Our original programs

For each request, we create a tailor-made programme that meets all aspects of the brief. The addition or creation of new experiences always make the project unique.

Escape program

Summary of the brief:
A company would like to show their appreciation to the 20 winners of an internal challenge. The participants must experience something totally out of the ordinary. The trip should be a unique experience that none of them could have had on their own. The participants should experience strong emotions.

DAY 1: Arrival in Glasgow - Discovery of the Trossachs area - Glamping

Guests land at Glasgow Airport and are greeted by five Land Rover Defenders. Head to the heights of Loch Lomond for an off-road driving session then lunch in a marquee with a stunning view of the loch. A meeting with a ranger and a master falconer will allow you to learn more about the natural park and the hunting techniques of the past.
The 4x4s then take the group back down to the lakeside where a seaplane will be waiting for an unforgettable flight over the area. A water landing reveals a camp set up for the group, with two-person sleeping tents and a marquee for dinner and breakfast. The change of scene is total, and comfort is guaranteed with high quality equipment and adapted sleeping arrangements. Fishing rods and berry-picking will provide dinner, and two survival-activity experts will help the group light a fire. The evening will end with a whisky-tasting under the stars.

DAY 2: Discover Glencoe - Private Cottage

In the early morning, after a campfire breakfast, three speed boats will be waiting for the group at the end of the pier. This is followed by two hours of thrills, and a surprise stop on an island where six Highlanders will come to simulate an attack. The programme continues in the fabulous Glencoe Valley. Lunch consists of a tasting of local seafood. The group is then picked up by hiking guides for an unforgettable trek and bike ride along waterfalls and scenery which will take their breath away. We take advantage of being in the area to meet a local beer brewer with whom we create our own beer for the occasion. A few bottles will be sent to us after our stay.
The group then moves to a cottage that has been reserved for their exclusive use. The view over the lake is superb and the place offers comforts worthy of a big hotel. Two craftsmen come for the occasion and offer a workshop on local handicrafts. A kilt-maker is also present to talk about his craft and the history of the kilt and tartan in Scotland. Some of the participants will simply prefer to relax in the jacuzzi in the garden.
A barbecue is served in the evening and a local band will come to lead the group into the night with traditional music.

DAY 3: Discover the Highlands region - Private Cottage

For the bravest, the morning will start with a canoe trip on the loch. This is the best way to reconnect with the fauna and flora.
All participants then set off for the Highlands. On the banks of the River Tummel ghillies (local fishing wardens) take over and teach the guests fly-fishing on one of the country's most popular salmon rivers. A clay-pigeon shooting experience is also offered. The winners of this challenge will be presented with a title deed at the evening meal. Before returning to the cottage, a stop at one of Scotland's oldest distilleries permits the discovery of the art of distillation.
At the cottage, three chefs will be waiting for the guests, to supervise the evening master class activity. Participants will be invited to revisit three great classics of Scottish cuisine for themselves.
At the end of the meal, a performance of "Beat the retreat" will take place in the cottage gardens.

DAY 4 : Departure from Edinburgh Airport

Sober-carbone programme and learning expeditions
(Combined London Edinburgh)

Summary of the brief:
A company seeks to reposition its business around an eco-responsible and solidarity-based approach. Since the United Kingdom offers an innovative vision in this area, the management wishes to organise a seminar for all 40 employees that should prove to be both inspiring and, of course, sober in carbon.

DAY 1: London - Discover the Kings Cross area

The group arrives in the heart of London, in the vibrant Kings Cross area. With luggage delivered directly to the hotel, the participants have the opportunity to discover this new-generation district through its urbanism and architecture. The nearby British Museum provides the occasion for an enriching visit before walking to the hotel. An aperitif in the form of an after-work drink is organised in one of the trendy restaurants in the district. There you will find a green wall and a map of locally-sourced products. Startupers who have developed companies in London with high environmental and societal value will speak on the theme of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in the United Kingdom and interact with the participants.

