Being Scottish is still seen as major selling point for businesses looking to dip their toe in the export market in Canada and the United States, according to an industry leader.

Frazer Coupland, chief executive of Lochaber Chamber of Commerce, said homegrown firms had access to "incredible" opportunities in North America.

The chamber organises trade missions to Orange County, California and Nova Scotia, Canada and is encouraging more Scots firms to take part in next year's trips.

Mr Coupland said, last year a traditional Scottish food producer returned with an order worth tens of thousands.

The trade trips are a Scottish Government-backed initiative which aims to encourage smaller companies to consider exporting to grow their businesses.

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The Nova Scotia mission will take place in March 2024 and will visit Halifax and other key locations in the maritime province with opportunities in a range of sectors, including retail, food and drink, ocean technologies, cultural heritage and arts, agriculture and offshore wind.

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The Orange County trip, in February, will focus on the Irvine area of Southern California which is a global hub for innovation and technology that covers a wide range of industries, including medical, energy, fibre, communications, cyber security, and advanced manufacturing.

 "I'll be very honest, we like doing business in North America because they like Scottish people," says Frazer Coupland, chief executive of the chamber.

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"Being Scottish in America and Canada, it's pretty easy," he said.

"We went to Nova Scotia on a trade mission in October and the amount of business opportunities was incredible.

"It's aimed at businesses that are new to the exporting market.

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"We took a food company that got an order worth tens of thousands as soon as we came back," he added.

"They did very well. We had a couple of drinks companies that also did really well."

He said the scheme was open to businesses from across Scotland but said firms from the Highlands tended to be particularly well received.

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He said: "I do think the Highlands does have that wee bit of culture and story and history behind it which that market really likes.

"There was a lot of interest in the fact we were Scottish and it was a Highland Chamber that was doing it. I think that would be fair to say."

"They were actually quite deep in what they were looking for," he added.

"They were wanting a Scottish product but wanting the story behind it.

"We obviously also had tech firms there who were selling based on their technical prowess rather than their culture and histories."

The US continues to be Scotland’s top export destination, with exports accounting for 17% of the country’s total international exports in 2019.  Scottish exports to the US have an estimated value of £6bn to the country’s economy.

Mr Coupland said the type of products that do well in the US and Canadian markets are "pretty much what you would expect". The United States remains the biggest national market for whisky.

He said Aberdeenshire-based House of Elrick Artisan Gin is going on the trip and "will do very well".

"They did very well in Canada and they are now coming to Orange County," he said.

"It's a great experience and is supported by the Scottish Government. Having the chamber network and getting business to business meeting, it's as a safe a toe in the export market as we can offer.

"The businesses get face-to-face meetings but they also get to talk with marketing and legal teams and taxation in the country so they know what they need to actually do to get their goods into the country.

"Most companies will see a return on their investment," he said.

He said one company that works in the tech industry is now in the process of taking over a firm in Nova Scotia.         

"Any hospitality business would do well. In Orange County the tech sector and medical science sector is quite big."

He said the renewable energy industry was also huge in Nova Scotia and the chamber was looking at trading opportunities for Kishorn Port in Strathcarron.

The trade missions are open to all Scottish businesses, regardless of size or sector and owners do not need to be members of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce to participate.

There is a participation fee of £350 per trade mission which covers the cost of organising and delivering the mission, including market briefings, networking events, and one-to-one business meetings.