Two holiday parks in Scotland have won prestigious awards with a top listings and review service.

Each scooped a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award which recognises businesses that earn consistently great reviews, and honour select accommodation, attractions and restaurants in the top 10% of listings that “consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence”.

The two Parkdean Resorts holiday parks in Scotland – Eyemouth and Nairn Lochloy – are celebrating along with others after the win.

Parkdean Resorts is a major UK holiday park operator, and 2024 marks the company’s best performance in the awards, with a total of 23 of its holiday parks receiving awards from the world’s largest travel guidance platform.

Barrie Robinson, operations director at Parkdean Resorts, said: “Winning the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award means everything to our teams, who do so much to help our guests make lasting memories with their families. Guest feedback is hugely important to us, so it’s great to be able to celebrate the outstanding reviews we have received from the people who visit our parks.”

Parkdean Resorts employs more than 8,000 people across the UK, and last year had more than three million holidaymakers stay at its 66 parks.

It said its “commitment to creating amazing experiences for its holidaymakers” has earned the company at least one British Travel Award every year since 2010, most recently winning three Gold Awards at the British Travel Awards - Best Company for UK Family Holidays, Best Company for UK Parks and Lodges Holidays, and Best Company for UK Short Breaks – the second straight year it had picked up all three awards.

The company also recorded excellent 2023 end-of-year feedback scores of 4.2/5 on Google, 4.5/5 on Facebook and 4.1/5 on Tripadvisor, while 85% of people who visited Parkdean Resorts would recommend the company.


Scottish football club raises $1m

 

A Scottish lowland league football team has smashed a summer fundraising target by raising $1 million with the help of investors across the world.

The owner of Caledonian Braves, a five-year-old football club from the fifth tier of the Scottish football pyramid, set out to attract investors from across the globe by presenting everyone who donated the chance to be an owner of the club. Anyone who donated $100 or more would become a part owner of the Caledonian Braves.


Heat pumps: myths, truths and costs: introducing our new series

 

A new Herald series is launched today.

A revolution in how we heat our homes in Scotland has started.  We are beginning to disconnect our homes from the gas that has warmed many of the country's buildings since the 1970s. 

Arriving in its place comes the heat pump and the heat network. The advent of these technologies has been slow, with only 6,000 heat pumps installed last year. But it is coming and is a particularly key element of how we in Scotland can reduce emissions and fight climate change.