New Scottish Agrotourism board

The new inaugural board of Scottish Agritourism aims to play a major role in delivering significant expansion in this growing sector of the industry which could add an estimated £250 million to rural economies by 2030.

The not-for-profit leadership organisation was initially set up in June 2020 after Covid galvanised the existing and well connected agritourism sector to come together in a formalised body, under the umbrella of the Scottish Tourism Alliance.

Two years on, Scottish Agritourism has developed to represent 250 individual members across 140 businesses and from 1st April 2022 has been operating as a stand-alone organisation.

Riddell Graham, until recently Director of Industry and Destination Development with Visit Scotland, becomes the organisation’s first chairman and he will be joined by sector lead, Caroline Millar and industry stalwarts Kay Wilson, of Lennox of Lomond, in Luss and Robert Wilson from the Borders who runs Wilsons Farm Kitchen, along with Karen Wilson from Angus, tourism consultant Maggie Maguire, management consultant Paul Jennings and chief executive of the Association of Scotland’s Self Caterers, Fiona Campbell.

Graham said that the agritourism sector presented one of the main growth opportunities for both tourism and agriculture in the next ten years, with the ability to drive considerable social and economic benefits.

Millar added that the establishment of the new board marked a milestone in the organisation’s growth and together with the fifteen destination leaders and sector members they looked forward to making a signification contribution to growing agritourism in Scotland to meet its full potential.