Get outdoors in Angus this winter

A new winter festival in Angus is encouraging visitors to explore the great outdoors, in a push to extend the traditional visitor season in the region.

The Angus Outdoor Adventure Winter Festival begins for the first time tomorrow (Friday, 8 November) and runs until Sunday, 17 November.

Organised by Angus Tourism Cooperative, and supported by Visit Angus, the festival aims to highlight the range of activities that the region has to offer during the winter months, from hiking to mountain biking, fly fishing to refreshing pond dooks.

National tourism organisation, VisitScotland, hopes the new festival will encourage visitors to think beyond the summer season and plan a trip in the traditionally quieter winter months.

The festival aligns with the national sustainable tourism strategy which is focused on encouraging the regional and seasonal spread of visitors, extending the benefits of tourism across the year.

In addition, the latest research from the UK Residents Holiday Sentiment Tracker finds that those interested in a trip this winter have a desire to connect with nature, with one in ten planning adventure activities.

The region’s great outdoors is already popular with visitors to the area. According to the Scotland Visitor Survey, around three quarters of visitors to Angus (71%) the scenery and landscape as a reason for planning their trip to Scotland, with almost a third of visitors citing outdoor activities.

Nationally, off-season tourism last year (January to March and October to December) generated £2.5bn with around 7.6m visits made.*

The Angus Outdoor Adventure Winter Festival is supported by Angus Rural Partnership with funding from the Scottish Government’s Rural Community-Led Local Development Fund 2024-2025, part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme.

Caroline Warburton, Destination Development Director at VisitScotland, said: “With its stunning landscapes and rich natural and built heritage it’s no wonder that activities in Angus’s great outdoors are an important part of the experience for visitors.

“The Angus Outdoor Adventure Winter Festival is a fantastic creative way of capitalising on their popularity and inspiring visitors to explore the region during the traditionally quieter months.

“Encouraging seasonal spread and helping tourism and events to extend the season are a key part of our work to make Scotland a must-visit, must-return year-round destination. It is events like these which support our national goals and support the region’s valuable visitor economy.”

Norma Lyall, Development Worker for Angus Tourism Cooperative, said: “We are delighted to enable this first pilot festival to come together. We have been amazed at the creativity of members to host events outdoors in November, it shows that there is much to explore, take part in and discover. Working together with Angus Alive, Angus Cycle Hub and Visit Angus has shown the benefits of co-creative projects, and we look forward to building on our festivals next year.”

For more go to https://visitangus.com/angus-outdoor-adventure-winter-festival/

ENDS

*This is taken from International Passenger Survey figures from ONS and the Great Britain Travel Survey (GBTS). A complete regional breakdown isn’t available yet.

UK Residents Holiday Sentiment Tracker: https://www.visitscotland.org/research-insights/about-our-visitors/uk/sentiment-tracker

Scotland Visitor Survey: https://www.visitscotland.org/research-insights/about-our-visitors/why-people-choose-scotland#svs

Angus visitor insights: https://www.visitscotland.org/research-insights/regions/dundee-angus#survey