Ancient traditions, new venues in Scotland

February 2012 Providing one of the warmest welcomes around the world, Scotland also offers meeting planners dynamic new meeting spaces, hotel refurbishments and unique festival experiences for delegates. With such a vast number of advancements, there are more reasons than ever before to choose Scotland as the next location to host meetings: Scottish National Portrait Gallery: Reopened December 1, 2011; Designed by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson and built in 1889, this historic Edinburgh museum was the world's first national portrait gallery. After a two-year, $27 million renovation, the first major refurbishment in the museum's 120 year history, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery will reopen to the public this winter with 60 per cent increased gallery space, including 17 new exhibitions and a dedicated photography gallery. An inspirational space in which to host events, the Portrait Gallery can play host to 120 guests for dinner in the beautiful Ramsay Room or 200 guests for a cocktail reception while surrounded by key figures of Scotland's history. Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa: Meeting space reopening January 2012; Blending cool, contemporary comfort and subtly Scottish materials with cutting-edge technology, this iconic urban oasis set in Edinburgh boasts brand new rooms perfect for both business and relaxation. Bright, spacious and inviting, the Sheraton features Bluetooth media hubs and luxurious glass-walled bathrooms. With inspiring views of the Edinburgh Castle, this hotel proves an ideal location in the heart of the history and spectacle of Edinburgh, while offering a range of conference and meeting spaces currently being refurbished for hosting meetings again in January 2012. Hotel Indigo: Opening early 2012; This soon-to-open boutique hotel offers individuality in each of the property's 60 bedrooms and junior suites. Set behind the Georgian fa ade of five original residential properties in the centre of Edinburgh, the Hotel Indigo combines historic interest with contemporary design. The hotel's Turquoise Thistle restaurant, bar and lounge, offers an intimate dining setting. The Glen Affric Estate: Opening April 2012; Set along 10,000 acres of land just 30 miles from Inverness, the high-end Glen Affric Estate, originally designed in Scottish baronial style, will open its Victorian hunting lodge doors to provide guests with a luxury "Highlands" experience, complete with deer stalking, whisky tasting, helicopter rides and meals cooked by teams of French chefs. The lodge, situated within a National Nature Reserve, will connect with two villas to provide sophisticated accommodations for visitors in collaboration with Eden Rock Estates. Assembly Rooms: Reopening Summer 2012; The Assembly Rooms of Edinburgh have served generations of residents as a vibrant community and cultural center, becoming a principal performing arts venue by 1843. A recent $12.5 million renovation project will transform the historic space into a modern city hub with the Ballroom, Music Hall, Crush Hall and East and West Drawing Rooms returning to their former glory, while the Supper Room returns to its original dining use as an elegant and bustling restaurant. Renovations also include comprehensive decorative overhaul, retaining and enhancing stunning features with the spaces receiving a complete M&E overhaul, substantial acoustic improvements, improved lighting, a permanent bar and fully flexible staging and seating capabilities. Caledonian Hilton Hotel: Opening Summer 2012; After a $32 million investment, this iconic Edinburgh hotel is set to join Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts portfolio. The landmark property will be known as The Caledonian, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The historic hotel opened itsdoors more than 100 years ago and has since gained an enviable reputation as one of the city's finest hotels. Situated in the heart of Edinburgh and close to the EICC, the 241 room property offers stunning views of Edinburgh Castle and its surroundings. Scottish Hydro Arena at the SECC: Opening in Spring 2013; Located in the heart of Glasgow, Scotland's cultural and commercial capital, the SECC is one of the UK's largest integrated venues, purpose-built to provide exhibition, conference and concert space. Recently recognized as M&IT's Best UK Conference Centre, the SECC boasts 240,627 square feet of flexible exhibition space. Spring 2013 will welcome the addition of the Scottish Hydro Arena, a global entertainment and sporting facility with a seating capacity of 12,000. The Hydro will augment the SECC's existing facilities and will host more than 140 events per year. With a projected one million visitors each year, The Hydro will be in the top five busiest indoor music arenas in the world, alongside such iconic venues as Madison Square Garden and The O2 arena. Edinburgh International Conference Centre: Expansion opens Spring 2013; The EICC provides a grand stage for many of Scotland's larger conferences, conventions, and