FAQ's - your questions answered

Where is Southern Scotland?

Exactly! For a lot of people, Southern Scotland disappears after Gretna and then suddenly re-emerges around Edinburgh or Glasgow. We’ve heard a range of questions and statements about Southern Scotland including:

• I thought Dumfries and Galloway were separate counties.
• Is there really a county called the Borders?
• I thought it was just a generic, historical term to describe Southern Scotland and Northern England.
• Do you still need a passport to get into Scotland?
• The Southern Upland Way – what is that?
  
• There is not much to see in Southern Scotland.

Is Visitsouthernscotland.co.uk not just another tourism website?

Visitsouthernscotland.co.uk has never just been about a website! Based on an awareness that Southern Scotland, although the most accessible region, has yet to see the visitor numbers recorded in other parts of Scotland the portal was set up to promote all tourism related businesses; to give everyone a simple way forward of opening up Southern Scotland, in order to market their products to the rest of the world.

Is Visitsouthernscotland.co.uk not like every other portal - just out to make a quick buck ?

We cover our costs which mean there are charges, yet we also value our work and above all pursue absolute customer satisfaction.

Visitsouthernscotland.co.uk is a commercial business, but we work with community councils, voluntary organisations and local services to collate a useful body of information on the website … and we don’t charge them a penny! In fact, you’re welcome to send us any information you like about Southern Scotland and we’ll find a place for it on our website!

If you’re also a commercial business, then we charge you to advertise on our portal. Our charges are based on actual experience in the hospitality industry and what is considered to be a reasonable price to promote your business on the internet. We are very aware that many businesses have been burnt by internet marketing scams, but we are genuine people in a genuine business offering a genuine service to get you bookings.

Why doesn’t everyone just build their own website?

Because websites are expensive, they’re awkward to maintain, they need computers which need looking after and they require lots of effort (at least initially)

Because people, particularly with regard to internet research, don’t want to spend hours searching individual sites. They want lots of information, under one umbrella, that’s clear, accurate and easy to access

Because by utilising sites such as Visitsouthernscotland.co.uk, everybody saves money and we project manage either part, or all or your internet marketing

Because individual websites will always have a smaller budget than bigger portals. We can put the bells and whistles on our site and make them available to everyone

Every measure has also been put in place to make Visitsouthernscotland.co.uk a secure site, so all data, booking information and payment details are protected

Who are you to take on the job of promoting Southern Scotland?

We’re just admirers of Southern Scotland, wanting to combine the necessity and opportunity of promoting Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Borders and Ayshire & Arran. We live in the area, we like it here and want to encourage a greater number of visitors to build a sustainable future for the region.