A Deeside library has teamed up with a national tourism organisation to ensure visitors can easily find out about the region’s top beauty spots and attractions.
Banchory library will now stock information on everything from Dickens to Dunnottar, and Rankin to Royal Deeside after joining forces with VisitScotland.
As of Wednesdayapril1, the town’s library and VisitScotland information centre will merge together, and be accessed from the Scott Skinner Square entrance.
The move means that visitors can not only find out about the best places to visit in Aberdeenshire, but also get advice and information from library staff.
It follows a similar arrangement set up in Braemar last month, with a library point being set up in the village’s information centre – replacing the mobile library and given residents full-time access to borrowing services.
John Harding, Aberdeenshire Council’s head of lifelong learning and leisure, said: “We have already had very positive feedback regarding the collaboration between the library service and VisitScotland in Braemar, and we are looking forward to seeing a similar service promote Banchory as a tourist destination, with plenty for visitors to see and do in the area.
“Scott Skinner Square is one of the town’s focal points and with current proposals underway to regenerate it, this new partnership should entice many more to visit and see exactly what, in the words of the famous musician himself, ‘Bonnie Banchory’ has to offer.”
Philip Smith, regional director at VisitScotland, said it was important to take a “collaborative approach” to promoting tourism, and said work would continue to ensure visitors’ demands and expectations are met.
He added: “We are absolutely delighted to be part of these collaborations with the library services at Banchory and Braemar and we hope in inspire visitors and residents alike with both the fictional and factual information on offer.”
Visitors will be able to access information from Banchory library from 10am-7pm Monday-Wednesday, 10am-2.30pm on Thursdays, and 10am-3pm on Saturdays between April and October.
The visitor information centre in Braemar, which as The Mews, Mar Road, is open from 9.30am-4.30pm daily, but will stay open until 5pm from May 18.