Rising Road Tours Press Releases

Press Releases

For immediate release to all Travel Editors June 21, 2008
Contact information: Dr. Samuel Couch 888-648-8893 or sam@risingroadtours.com
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Homecoming Scotland 2009

An entire nation celebrates Robert Burns’s 250th anniversary and invites the public to drop in.

For centuries the beauty of Scotland has been an inspiration to natives and visitors alike. The rugged mountains, awe-inspiring lochs, deep firths, and grand vistas have given rise to writers of every stripe, and they in turn have offered the world a host of beloved characters. Think Sir James Barrie (Peter Pan), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), A. A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh), Sir Walter Scott (Ivanhoe), Robert Louis Stevenson (Long John Silver).

The most Scottish of them all, Robert Burns rose from humble origins as a farmer’s son to become not only Scotland’s greatest poet but an ambassador for the nation’s cultural heritage. He wrote of all things Scots, and at age 25, when the first edition of his poems was published, he achieved international renown. By the time of his death 12 years later, he was recognized by many as the voice of his nation.

January 25, 2009 marks the 250th anniversary of Burns’s birth, and the entire nation is going all out to honor him. “Homecoming Scotland 2009” is a year-long celebration of Burns and all things Scots: golf, whisky, great inventors and philosophers, and a cultural heritage that has influenced creative souls around the world. Homecoming Scotland will include numerous inspirational events and festivals throughout the country.

Among them is The Gathering 2009, sure to be of interest to any visitor who loves Clan lore. On July 25 and 26, 2009, the city of Edinburgh will present one of the largest clan gatherings in history. Holyrood Park will be the site of a magnificent Highland Games, followed by a parade up the historic Royal Mile and a spectacular Clan Pageant (www.clangathering.org).

Canton, NC-based Rising Road Tours (www.risingroadtours.com) has been named an official SCOTSmaster by the Scottish Tourism Board and is working with businesses and individuals during 2008 to promote Homecoming Scotland 2009. Owner Samuel Couch, a former professor of Irish Studies and lover of all things Celtic, specializes in creating escorted tours to meet a group’s particular desires for travel dates, accommodation types (golf, honeymoon, adventure, castles, great houses, hotels, B&Bs), and visits to sites of your choosing.

One of his itineraries includes the Shetland and Orkney Islands, beginning in Glasgow, then visiting sites of ancient historical significance throughout the Outer Hebrides, and ending in Edinburgh. For golfers he offers a specialty tour of links and courses in Ireland and Scotland, both of which countries claim to have invented the game. Travelers play such courses as Doonbeg, Lahinch, and Old Tom Morris in the Irish Republic and Royal Portrush, and Portstewart in Northern Ireland. Then the group moves to East Neuk, Scotland to play the world-renowned courses in and around St. Andrews.

Couch says, “We’re not ‘selling’ Scotland; we’re inviting people to come join our year of celebration.” Both he and colleague Fiona Dudley, owner of Weaversites (www.weaversites.com), a Weaverville, NC-based web site company, will be active at this summer’s Highland Games in Grandfather Mountain, near Blowing Rock, NC (July 10-13; www.gmhg.org). “We want to help other businesses with connections to Scotland,” says Couch. “The Grandfather Mountain organization will have information about Scotland for businesses to distribute to attendees at the Games, but more than that they’ll provide access to the official logo and imagery to help brand Scotland 09 itineraries with the Homecoming Scotland theme.” (http://www.homecomingscotland.com) The Gathering 2009 will also be represented at the Grandfather Mountain Games.

2009 will be the Year of Burns in Scotland, but it will also be a time for travelers to celebrate and honor all things Scottish. For more information about travel opportunities to Scotland and Ireland, visit www.risingroadtours.com or contact Sam Couch at 888-648-8893 or sam@risingroadtours.com. For more information about the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, please visit www.gmhg.org.

For immediate release to all Business Editors June 21, 2008
Contact information: Dr. Samuel Couch 888-648-8893 or sam@risingroadtours.com
Download Word document

Homecoming Scotland 2009

Canton-based Rising Road Tours to be the official representative of Scottish Tourism at the Grandfather Mountain games.

No one should ever need an excuse to visit Scotland, home of golf, fine whisky, and the beloved poet Robert Burns. For anyone who does, “Homecoming Scotland 2009” will fill the bill. To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Burns’s birth next January, the island nation will pay tribute to its native son with a year-long series of inspirational events and festivals.

Sam Couch, owner of Rising Road Tours in Canton, NC, is one of a select group of tour operators and travel agents to earn the prestigious title of SCOTSmaster from the Scottish Tourist Board. Throughout the coming year he will help promote Homecoming Scotland 2009, providing tourism information along with special travel and marketing opportunities.

Couch will have a very visible presence at the 2008 Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain (www.gmhg.org ), where he is offering to support other businesses that want to participate in Homecoming Scotland 2009. Couch says, “We will provide an updated Highland Games Kit featuring Homecoming Scotland branding and imagery. There will also be Homecoming Scotland information and vacation planners to help people get ready for the 2009 celebrations.”

One of those celebrations will be The Gathering 2009. In conjunction with Homecoming Scotland, the city of Edinburgh will present one of the largest clan gatherings in history on July 25 and 26, 2009. Holyrood Park will be the site of a magnificent Highland Games, followed by a parade up the historic Royal Mile and a spectacular Clan Pageant. The Gathering 2009 (www.clangathering.org) will also be represented at the Grandfather Mountain Games.

Many of the early settlers in Western North Carolina and the southern Appalachians were Scots immigrants, and their heritage has created deep and broad ties to Scotland among the region’s residents. Each year the Highland Games near Blowing Rock are attended by tens of thousands of Scotland-loving visitors. “This is a wonderful region for businesses to reach customers who have an interest in Scotland,” says Couch. “We want to help business owners promote their preferred Scotland travel products, especially those that feature Homecoming Scotland 2009 events. As a SCOTSmaster, we can provide access to the official Homecoming Scotland logo and imagery to help a business brand its Scotland ’09 itineraries with the Homecoming Scotland theme.”

The most Scottish of them all, Robert Burns rose from humble origins as a farmer’s son to become not only Scotland’s greatest poet but an ambassador for the nation’s cultural heritage. He wrote about all things Scots, and at age 25, when the first edition of his poems was published, he achieved international renown. By the time of his death 12 years later, he was recognized by many as the voice of his nation. It seems appropriate, then, that all of Scotland will celebrate his 250th birthday.

For more information about business opportunities for Scotland Homecoming 2009, visit www.homecomingscotland.com. For information about creating your dream vacation to Scotland, visit www.risingroadtours.com or contact owner Sam Couch at 888-648-8893 or sam@risingroadtours.com. For the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, please visit www.gmhg.org; for the Clan events and the Edinburgh games, visit www.clangathering.org.

Rising Road Tours
828-648-8893 (Tel) ~ 888-648-8893 (Toll-free) ~ 828-648-8895 (Fax)
sam@risingroadtours.com

28 Newfound Street, Canton, North Carolina 28716 USA