Nestled in the heart of Scotland, Breadalbane is a popular destination which spans across Highland Perthshire, Loch Tay and Stirling.

1. Breadalbane Tourism Co-operative
Nestled in the heart of Scotland, Breadalbane is a popular destination
which spans across Highland Perthshire, Loch Tay and Stirling. To
maximise all the area has to offer, 10 businesses came together to form
the Breadalbane Tourism Co-operative in 2012. With a remit to deliver
real benefits to members and tourists alike, this consortium has now
grown to 16 members and is reaping the rewards of working together.

2. Co-operative Development Scotland is the arm of Scottish
Enterprise working in partnership with Highlands and
Islands Enterprise that supports company growth through
collaborative and employee ownership business models.
For more information or advice, email info@cdscotland.co.uk
or call us on 0141 951 3055. Follow us on Twitter @cdscotland
Co-operative
Development Scotland
27 Causeyside Street
Paisley PA1 1UL
www.cdscotland.co.uk
Scottish Enterprise
Atrium Court
50 Waterloo Street
Glasgow G2 6HQ
www.scottish-enterprise.com
Ken Chew, chairman of Breadalbane Tourism Co-operative
SE/4241/Mar15
www.breadalbane.org
MAIN BUSINESS
Tourism
NUMBER OF
MEMBERS
16
“Collaborating has allowed members to improve their businesses
and helped advance Breadalbane as a visitor destination.”
COLLABORATING FOR SUCCESS
The consortium has enjoyed a number of
successes since its formation, including winning
a regional Scottish Thistle Award, known as the
Oscars of the Scottish tourism industry. Another
highlight of its achievements is the outdoor
activity project – Rings of Breadalbane. It was
established to promote local walking, road
cycling and trail biking routes and includes a
mini bus service which has run every summer
since 2012, opening up the area to tourists
and local residents. Another fruitful initiative,
the Breadalbane Tourism Co-operative Expo,
brought together around 35 businesses
to showcase their products and discuss
commercial opportunities for the area.
GETTING THERE
The original Breadalbane Group was formed
as part of Scottish Enterprise’s Planning to
Succeed initiative. When the programme
was coming to an end the members decided
they wanted to maintain a formal ongoing
structure, with a written constitution and
shared bank account. They met with an adviser
from Co-operative Development Scotland who
guided them through the process of forming a
consortium co-operative which would include
the development of a constitution.
CONSORTIUM MEMBERS
Members include owners of accommodation
(hotels, self-catering, hostels and campsites),
food and beverage outlets, a coach operator,
shops, activity operators and visitor attractions.
The group meets formally and informally
throughout the year.
WHY WORK TOGETHER
The members wanted to collaborate and
innovate by sharing information, knowledge
and ideas. They not only wanted to boost their
own individual businesses but also to improve
Breadalbane as a visitor destination. To increase
awareness of the area, a stand-alone brand
was established and a number of Breadalbane-
themed products were launched.
BUSINESS BENEFITS
With a total of 2,350 passengers using the
Explorer mini bus service in 2014, members
located on the route have access to many new
potential customers. A visible presence on
breadalbane.org, the online hub for the group,
has helped to increase awareness of members
while promotional advertising has been
beneficial in driving footfall. Ongoing support
offered by Business Gateway is invaluable,
with members receiving training in key areas
including digital marketing to help them
succeed in bringing the Breadalbane experience
to more people in Scotland and beyond.