DAY 2: Train to the Scottish Borders - Discovery of the Scottish Borders

From the Kings Cross area, the group will take the train for a 3½ hour trip along the British coast. Breakfast is served on board followed by some tastings of local produce. The group will leave the train at Berwick Upon Tweed, greeted by the sound of bagpipes. Who better than Jack, a lobster fisherman, to welcome our guests to a seafood lunch? Jack has developed a responsible way of fishing for lobster. He shares his experience with passion and character.
The route continues along the River Tweed and past many of the abbeys that mark Scotland's history. The group then stops at the Lochcarron tartan factory, which has been making tartan since 1892. The meeting with the teams will highlight the heritage and know-how that has been handed down from generation to generation to preserve the quality and authenticity of the brand. The issues of sustainable development in the textile industry will also be thoroughly discussed.
The group will set down their suitcases in a Victorian hotel in Peebles. A recently-opened gin school will allow everyone to have a go at distillation.

DAY 3: Edinburgh Green City

The group enters Glentress Forest, that we might call the lungs of the region. The participants will meet the ranger who manages the natural park. A Bushcraft experience aimed at reconnecting with nature will be laid on, led by two specialists in survival in hostile environments. The experience ends with a reforestation activity designed to offset the carbon footprint left by travelling by coach.
The group arrives in Edinburgh and settles into a hotel in the city centre, which will enable them to follow the rest of the programme on foot or by electric taxi. After lunch in a Slow Food certified restaurant, the group is offered a team-building experience conceived by the Inspired by Scotland team. The 'CSR Challenge' experience was designed to enable discovery of the city of Edinburgh under the theme of Solidarity and Responsibility. Equipped with a roadbook, each team will follow an itinerary that leads the participants to meet associations and companies that have developed an activity centred on these subjects. The meetings will provide the opportunity for the exchange of ideas, and each group is expected to develop an innovative and responsible concept linked to the company's activity. The participants will all regroup in the premises of a community organisation in Edinburgh.
The evening will be centred around the Scottish Festival©, which brings together a number of food producers from the region. In various booths, guests are offered the opportunity to taste salmon, haggis, homemade beer and whisky. A Celtic music group will come to enliven the evening.

DAY 4: Company meeting and departure

The last morning is devoted to a visit to a company active in the energy sector. Contacts will have been established several months previously, with Inspired by Scotland following the exact specifications of the client. The focus of the meeting is on the optimisation of energy resources in building renovation. After a warm welcome on the company's premises, the participants will be able to visit the production workshops and talk at length, with the help of interpreters.

Conference program - inspirational seminar

Summary of the brief:
A company invites its 150 members for its annual general meeting. As every year, the three-day stay is mainly composed of meetings. One important point is that the client does not want the participants to be confined to the hotel. The budget for the operation this year has been severely cut due to a year marked by a crisis in the sector. The objective is to rebuild the network around a participatory project that unites.
Scotland was selected for the time around March. The image evoked by the country corresponds to the business project, and the local partners offer particularly attractive prices, helping the budgetary aspect at this time.

DAY 1: Arrival in Edinburgh

The group flies to Edinburgh on a chartered flight. Three red double-decker buses await the participants for a tour of the little-known parts of Edinburgh. The buses make several stops, which include tastings, meetings and visits. The participants are installed in a hotel in the city centre of Edinburgh, so that the rest of the programme can be carried out on foot.
The first evening is held in a pub booked exclusively for the group, with a concert by a local rock band is laid on for the occasion. The classics of British music will be performed for the delectation of the participants.

DAY 2: General Assembly in an iconic building in the city

This building was constructed in 1858 to house the new theological school of the Free Church of Scotland. The auditorium which hosts the group's meeting was also the venue for the Scottish Parliament's debates between 1999 and 2004.
In order to provide food for thought for the participants, a series of local speakers are invited. The relationships developed by Inspired by Scotland provide valuable contacts. A round-table discussion with representatives from the industry sector will provide insight into the UK market. A French-speaking political blogger based in Edinburgh, accompanied by a French-speaking member of the Scottish Parliament, will share insights into the Scottish politics.
Dinner on the second night is at a restaurant specializing in Fish & Chips. Providing Fish & Chips for a group of 150 simultaneously is a service very few restaurants are able to deliver.

