Today’s splash about a number of events in the city this weekend. Andrea Bocelli, Duran Duran, Skipinnish, Texas and the National Whisky Festival are set to take place over the next few days.

I will be reviewing Skipinnish tomorrow but am looking forward to seeing Big Country in support at Bught Park which bizarrely is the venue that I first saw Skipinnish three years ago.

Hopefully I will post an update tomorrow or at least over the weekend.

‘Concerts bring them, we’ll give them a reason to return’ 

INVERNESS is bracing itself for an influx of thousands of visitors this weekend with a number of high-profile events set to take place in the city. 

Hotel bookings are looking positive and cafés, restaurants and bars are ready to cater for everyone’s needs. 

Proceedings kick off tonight when Italian operatic tenor Andrea Bocelli takes to the stage at the Caledonian Stadium. 

He will be followed tomorrow night by Duran Duran at the same venue while across the city Skipinnish will be playing under a big top at Bught Park – earlier that day visitors are expected to pack out Eden Court for the National Whisky Festival. 

And to round things off, Scottish favourites Texas will be entertaining the Bught Park crowd on Sunday. 

Tony Story, the managing director of Patio Hotels which owns Kingsmills and Ness Bank hotels in the city, said they were pretty much fully booked this weekend. 

He added: “We are running at between 96 and 97 per cent for this month.” 

He felt that attracting such high-profile events was good for Inverness but he said it was a pity they were not placed “outwith the height of the tourist season”. 

However, he added: “When you get names like Andrea Bocelli, you have got to go with what they say they will do.” 

He believes anything that puts Inverness and the Highlands on the map is good. 

“The fact that somebody like Andrea Bocelli is coming to Inverness is a really great thing for the city,” he added. 

Mr Story said that both his hotels had fully booked pre-concert events for a total of 300 people, adding: “That’s an extra spend, that is for sure.” 

Norman MacDonald, who runs Café 1 in Castle Street, was also expecting to be busy this weekend. 

“We are open and it’s booked out,” he said. “It’s looking good. It’s been a good spell and visitors are back.” 

He said that what had helped this year was the weather, adding: “The real change is we have had events and we’ve had good weather with them – Jubilee weekend couldn’t have been better and hopefully it will be good this weekend.” 

He said that the concert-goers might not normally have a reason to visit Inverness and the events were positive for the area.

 “Andrea Botchelli and Duran Duran might be the reason they come but we will give them a reason to come back,” he added. 

Inverness-based economist Tony Mackay also felt that the events were certainly good news for the local tourism industry and the local economy. 

He added: “I walked past the European Pipe Band Championships in Bught Park last Saturday and there were large numbers of visitors and participants there. The publicity given to such events must help boost future visitor numbers. 

“I regularly speak with local hoteliers and restaurant owners, and it is clear that business for them is not yet back to normal. In particular, overseas visitor numbers are still much lower than they were pre-pandemic. 

“Successful events such as the whisky festival and pipe band championships must lead to bigger visitor numbers in 2023.” 

A spokesman for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said: “After a difficult few years, it is brilliant to see local businesses predict a busy weekend. 

“Inverness has so much to offer visitors, and I’m certain that people that come to the city to attend an event will return time and again. 

“We would urge tourists to use local and independent businesses as much as possible, not just to maximise the economic impact of their stay but also so that they can get a real taste of what Inverness and the surrounding area has to offer.”

From  The Inverness Courier on Friday, July, 2022.