Surfing Scotland online

A Canadian influencer, with a collective social media following of over 514,000, has been on an adventure around the West of Scotland as part of an exciting project with VisitScotland.

Chris Hau, a photographer, filmmaker and wakesurfer from Toronto, caught some waves off the coast of Tiree, while also exploring Argyll & the Isles and the city of Glasgow. This was part of the national tourism organisation’s Scotland: Life campaign which involves social media influencers and content creators getting the opportunity to see what it’s like to live, work and study in Scotland.

Chris, who came to Scotland with his partner Lizzie Peirce, will be creating a range of content from his travels over the next few months which will be hosted on visitscotland.com. His trip included a visit to McCaig’s Tower in the seaside town Oban and Gylen Castle on the Isle of Kerrera.

Based on his passion for watersports, Chris was introduced to Iona Larg of Blackhouse Watersports, a family business based on Tiree. She took him surfing on the Isle’s ocean waves and arranged a beach cookout for his last night.

While on the mainland, Chris was guided by VisitScotland’s Consumer PR Manager for North America, Michael McCuish, who is originally from Oban. As well as assisting the influencer in his exploration of Glasgow, Michael was able to help Chris discover some of the best attraction’s in his hometown, as well as the quaint Isle of Kerrera.

Chris Hau said: “Getting the chance to spend time in Tiree with Iona and her family is a memory I will cherish forever. It was one of the most unique traveling experiences I’ve ever been through and made me feel extremely connected with the Scottish people. All and all I caught some amazing waves, spent time with incredible people and have endless photos to edit. Scotland is beautiful!”

Michael McCuish, VisitScotland’s Consumer PR Manager for North America, said: “With stunning scenery, fascinating history and culture, and some of the best watersports in the world, the West of Scotland is a spectacular destination for visitors.

“Scotland: Life specialises in offering innovative and dynamic influencers, who really speak to both our target markets and the key markets of the future, the opportunity to experience Scotland in new and exciting ways. It was an absolute pleasure to see first-hand the amazing content Chris and Lizzie were capturing when in Scotland, and I can’t wait to see the final results.”

Launched in July last year, Scotland: Life has seen VisitScotland bring social media influencers from across the world to Scotland to see what it’s like to live, work and study in the country. From scallop diving to reindeer grooming, these influencers are getting to see what it is really like to be part of Scotland and in that way the influencers will get to experience why ScotlandIsNow, as well as bonding with those who see the country as their home.

For more information about Chris go to www.thechrishau.com

For more information about Scotland: Life go to https://www.visitscotland.com/holidays-breaks/scotland-life/