DAY 3: Sub-commissions in original locations and team-building activity

The group will be divided into sub-groups in order to hold workshops. The locations should be inspiring and linked to the destination. Participants go to a kilt-making workshop, an old church, a cellar in the catacombs of Edinburgh, a hall in Edinburgh Castle, etc.
At the end of the morning, the group transfers to an exclusively-booked residence located 40 minutes from the city centre. This splendid neo-classical style property is actually a castle built in 1800 to which the Earl of the period added a pink marble palace. Lunch served as a buffet permits the guests to make the most of the different spaces. Over coffee, participants will attend a falconry demonstration.
The afternoon will then be devoted to a series of indoor and outdoor team-building activities. Guests will be given the opportunity to take part in traditional Highland games in the gardens, a game of Cluedo in the different rooms of the castle, as well as a simulated auction, inspired by the numerous works of art in the property.
On returning to their rooms, the participants will have the surprise of finding their attire for the evening: kilts for the men (full dress) and a sash for the ladies (tartan stole). As the gala dinner venue is located five minutes' walk from the hotel, guests will be guided by the sound of the bagpipes with five bagpipers who will lead the group. Dinner will be served in the former Edinburgh Advocates' Library, an exceptional place which will remain engraved in the memory of the participants for a long time. The evening will end with an introduction to traditional Scottish dances (a Ceilidh).

DAY 4: Departure

The last morning will give the group the opportunity to visit Edinburgh Castle exclusively, before heading to Edinburgh Airport.

Our experiences

At Inspired by Scotland we believe that the impact of an event is in its personalization. We have chosen to create our own immersive experiences tailored to the client's expectations and the characteristics of our destination. These experiences give a unique aspect to the programme and allow the discovery of what we like to call True Scotland. Here are a few examples.

Team building: Scottish food challenge

Summary of the objectives:
The programme is a seminar for a major international caterer. Weary of traditional events, the client wants an experience specific to the destination, and experience that encourages challenge and encounters.

Expérience:
The Scottish Food Challenge is a team-building activity suitable for groups of 10 to 300 people. Divided into groups of 8 to 10, the participants are given a roadbook and set off to explore the city in order to meet passionate craftsmen and women. Each stop provides a challenge or a question and gives rise to a tasting. The meeting with a local allows the sharing of information on the culinary specificities of Scotland. The 3-hour activity can be done in a half-day, or can include a lunch with an option offering more copious tastings. It is also possible to include a gift for the participants during the stops.

Example of stops:

  • Meeting with a Haggis producer
  • Meeting with a fisherman
  • Meeting with a salmon farmer
  • Meeting with a Master Blender of whisky
  • Meeting with a Fudge manufacturer
  • Meeting with a chocolate maker
  • Meeting with a cheese maker

Immersive activity: Scottish heritage

Summary of objectives:
The programme is an incentive for a steering committee of 20 people. The client has chosen Scotland for its authenticity and history. The stay must offer experiences that the participants would not be able to have by themselves.

Experience:
The Scottish Heritage experience will be in a kilt-making workshop in Edinburgh's Old Town. This two-hour meeting allows a total immersion in Scottish history and culture. Participants will trace the great and rich history of Scotland through the key dates of the emergence of the bagpipes, the kilt and tartan.
The experience is spread over three stages:

  • 1/ Bagpipe history and initiation

    The group meets one of the last bagpipe makers in Edinburgh. A visit to his workshop allows the group to assess the precision and expertise required in this craft. The bagpipe, an instrument with a military vocation, leads us to retrace the great hours of Scotland in its quest for independence. At the end, an opportunity is offered to volunteers to try to get a sound from this very special instrument.

