-breaking inbound visitors from international markets” such as Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium in addition to the UK. It has now generated more than £100m in bookings around the world, up from £75m this time last year, with the average booking spend about £500 overall on a 4.5 day trip, which includes £236 offsite.

Founder Yates predicts an opportunity to harness more inbound tourism from the UK and Western Europe. “Scotland has some of the most stunning sites we offer, in fantastic settings surrounded by natural beauty, so it’s unsurprising they are proving increasingly popular”.