Community takeover sparks visitor boost
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A HUB for visitors to the Speyside area has reported its best summer season since it was taken over by the local community.
From Easter weekend to the end of September, a total of 6376 people walked through the doors of Speyside Visitor Centre in Aberlour. That was up 13.4 per cent on last year, with a third of those coming from overseas.
Previously operated by the local authority, the centre was taken over by Aberlour Community Association and opened its doors for the first community-run season in 2014.
That year it attracted 3932 guests, with numbers increasing to 5034 in 2015, 5445 in 2016 and 5622 in 2017.
Numbers for the last two years surpassed figures from the five years leading up to the community take-over.
This year, the visitors to the centre came from 52 countries, with Americans topping the list. They came from 154 towns across 42 states. Visitors from nine of Canada's provinces were welcomed, as were those from Australia's six states.
For the first time, the centre attracted guests from Angola, Barbados, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Estonia, Fiji, Latvia, Mongolia, the Maldives, Tenerife and Venezuela. In line with previous years, numbers peaked in the first half of August, with 395 guests visiting in the week beginning August 4.
Welcoming visitors was a team of around 18 local volunteers, who provided information on a range of attractions, shops, eateries, transport options and accommodation providers. Heritage items are also on display.
An increase in those interested in family history was noted in 2018, while a strong start to the season was attributed to both the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival and a Memory Day.
Over the last year, Aberlour Community Association has invested £25,000 in the facility and adjoining community-run tearooms. That includes CCTV after the building – once the village railway station – fell victim to vandalism.
