VisitScotland is excited to announce the inaugural Angus Outdoor Adventure Winter Festival, kicking off tomorrow, Friday, 8 November, and running until Sunday, 17 November. This new winter event aims to entice visitors to explore the great outdoors, expanding the traditional visitor season in the region.

Organized by the Angus Tourism Cooperative and supported by Visit Angus, the festival showcases a variety of outdoor activities that the area has to offer during the colder months. Visitors can look forward to exhilarating hiking trails, mountain biking, fly fishing, and refreshing pond dips, making the most of Angus’s stunning winter landscape.

This festival aligns with Scotland’s national sustainable tourism strategy, which focuses on encouraging a regional and seasonal spread of visitors to ensure tourism benefits are felt throughout the year. By promoting off-season travel, VisitScotland hopes to inspire more people to consider winter trips, moving beyond the summer peak.

Recent research from the UK Residents Holiday Sentiment Tracker indicates a strong desire among potential travelers to connect with nature this winter, with one in ten planning adventure activities. Angus’s captivating outdoors already draw many visitors, as highlighted by the Scotland Visitor Survey, which shows that 71% of tourists come for the scenery, while nearly a third engage in outdoor activities.

Last year, off-season tourism in Scotland generated an impressive £2.5 billion, with approximately 7.6 million visits recorded between January to March and October to December. The Angus Outdoor Adventure Winter Festival aims to add to this success, offering both locals and visitors a compelling reason to experience the region’s natural beauty in a unique winter setting.

Supported by the Angus Rural Partnership and funded through the Scottish Government’s Rural Community-Led Local Development Fund for 2024-2025, the festival highlights the commitment to enhancing rural tourism and fostering community-led initiatives across Scotland.

Caroline Warburton, Destination Development Director at VisitScotland, said: “With its stunning landscapes and rich natural and built heritage it’s no wonder that activities in Angus’s great outdoors are an important part of the experience for visitors.

“The Angus Outdoor Adventure Winter Festival is a fantastic creative way of capitalising on their popularity and inspiring visitors to explore the region during the traditionally quieter months.

“Encouraging seasonal spread and helping tourism and events to extend the season are a key part of our work to make Scotland a must-visit, must-return year-round destination. It is events like these which support our national goals and support the region’s valuable visitor economy.”

Norma Lyall, Development Worker for Angus Tourism Cooperative, said: “We are delighted to enable this first pilot festival to come together. We have been amazed at the creativity of members to host events outdoors in November, it shows that there is much to explore, take part in and discover. Working together with Angus Alive, Angus Cycle Hub and Visit Angus has shown the benefits of co-creative projects, and we look forward to building on our festivals next year.”

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