If you have any ideas/comments (including feedback as to what you think works/doesn’t work at present – perhaps from dealing with ancestral tourism queries through your own business), we would very much like to hear from you. Perhaps, for example, you have thoughts on how to improve the information available to intending or actual ancestral tourism visitors, or ideas as to how the heritage sector and tourism operators in Moray could work more closely together to mutual benefit.

Please contact Helen Smith/Hazel Bews at Rowan Tree Consulting, tel 01463 715225 or e-mail Helen@rowan-tree-consulting.co.uk – we would very much value your input.

Tourism businesses can also help by pasting a link on their websites to the ancestral tourism customer survey currently running as part of the research project. There are three ways to do this as shown below. (You might also like to e-mail your customers (especially those whom you know are interested in ancestral tourism) to make them aware of the survey.) There is a prize draw (prizes: archival prints of Moray to be selected by the winners) to encourage people to take part.

4th – 19th September 2010

Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight promotes the wealth of produce on offer from Scotland’s larder. Gordon & MacPhail is delighted to be supporting this celebration of Scotland’s finest produce.

FRIDAY 10TH SEPT – Whisky Ooze (£15.00 pp)
A range of Gordon & MacPhail whiskies will be superbly matched with a selection of chocolate from Cocoa Ooze, guaranteed to ensure pure chocolate perfection!

WEDNESDAY 15TH SEPT – Whiskypedia (£5.00 pp)
Join us at Elgin Library where whisky writer, Charles MacLean will showcase his most recent book, before presenting a whisky tasting with a selection of single malts from Gordon & MacPhail’s extensive portfolio.

THURSDAY 16TH SEPT – Whisky & Cheese (£15.00 pp)
Awaken your senses and join us for a full flavoured whisky & cheese pairing guaranteed to revel your taste buds.

SATURDAY 18TH SEPT – Moray Food Fest (FREE ENTRY)
Join us on Elgin Plainstones as we unite with a range of other local food producers, showcasing the areas finest food & drink. With sampling, special offers and demonstrations, this event is a real must for any budding foodie! Look out for our exclusive competition on stand!

They will be joined by experts from Waste Aware Business, The Energy Savings Trust and Scottish Business in the Community who will give advice on Waste, Energy and Community Engagement with highlights including;

• How making a small change can have a big impact on your business’s bottom line
• Working towards Zero Waste for your business
• How to raise staff awareness of recycling systems within your business
• How getting involved in your community can benefit your business
• Potential funding options to help implement sustainable measures in your business.

Date: Thursday 7th October

Timings:

10:30  Event registration
11:00  Sustainability workshop sessions
12:15   Lunch and networking
15:00  Close

Venue: Eight Acres Hotel, Elgin

Anyone interested in participating in the workshops, can register online here .

See below awards ceremonies taking place in the Highlands and Moray:

Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards

Categories:

• Best Use of Social Media
• Best Visitor Experience
• Community Tourism Initiative
• Customer Care
• Developing People
• Highland Dining Out Experience
• Marketing Initiative
• Most Enterprising Business in the Great Outdoors
• The Green Award

More info on the awards and to register see: http://www.highland-tourism-awards.co.uk

Moray Chamber of Commerce Social Enterprise Award 2010

Moray Chamber of Commerce has very generously announced a Social Enterprise Award of £500, sponsored by Fred Olsen Renewables and two tickets to the seventh Annual Dinner of the Moray Chamber of Commerce which takes place at 7.00pm at the Mansefield Hotel Elgin on Friday 24th September.

The social enterprise award will be presented to the social enterprise which demonstrates significant success across its social,environmental and economic impacts – the triple bottom line – and it is expected the award will be keenly contested.

Download registration form here.

Dufftown has been awarded ‘Walkers are Welcome’ Status!

Walkers have always been welcome in Dufftown and this has now been formally recognised by the WaW Towns Network, a national organisation. Dufftown is in fact the 50th town to join the network.

Walkers are Welcome is not related to the VisitScotland Walkers scheme and looks to towns and villages who go the extra mile to make walkers welcome. This initiative was coordinated by Dufftown 2000 Ltd, a group dedicated to putting Dufftown on the map as a front line tourism location.

Ann Hewawitharana from Dufftown 2000 Ltd said ‘this is a great accolade for Dufftown to achieve and one that grew out of a collaborative project with Huntly, Keith and Tomintoul to develop walking tourism in the area. Both Huntly and Tomintoul are a part of the WaW Towns Network and we hope to be able to work in partnership with them in developing walking paths in this unspoilt corner of rural Moray and Aberdeenshire’.

