Visitors to Benefit from Bus Tours 31/03/10

Organsied bus tours exploring Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire will be on offer to visitors for the first time this week as Whytes Coaches launch their new service ‘Explorer Scotland' on Thursday (1 April 2010). With promotional support from VisitScotland, Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels Association and Aberdeen city Council the service will provide visitors to Aberdeen the chance to get out and about in the region.

 Departing from Aberdeen's Broad Street, Scotland Explorer will run regular scheduled day trips throughout the north east as well as an Aberdeen City Tour, and longer day trips to Loch Ness and Pitlochry. Passengers will also have the opportunity to explore Scotland through a selection of non-regular daytrips and tours.

 Scotland Explorer's Managing Director, Steven Whyte, commented: "The north east is a beautiful area, rich in architecture, scenery, history and culture. However, visitors to Aberdeen have not had the opportunity to experience Aberdeen City and Shire through regular organised excursions in the past and it is my hope that this service will act as a bridge between the excellent accommodation facilities of the city and the scenery and attractions of the wider area. We will also offer excursions further afield - whether it's a day trip to the Edinburgh Tattoo or a five day tour of the isles, Scotland Explorer will create bespoke tours to suit visitors' requests."

 Day trips will include: Royal Deeside & Crathes Castle, Pitmedden Gardens & Fyvie Castle, North East Coastal Fishing Towns, Food & Drink of the North East, Fettercairn & South Aberdeenshire Coast, Loch Ness and Deeside & Pitlochry.

 VisitScotland's Regional Director Ken Massie said: "This is a fantastic service which will give visitors to Aberdeen City and Shire the chance to sit back in comfort and admire the region's fabulous scenery, then get out and enjoy our wide-range of visitor attractions, before being driven further afield if they wish, to explore the rest of Scotland. I'd like to congratulate Scotland Explorer on the launch of these tours and wish them every success with the venture."

 Director of Skene House Hotel Suites, Peter Medley, who is also Chair of the project group behind the new service, added: "The north east has been crying out for a service of this kind, which ‘joins the dots' between the attractions of Aberdeen and those of the surrounding countryside, thus giving visitors a flavour of both. It is an excellent time to be launching such a bus tour service as we head into the summer, and I wish Scotland Explorer all the very best for a busy first season. This is a great step forward in promoting Aberdeen and the surrounding area as a wonderful destination for leisure tourists, and will hopefully encourage conference delegates to extend their stay visiting the region."