Scotland tipped to be a 'coolcation' hotspot

Holidaymakers swap Tuscany for Trossachs to escape heat

- BY NICK FORBES

SCOTLAND is set to receive an influx of summer holidaymakers as the Mediterranean weather is simply becoming too hot, a tourism expert has claimed.

Surveying next summer’s Scottish tourism trends, Chris Greenwood, a senior researcher at Glasgow Caledonian University, said, with the “coolcation” becoming a necessity, families are likely to move holiday bookings “from Tuscany to the Trossachs”.

He also said visitors are likely to seek less crowded alternatives to popular sites such as the Fairy Pools on Skye and Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, which he said are becoming “victims of their own virality” on websites including Instagram.

But he cautioned Scotland may not be able to take advantage due to many areas having patchy transport and hotel infrastructure, and a lack of facilities such as high-end dining.

Mr Greenwood’s predictions come after a year that saw a limited spend by domestic holidaymakers offset by a booming international visitor market.