She added ‘We already have way marked walks around Dufftown and a great little booklet “the Walks around Dufftown”. We hope to develop an additional way marked path over the next couple of months depicting the route that the Danes took to the Battle of Mortlach and the rout of the Danes by King Malcolm II in the year 1010. This will compliment the Dramble (a Dram and a Ramble), a guided walk around the Distilleries of Dufftown, which have become a feature of our bi-annual Whisky Festivals in the Town. If anyone has an imaginative idea for a walk in the environs of Dufftown, we would be delighted to work with them to develop a way marked trail’

See more info on the Walkers are Welcome web site.

Chilean Wine tasting, WEDNESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER,
6.45pm for 7.00pm

Chilean wine is made in the South American country of Chile, which is now the fifth largest exporter of wines in the world. Over twenty grape varieties are grown in Chile, mainly a mixture of Spanish and French varieties. Join Guy Chatfield, Regional Sales Manager in Scotland for Concha y Toro Wines, the leading wine producer and exporter in Latin America.

With a commitment to quality and excellence, combining tradition and innovation, Concha y Toro provides a top quality wine experience. Guy will showcase a range of six wines from various Concha y Toro estates around Chile. At the events you will have the chance to taste and purchase the wines and benefit from a number of exclusive discounted offers only available to wine club members on the night.

Following the tasting, you will have the opportunity to browse round the retail shop and receive a 5% discount on all purchases (excluding special offer items).

If you would like to join us for what promises to be an entertaining evening, please contact Gordon & MacPhail Retail Shop, South Street, Elgin. Tel: 01343 545110. (mentioning Moray Tourism)

Tickets are priced at £8.00 each, and include delicious canapés, supplied from our very own Delicatessen Department. Tickets are limited, so please hurry!

Wednesday 15 September at the Eight Acres Hotel in Elgin

Registration is now open to anyone running a tourism related business in Moray and interested to see and hear what Moray Tourism Development group has been up to and keen to connect with other Tourism businesses.

The program will follow soon but is focussed on networking. This conference is sponsored by Business Gateway (Moray Council) and will be free of charge to attend.

It will start at 10:30 for 11am and we aim to finish at 3.30pm

To register your interest please add your details to the form below. Numbers are limited to 150 and your tourism realted business must be based in Moray  Look forward to seeing you there!

VENUE: Baxters Visitor Centre, Fochabers
TIME: 11.30 am for 12 noon start
COST: £20 members £25 non members

Garry Clark, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at the  Scottish Chambers of Commerce umbrella organisation has very kindly agreed to chair an Open Banking Forum. All banks are welcome and currently The Royal Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank and the Bank of Scotland will be represented.

This event will take the form of a question and answer session and you can provide valuable feedback on the service your bank is delivering. The role of banking is important to the economy of Moray and Scottish Chambers will use this feedback to form their future policy.

We have a growing third sector in Moray, as well as businesses thriving in export so it will be interesting for Scottish Chambers and the banks to meet you all. In addition any of you who are just setting up in business and need to decide who to bank with should find the session worthwhile!

The discussion will commence in Baxters Theatre at 12 noon. At 1pm we will hold our networking Business Lunch to be held in The Signature Restaurant.

To book, please contact:

Lesley Ann Parker Chief Executive Moray Chamber of Commerce
Tel: 01340 881226 Mobile: 07887 846495
Email: info@moraychamber.co.uk

The day will start with a live music performance by local band ‘Ashtray Lemon’ – Pop/Rock – 12 noon till 12.45pm.

Dance/Drama performances include:

1pm – 1 .15pm:

Tap performance by Ruth Rollo Theatre School of Dance.

1.20pm – 2.00pm:

Drama Performance in St Giles church by the Out of Darkenss Theatre Company – ‘CRIE OUT’

2.15pm - 2.45 pm:

Salsa and Latin dance performed by Salsa North.

3.00pm – 4pm:

Live music performance from ‘Eclipse’ – Rock and Roll with a twist.

Come along an enjoy an free afternoon of local talent.

Elgin City Centre – Plainstones

Drop in to Elgin Community Centre any time between 1pm and 4pm and receive free instrumental tuition from some of the most exprienced music tutors in Moray. Choose from Guitar, Percussion, Drums and Brass.

Elgin Community Centre