  • 2/ History of the kilt and tartan

    It is the kiltmaker himself who welcomes participants into his workshop. He will outline the history of the kilt and tartan with a demonstration of how the kilt was originally worn in the Scottish Highlands. As the founder of Edinburgh's first handcrafted kilt-making school, this enthusiast will also give a contemporary vision of this iconic garment, which remains more than ever an important aspect of Scottish identity.
    This meeting could also be arranged as the occasion for taking measurements of the participants for their kilt for the last evening.

  • 3/ Whisky tasting

    During each part of this experience, a whisky tasting can be offered. An expert will offer a selection of rare whiskies.

Team building : Harry Potter

Summary of objectives:
The programme is an incentive for a group of 50 young salespeople. The whole programme must be focused on motivation, challenges and team-spirit.

Experience:
Edinburgh was a great inspiration for JK Rowling, the famous author of Harry Potter. The team-building activity divides the participants into different houses: the famous "Gryffindor", "Slytherin", "Hufflepuff", and "Ravenclaw", each given a distinctive motif on a scarf or cape. The groups will work their way through the old town of Edinburgh, following live instructions from Teacher Dumbledore, who will lead them through a series of challenges:

  • Collecting plants for making a potion
  • Grave reading
  • Using your magic wand
  • The history of magic in the National Museum of Scotland
  • A surprise challenge at the Elephant House, the café where JK Rolling is said to have written the first volume of the saga
The activity concludes with a big Quidditch match in the park near the University of Edinburgh. This sport, straight out of the novel, is taken very seriously in Edinburgh. Under the guidance of players from the University of Edinburgh team, participants will run holding their brooms between their legs, striving to catch the famous 'Golden Snitch'.

Immersive activity / Dinner / Team building: Scottish festival

Summary of objectives:
The programme is a conference for a group of 150 people in the construction industry. The client wants an alternative to the traditional gala dinners, with an original and lively evening highlighting the unique characteristics of Scotland.

Experience:
The Scottish Festival© is a project born from the DNA of Inspired by Scotland. Inspired by our public events, the idea is to bring together under one roof the "best of Scotland".
Organised in a place with ample accommodation (an old church, a farm, a castle, a gala venue), Inspired by Scotland makes use of its contacts with local producers, who will be invited to set up stands to present their products. They will include, for example, a salmon farmer, a haggis producer, a pie maker, a cheese maker, a distiller, a brewer of craft beers, a gin maker, etc.
Maintaining an informal atmosphere, long tables and barrels are set up in the heart of the location. Participants are encouraged to meet the producers by picking up their own tasting plates. A more classic formula with waiters / plates can also be offered as an option.
Participants will be invited to come onto the stage for an introduction to Scottish dances (Ceilidh), pipers and other musical groups.
The Scottish Festival© is also offered as a half-day activity or as a team-building activity with an experience such as meeting a kilt maker, an initiation to bagpipes, a traditional dance competition, or whisky tasting.

Immersive activity: Gastronomic tour

Summary of objectives:
The programme is an incentive intended to reward 30 chefs from around the world. The client wishes to highlight the diversity and quality of products in Scotland.

Experience:
Departing from Edinburgh, the group heads for New Haven Harbour, where a boat is waiting. The group launches out first into the North Sea, then turns back to the coast of Fife. Fife is known as the "larder" of Scotland. It is an agricultural coastal region in which we find the beautiful town of St Andrews.
With two 17-seater minibuses, the group will set off to meet food producers from the region. The various stops will take the participants to a salmon smokehouse, a lobster fisherman, a cheese producer, a beef farmer, a whisky distillery and a gin distillery, etc.
Both half-day and full day formats include meetings with food producers, site visits, and extensive tastings that will form the group's lunch.
The return journey to Edinburgh can be made by train, which will offer magnificent views of the coast, as well as the Forth Bridge, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Immersive activity / Dinner activity: Murder mystery

Summary of objectives:
The programme is an incentive for 40 people in the Highlands region. The client wishes to provide their participants with memorable experiences that only Scotland can offer.

