A new visitor levy is on the way for Stirling, and if you run accommodation or work in tourism, the details are worth getting straight now. We’re joined by Jillian Schofield, Service Manager for Culture, Events and Tourism at Stirling Council, to explain what the Stirling Visitor Levy is, why it’s being introduced, and how it will work in practice for guests and providers.

We talk through the headline numbers in plain English: a 3% levy added on top of the accommodation rate only (not food or other extras), collected by accommodation providers and remitted through a collection platform. Jillian also sets Stirling’s plan in the wider visitor levy Scotland picture, with Edinburgh going first, Glasgow following, and other councils preparing their own schemes. Most importantly, we clarify the timeline: Stirling launches on 14 June 2027, applying to bookings made after 1 January 2027 for stays on or after that June date.

From there, we dig into what the levy is meant to fund. The proposed investment priorities include infrastructure (the biggest share), destination marketing and product development, events and culture, a Community Tourism Fund, and practical business support. We also discuss why representation matters, and how a Visitor Levy Advisory Forum is being formed to reflect Stirling city and the wider rural area, from hospitality and accommodation to heritage, attractions, and events.

If you want more updates, keep an eye on Stirling Council’s visitor levy information online, and send questions to visitorlevy@stirling.gov.uk. Subscribe, share, and leave a review, then tell us what should be the top priority for visitor levy spending in Stirling?

A tour bus full of strangers can feel awkward, until everyone realises they already share the same songs. We sit down with Fiona Boland, director at Scotland Folk Tours, to unpack a fresh kind of Scottish tourism where live folk music is not an add-on but the thread that ties the whole journey together. Fiona shares her own path from guiding in Paris to building tours across Scotland, and why she still thinks of herself first as a tour guide even while running a company.

We get into how Scotland Folk Tours actually works: a small team of directors, a strong operations backbone, and a distinctive B2B model where working musicians from the US and Canada bring groups of fans to Scotland. That shared connection changes everything, from group dynamics to the pace of travel. Fiona explains the “triple meaning” of folk: the people you meet, the stories you collect, and the music that sets the tone. We also talk through what makes their itineraries different, including private concerts with respected Scottish traditional artists in unforgettable venues.

The conversation turns local, too. We explore why Stirling deserves more than a quick castle visit, how it works brilliantly as a base for the Central Belt, and what destination marketing needs to do to shift mindsets. Finally, we look at film and TV tourism, from Outlander to castle-based reality shows, and how a single screen moment can nudge someone to book a trip. If you care about Scottish travel, cultural tourism, folk music, or building experience-led businesses, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Scotland, and leave us a review with the one place you think visitors should stop rushing past.