exhibitions. Since opening in 1995, the venue has welcomed more than 900,000 delegates through its doors for 2,500 events. The centrally located venue is ideal for events of more than 300 delegates and offers a 1,200 tiered-seating auditorium along with flexible banquet, meeting and exhibition space. Currently, the EICC is undergoing a major $114 million expansion that will add new space and extend existing facilities, set to open in the spring of 2013. Renovations will include a 17,200 square feet multi-purpose hall, breakout rooms and delegate cafe. The unique hall will feature moving floor technology that can reconfigure from flat exhibition flooring into tiered banqueting, raked-style auditorium or arena setups. When complete, the EICC will boast a banqueting area that can cater up to 1,400 delegates and a 2,000 seat auditorium. Trump International Golf Links: Opening 2014; Construction has begun on the five-star Trump International Golf Links, Donald Trump's $1.35 billion golf resort in Aberdeenshire. The resort will comprise of two golf courses slated to open in July 2012, a 450-room 5-star hotel opening in 2014, a conference center, 36 golf villas, and 950 holiday homes to encompass every golf traveler's dream. "When I saw this piece of land I was overwhelmed by the imposing dunes and rugged Aberdeenshire coastline," said Donald Trump. " I have never seen such an unspoiled and dramatic sea side landscape and the location makes it perfect for our development." Other notable events and openings include Blairs Aberdeenshire, which has passed plans for a $154 million golf resort, including a hotel and conference center. The championship course will be designed by former open champion Paul Lawrie. The Aberdeen Airport will be building a longer runway at Aberdeen Airport, with an extension of nearly 1,000 feet which will be key to landing more flights from a wider range of destinations. Events: 2012 brings the "Year of Creative Scotland" as the country celebrates its cultural and creative vibrancy -- a prelude to Homecoming 2014, marking the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. In 2014, Scotland will also be home to the Commonwealth Games and coveted Ryder Cup. Returning to the birthplace of golf, the Ryder Cup will be held at The Gleneagles Hotel. In December 2011, The Gleneagles Hotel's own Andrew Fairlie became the first and only chef in Scotland to be awarded Grand Chef status by Relais & Chateaux. Fairlie opened his own hotel restaurant, specializing French-influenced cuisine, in May 2001. It has since been awarded two Michelin Stars. For those planning global meetings, Emirates Airlines' new twice-daily service to Glasgow is welcome news. Service will commence on June 1, 2012. In case you missed it, new openings from the past year: Park Inn by Radisson Hotel, Aberdeen: Opened 2011; With 185 bedrooms and eight modern meetings rooms, the newly built Park Inn was designed with the business traveler in mind. A glass-walled breakout area, meeting space that can accommodate up to 200 guests, the latest in meeting technology and a convenient location in the heart of Aberdeen make this property an ideal meeting venue. Stirling Castle Royal Palace: Reopened June 2011; Stirling Castle is one of the grandest of all Scottish castles, where Mary Queen of Scots was crowned in 1543. After a $16 million refurbishment of James V's Palace within the Castle, the Palace can now be reserved for pre-dinner drinks followed by dinner in the magnificent Great Hall for up to 300 guests. Events can also be staged in the Queen Anne Garden or Chapel Royal. The castle can even be rented on an exclusive basis for evening events, with a professional in-house costumed staff who play characters from the 16th-century court, making any corporate event memorable. National Museum of Scotland: Opened September 2011; This recently refurbished museum is a cultural flagship for Scotland, displaying 20,000 items across 36 galleries. Standing at over 32 feet tall, visitor favorite Millennium Clock Tower not only marks the passing of time but summarizes the "best and worst" of the twentieth century comprising of four sections with secrets to reveal: The Crypt, The Navy, The Belfry and The Spire. The Edinburgh establishment, which underwent a $62.4 million renovation, is the largest UK museum outside of London. It now features facilities for hosting special exhibitions, events, receptions, dinners and conferences. The museum offers a Grand Gallery that can accommodate up to 850 guests for dinner in a breathtaking setting, along with a 200-seat auditorium with break-out rooms available both day and evening. VisitScotland is Scotland's national tourism organization. Its core purpose is to maximize the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland. VisitScotland's Business Tourism Unit, drives meeting and incentive business and generates more than $800 million in revenue annually for the country. For information about business tourism, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions, go to www.conventionscotland.com/US. -courtesy of VisitScotland