The owners of one of Scotland's most famous tourist destinations have appointed a new management team to run the site after more than four decades under family control.
The long lease agreement with York-based leisure group Continuum Attractions has paved the way for a £1.5 million refurbishment of the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition near Inverness, which is due to reopen in the spring. The upgraded will focus on telling the "globally-renowned story behind the legend of Loch Ness" and its iconic resident, Nessie.
The exhibition was first founded in May 1980 by outgoing managing director Ronnie Bremner and designer Tony Hamsworth. The following winter it formed a "life-long" partnership with the Loch Ness Project, led by naturalist Adrian Shine, with the project's laboratory and research centre located at the centre.
“As a family we have been in control of the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition for over 40 years and my brother David and I felt the time was right for us to hand over the reins to Continuum to develop the new and improved offering which will allow visitors to experience the history of the Loch Ness Monster by exploring Scotland’s geological past and folklore like never before," Mr Bremner said.
“This is an exciting time for the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition. Retaining the authenticity of the attraction was always our priority and we know we’re in safe hands working with the award-winning team at Continuum, who have outstanding capability in authentic storytelling and creating an exceptional visitor experience, with a focus on tourism operators; while retaining the family's ownership of this historic site."
Set up in 1984 with the opening of the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, privately-owned Continuum has a portfolio of eight owned and managed visitor attractions throughout the UK. The company has been operating in Scotland since 2003 when it launched the Real Mary King's Close tour on behalf of Edinburgh City Council.
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“Continuum tells the real stories in real places about real people," chief executive Juliana Delaney said. "The search for Nessie encapsulates all three.
"Having had tremendous success with the award-winning Real Mary King’s Close on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, I was keen to seek out another great Scottish story to tell.
"We found it on Loch Ness. This is a magical place - it could be our Jurassic Park, and if a monster hasn’t been found here yet, this is the place in which it will be discovered!"
Continuum said its investment in a new five-star attraction will enhance the appeal of the destination, which will now be known simply as the Loch Ness Centre, and its year-round activities and attractions.
“We look forward to introducing our tourism trade partners to Loch Ness Centre following our refresh in Spring 2023, ahead of the summer season," Continuum sales manager Mark SMith said. "We’ll continue to create the best possible packages allowing guests to explore this iconic destination.”
Michael Golding, chief executive at Visit Inverness Loch Ness, added: “As we focus on Scotland’s Year of Stories, it seems appropriate that it will be told through a new world-class visitor experience.
"We are delighted to welcome Continuum Attractions to the destination and are working with them to ensure the story and experience are authentically local for our 1.6 million visitors annually. The destination continues to attract significant investment and collectively this ensures the area remains a must-visit destination in any visit to Scotland.”
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