New pass for north-east adventures
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North-east residents can now explore the region and save money on some of its top tourist attractions thanks to a new sightseeing pass.
The Northern HighLights Pass provides those living in the area, or visiting it on holiday, with a range of money saving offers from tourist attractions, hospitality providers, activity operators, and local businesses.
The scheme is ideal for families during the forthcoming school holidays or those planning day trips in the months ahead.
It covers a wide area, taking in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen, Moray, Speyside, the Cairngorms, Highland Perthshire and Angus.
For those visiting the area, the pass can guide them on a road trip through its cultural, natural and built heritage
Available in both physical and digital formats, the sightseeing pass is similar to those available in cities around the world, although covers a larger geographic area.
Valid for three months, each pass gives visitors discounted access to a selection of visitor attractions, museums and adrenaline-filled activities. The pass is priced at £20 for adults and £10 for children.
Designed with local, national and international visitors in mind, the pass encourages people to tour round north-east Scotland and sample some of what it has to offer.
The individual passes can be purchased online and come with an interactive map of the area and accompanying visitor information.
Among the attractions already signed up are National Trust for Scotland properties, Grampian Transport Museum, Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery, Strathisla Distillery, Peterhead Prison Museum, Macduff Marine Aquarium and The Gordon Highlanders Museum.
Elsewhere, visitors to Maryculter House near Aberdeen can receive a discount on afternoon tea, and Craggan Outdoors near Aviemore is among a number of activity providers offering money off the cost of activities.
The number of tourist attractions, hospitality providers and activity operators that are included in the pass is expected to increase in the months ahead.
Visitors show the pass at participating businesses where the relevant discount is then applied. The card is activated for the three-month period upon its first use and only permits one visit per attraction.
Current restrictions mean that pre-booking at some venues may be required.
The pass has been created by Aberdeenshire tourism business DeeTour with the support of Open Pass, a developer of cloud-based software for the tourism sightseeing sector.
It has the backing of leading tourism bodies VisitScotland and VisitAberdeenshire, along with Aberdeenshire Council and Visit Moray Speyside.
Co-director of DeeTour Moira Gash said: “The Northern HighLights Pass provides people with a new way to explore all that this large corner of north-east Scotland has to offer.
"With the October holidays on the horizon and families looking for cost-effective days out, the pass gives them the opportunity to get out and see some of the area’s sights, while saving money.
“Each pass is valid for three months, meaning that there is plenty of time for people to use it over a number of weekends to gain maximum value.
"It is a great way for people to support the local tourism sector, visiting attractions that are on their doorstep, or venturing a little further afield to enjoy activities as part of a day trip.
"The interactive map overview allows people to plan their own visits around the area based on their interests, while the discounts let budgets go that little bit further.”
For more information and the list of businesses taking part visit the Know Before You Go page at northernhighlightspass.co.uk/covid-19-updates-on-the-northern-highlights-pass/
