Driving the herd

The biggest event in women’s golf will be promoted across all corners of Scotland – by a herd of VisitScotland Highland Coo Vans.

The 2019 Solheim Cup comes to Perthshire in September and the national tourism organisation is spreading the word with three of their bovine-themed mobile information centres.

Morag, Hamish and Heather will travel the length and breadth of Scotland handing out Solheim Cup goodies and visiting over 50 events, helping to promote the biannual event which will take place over the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles from 9th – 15th September.

The Coo Vans will be found at a host of events including The Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh and the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow to the Braemar Gathering in Aberdeenshire.

Visitors can find out everything they need to know about The 2019 Solheim Cup with the help of VisitScotland’s Coo-Visors who will be on hand with ticket information, free Solheim Cup giveaways at chosen eventsand a chance for people to take part in a fantastic competition to win a stay at The Gleneagles Hotel.

Manuela Calchini, VisitScotland Head of Information, said:“The 2019 Solheim Cup offers a significant opportunity to increase the number of golfing visitors to Scotland but the event is also open to people of all ages and backgrounds, from golf fanatics to those who have never been to a sports event.

“The Opening Ceremony Day will be packed full of great family activities and the impact of this alongside the tournament itself will be felt throughout Perthshire and beyond. And with a TV broadcast audience of potentially 600 million households, this means a lot of eyes will be firmly fixed on Scotland.

“The Coo Vans have become a real talking point among visitors to events across Scotland. They will be a popular addition to the many events and locations they attend over the coming months and a real asset for spreading the word on The Solheim Cup.”

The 2019 Solheim Cup will deliver a multitude of benefits to the Home of Golf including huge international media profile and promotion of equality across both sport and society, as well as supporting programmes to encourage more women and young people to take up the game.

The small herd of VisitScotland Coo Vans have delighted visitors across Scotland since their roll-out three years ago. They are seen at events, visitor attractions and tourism hotspots, providing inspiration and information to visitors during the summer visitor season.

Golf tourism is a key part of Scotland’s visitor economy, worth more than £286 million on an annual basis with a target to grow that to £325 million by 2020. Research shows that golf tourists spend around 3.5 times that of a “regular” tourist and with half of all female golfer visitors to Scotland describing themselves as either “luxury” or “holiday” golfers, this indicates a willingness for a high-spend and to undertake a variety of other activities during a golf trip, visiting multiple regions.

The Scottish Government’s aspiration is that The 2019 Solheim Cup is the biggest ever European edition of the event and the most family-focused golf event in history with around 100,000 spectators expected at Gleneagles. Tickets are priced from just £10 for adults with children under-16 admitted free of charge.

For more information visit www.solheimcup2019.com