Visit Scotland | Alba
Article published 25/01/2024

Applications are now open for the second phase of a project to create Detailed Access Guides for accommodation providers, attractions, and restaurants across three regions of Scotland.

We’re working with AccessAble again to deliver the guides, having completed the first phase in autumn last year. AccessAble is an accessible guide specialist. The project delivered over 100 new access guides for tourism businesses located across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh & the Lothians, Fife, Dundee and Angus, and the South of Scotland. 

The second phase is open to accommodations, attractions and restaurants in:

  • The Highlands
  • Perthshire
  • Loch Lomond, Trossachs, Stirling and Forth Valley

Successful applicants will have their business audited by one of AccessAble’s qualified access surveyors to create the Detailed Access Guides.

These guides will be hosted on the AccessAble website and mobile app – which is used by over six million people each year. The guides will also feature on the businesses' visitscotland.com web listing.

The deadline for noting your interest is 1 February 2024

Go to details of how to apply.

In this article:

Project aims and objectives

Our aim is to connect accessible businesses with disabled customers. We do this by supporting the development of access guides and creating inspiring and trusted content. This is in direct response to requests from disabled people for quality access information.

The project will also provide each participating business with a digital access guide for use on their own channels. This way, disabled people will have access to the information they need in advance, when planning to visit a venue or book a holiday.

We’ll be producing editorial content for our consumer website, visitscotland.com. This content will highlight a selection of venues with facilities and services for people with a range of access needs. These include:

  • hearing and sight loss
  • limited mobility and wheelchair users
  • neurology conditions (dementia or autism)

Partnership with AccessAble

We’re working again with AccessAble. Its social mission is to help disabled people live their life to the full and access all their community has to offer by providing detailed accessibility information.

It provides essential detailed accessibility information for venues across the UK and Ireland. It hosts more than 70,000 Detailed Access Guides. These cover a wide range of businesses including hotels, attractions, and restaurants on its website.

AccessAble has a team of experienced access surveyors. They conduct either in-person or remote access venue surveys. The information collated is then gathered and formatted into a standardised access guide for each venue.

The access information collected is quality-checked by a qualified access surveyor. The guide link is then added to AccessAble’s consumer website and mobile app which is accessed by more than six million users across the UK.

For more information go to the AccessAble website.

Project entry criteria

The project is open to accommodation, visitor attractions and restaurant venues in:

  • Highlands
  • Loch Lomond, Trossachs, Stirling and Forth Valley
  • Perthshire

Accommodation providers

You must meet these criteria before we can consider your business for this project:

  1. 1

    Level access

    Your main entrance (or an alternative entrance) has level access without steps or raised thresholds. Level access includes access by ramp (permanent or temporary) or lift.

  2. 2

    Accessible rooms

    You have at least one bedroom classified or promoted as wheelchair accessible or adapted for wheelchair users.

Attractions and restaurants

  1. 1

    Level access

    Your main entrance (or an alternative entrance) has level access without steps or raised thresholds. Level access includes access by ramp (permanent or temporary) or lift.

  2. 2

    Accessible toilet

    You have a public toilet that is adapted / designated for use by disabled people.

    Or you actively list your venue as "wheelchair accessible", "adapted for wheelchair users", or "having disabled access".

  3. 3

    Accessible facilities

    You have services or facilities for visitors with hearing or sight impairment. Or your venue is demantia or autism friendly.

    For example, you may offer a quiet space or have a scheduled quiet hour or your front-line staff are given dementia or autism awareness training.

Valued-added benefits

A Detailed Access Guide lets users know what access features and services are available at your venue. This is important to 95% of disabled people who try to find access information in the planning phase of a day visit overnight trip.

We will add your access guide link to your visitscotland.com business web listing (if you have one). We also encourage you to add the link to your own website for potential customers to access and view. You will also receive an access development sheet giving you tips on how to improve your venue’s accessibility.

Note your interest

Does your business meet the project entry criteria? Then you can submit a note of interest to inclusivetourism@visitscotland.com.

Please type "accessible tourism highlights" in the subject line and send us:

  1. your business name
  2. a contact telephone number
  3. a note of which region your business is located (Highlands; Loch Lomond, Trossachs, Stirling and Forth Valley; or Perthshire)
  4. your business website address

Please note there is a tight cap on the number of businesses we can include in each region. So, we will be accepting notes of interest on a first come, first served basis and are looking for venues with the best fit against our criteria.

The closing date for noting your interest is Thursday 1 February. Once we receive your note of interest, we will be in touch to discuss the project and next steps in more detail.

Send your note of interest to: inclusivetourism@visitscotland.com.

Did you know?

Inclusive tourism is an incredibly valuable market for Scotland. It covers a wide range of people. From those with hearing loss, mental or visual impairments, and wheelchair users. To senior travellers and families with young children

  • 95% of disabled people try to find disabled access information about somewhere before visiting for the first time.

    (Euan's guide survey 2017)

  • 20% of Scottish residents have a long-term activity limiting health condition or disability.

    (2011 census)

  • 306,000 UK residents with an impairment did not take a domestic holiday in 2019. They cited the lack of trusted accessible holiday information as the main barrier to them travelling.

    (VisitBritain resarch 2019)

Further information

Phase one of the project was completed in 2023. It saw more than 125 access guides created for venues across:

  • Aberdeen & Aberdeen
  • Dundee & Angus
  • Edinburgh and Lothians
  • Fife
  • Glasgow
  • South of Scotland

Participating businesses had a detailed digital accessibility guide produced for their business. This was published onto the AccessAble website and shared with the six million users.

We used the accessibility data that was collected to create inspiring editorial content for our consumer site, visitscotland.com. This highlighted businesses with facilities and services for visitors with access requirements.

Phase two will focus on creating guides for a selection of accommodation, attractions and restaurants across three new regions:

  • Highlands
  • Loch Lomond, Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley
  • Perthshire

Related links

Responsible tourism

Find information on responsible tourism in Scotland, and how you can make your business more sustainable.