Experience:
Participants arrive at a haunted castle, exclusively reserved for their dinner. The location is impressive, and the guests take a moment to get a photo of themselves with their kilts. A room opens and something seems to make the drinking glasses shake. A crime scene is revealed to the participants. At the same time, five actors have slipped into the group among the guests, and a master of ceremonies (a police officer) comes to announce this.
Participants are invited to sit at the table. Round tables of ten people to form five teams.
The police officer presents the facts and briefly questions the five suspects, allowing them to introduce themselves. Between each course (starter/main course/ dessert) the suspects move from table to table to be questioned. Depending on the location, it is also possible to set up the interrogation rooms in different areas of the house. Between the two interrogations, the police officer adds a few clues to the case. The evening ends with the identification of the murderer by each group.
This activity is also possible on a half-day format, with afternoon tea, for example.

Our public events

We also wish to share our passion for Scotland with the local population, and for this reason we also create public events. We organise an annual Scottish Beer Festival, a Scottish Culture Festival, meetings with local craftsmen and triathlons, all in the most beautiful parts of Scotland.

Craft Beer Experience

Our "Craft Beer Experience" festival was our first public event. Launched in 2016, we wanted to promote the variety of Scottish brewers, their passion, hard work and creativity. We favour local independent brewers in order to allow them to promote their beers to a local audience, but also to potential buyers, thanks to the session dedicated to professionals.
We also wanted to take advantage of this event to showcase Scotland in general. So, we now offer street food stands promoting 100% local Scottish products and therefore benefitting the local economy. We also surround ourselves with artists from Edinburgh for the entertainment: music, tastings etc.
Creativity too has an important place, since during the festival we organise a contest enabling brewers to compete with each other using a particular recipe while respecting a number of specific criteria. We call this project "ReplicAle", and it is now an important part of our festival.
In addition, we offer more exclusive packages for our corporate clients: a chance to meet with the organisers before the general opening, and introductions to the different brewers and craftsmen. We also guarantee privacy for our VIP clients.

Scottish festival

Inaugurated on the occasion of the 2018 Six-Nations Tournament, the Scottish Festival brings together the best of Scotland in a prestigious venue in the centre of Edinburgh. It is a unique opportunity to meet producers of salmon, whisky, Scottish cheese and beer brewers, all in a traditional atmosphere, punctuated by initiations to Scottish dances and the sound of bagpipes. We also export this festival throughout Scotland for various private events.

Triathlon

We organise two triathlons annually, each one offering at least two different distances, in order to promote a true notion of sharing, family and leisure.
The first one, The Duke Triathlon, is located in the Trossachs Nature Reserve, an hour and a half from Edinburgh or Glasgow. The main objective of this event is to promote this sport. The event is made possible by the accessibility of the area and its most exceptional setting. Let yourself be guided by the bagpiper before plunging into a Scottish loch and taking part in one of Scotland's finest triathlons.
The second one, The Beltie Triathlon, is located in a less known but equally beautiful area: Dumfries, an hour's drive south of Glasgow. Aimed at more experienced triathletes, this more intimate race offers unique views of the area and an unforgettable local atmosphere.
We regularly welcome company groups during these two triathlons, to encourage team spirit, sharing and going beyond what you thought you were capable of.
We now also offer to local and international companies the creation of private sports events.

Beer & Food Pairing

We regularly organise meetings with local brewers and artisans. We favour atypical places such as a brewery or a workshop. Sharing and meeting are really essential during these events.
We are usually accompanied by two partners: often a brewer and a local producer (perhaps cheese or charcuterie). The main objective is to give the artisans the opportunity to share their passion, their knowledge, and then to create a real moment of tasting and learning.
We also offer this creation for private events or corporate groups.