Literary Tourism is recognised for bringing numerous benefits to destinations and the communities involved, as well as the dissemination of the region’s intangible heritage.
Initiatives such as the European collaboration “Spot Lit” and studies including Scotland’s Literary Heartlands highlighted the South of Scotland’s strengths as a literary tourism destination.
From the storytelling traditions of the 14th – 17th century Border Ballads; as home to world-renowned writers – Scott, Burns, Hogg and Buchan; to Wigtown as Scotland’s National Book Town and The National Centre of Children’s Literature opening recently at Moat Brae in Dumfries, the South of Scotland provides the perfect location for those seeking literary tourism.
The announcement that 2022 was Scotland’s Year of Stories created the impetus to build on this ambition; for our claim to have credibility we needed bookable products so visitors to the region could have something to engage with. With no bookable, commissionable literary tourism experiences in the South of Scotland, we approached the region’s literary leaders to develop products to be marketed during 2022.
And so began our year of fruitful collaboration that closed with the Lonely Planet naming the South of Scotland as one of 30 top destinations across the world – citing in particular its historic and literary links.
