Battle lines drawn over Bannockburn row

**ThistleDown** · 11th February 14, 08:05 PM

I know those lads, Jock! If they made it down to Stirling for the day it's the beer tent that would make the only profit. I'd be surprised if they reached layby 87 in the Drumochter on their way home at the end of it before they were out calling hughie down the ditch. But their point should be passed on to the media (and maybe the pollis in case they change their minds).

**MizzouScotsman** · 11th February 14, 09:55 PM

I, for one, will be there. I will be visiting the Clan Donald tent as well as hanging around a bit at the COSCA tent (when they found out I was going to be there, they have tried to put me to work..lol).

I really don't care if there are a handful of people there. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to visit Scotland and I plan to make the most of it...come hell or high water.

**Phil** · 12th February 14, 01:43 AM

Originally Posted by ThistleDown

Its mandate is to get people from other lands to visit Scotland. It spends its budget abroad fulfilling that role. It doesn't have much money left to toss about encouraging folk from Peterhead and Loanhead to visit Stirling for a day away. It's in The Netherlands and New Zealand and Australia and Canada and America convincing people to come with full sporrans for two weeks and more.

It's not doing a great job then if this quote from the article is true - "MSPs have already been warned the event is unlikely to attract the 17,000 US visitors who came to Scotland for the 2009 Gathering in Edinburgh. That was the flagship of the Year of Homecoming five years ago, but it lost more than £500,000 and the organising firm went bust".
It does go on to say, however, that there is no question of it being cancelled.

Here is another article to add a little more to the story - http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/ar...dget-1-3302922 .

**AcuteEnigma** · 12th February 14, 10:06 AM

Do people in Scotland hang out online anywhere so we can let them know about Bannockburn Live?

Why is everyone against selling tickets at the Armed Forces Day event? One little tent....if they only sold 100 tickets, that's 100 tickets more than if they didn't go. I don't get it.

**piperdown** · 12th February 14, 10:20 AM

Rex,

Dave/ Anna, Margo and I will be there with the band for the Stirling events. Are you available for a hookup?

**Macman** · 12th February 14, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by piperdown

Rex,

Dave/ Anna, Margo and I will be there with the band for the Stirling events. Are you available for a hookup?

I think we're a good example of the people travelling to Scotland for this event. It started with our pipe band looking for a place to go for a "field trip" and deciding that Stirling in 2014 was a good place to go. Some band members are going just for the week. Rob and I and other members of the band are taking our wives/husbands and staying on for extra time travelling around Scotland (and hopefully spend some pounds

). We also look forward to seeing any X-Markers who are going.

**cessna152towser** · 12th February 14, 12:07 PM

I think we're a good example of the people travelling to Scotland for this event.

Excellent.
It will be great to see you and Anna again, also to meet with Piperdown and Margo.

**creagdhubh** · 12th February 14, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by Macman

I think we're a good example of the people travelling to Scotland for this event. It started with our pipe band looking for a place to go for a "field trip" and deciding that Stirling in 2014 was a good place to go. Some band members are going just for the week. Rob and I and other members of the band are taking our wives/husbands and staying on for extra time travelling around Scotland (and hopefully spend some pounds

). We also look forward to seeing any X-Markers who are going.

Make sure you try to get up to Moy, David.

**piperdown** · 12th February 14, 03:52 PM

We'll be just down the road in Nairn for a few days so that is a distinct possibility.

**ThistleDown** · 12th February 14, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by Phil

It's not doing a great job then if this quote from the article is true - "MSPs have already been warned the event is unlikely to attract the 17,000 US visitors who came to Scotland for the 2009 Gathering in Edinburgh. That was the flagship of the Year of Homecoming five years ago, but it lost more than £500,000 and the organising firm went bust".
It does go on to say, however, that there is no question of it being cancelled.

Here is another article to add a little more to the story - http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/ar...dget-1-3302922 .

But, Phil, that's exactly what I was talking about. The trait of negativity is wildly obvious in both Scotsman articles and nobody is writing the other side of it. What is said in these two articles is that the NTS is a charity that tried to be an entrepreneur and was encouraged to go back to its original mission statement; Stirling Council hired a consultant to propose a branding plan which she did but Council decided it would cost too much money to implement it; she has quit she was terminated she was asked to stay as a volunteer but The Scotsman isn't telling anybody whether she said yes or no; VisitScotland has just now taken over from NTS and is not informing anybody about anything; the 2009 Gathering lost money for the failed company that had no experience in event-planning and spent money it didn't have like water; and things keep on changing for example the three-day event is now a two-day and a one-day event.

Oh, and 'somebody' has warned MSPs that 17000 Americans won't show up this time like they did last time so people from around the world shouldn't come and then later we will be able to say the event was, as predicted, another failure. But its not going to be cancelled, mind you. Ho hum.

I think the Edinburgh Festival Fringe should be cancelled, instead, because some of the venues are half empty and there are just too many people in Edinburgh at the height of tourist season in August and many of the performances are amateurish and a bit, well, fringey and nobody tells us anything so we're not going.