A NEW partnership has been formed seeking to link up Scotland's countryside and farm holiday destinations with its locally produced food.

Scottish Agritourism, Quality Meat Scotland and VisitScotland are spearheading the new Go Rural campaign, with the aim of capitalising on the the rising staycation market.

A recent report identified that 56% of travellers are seeking out more rural experiences when planning a holiday. Go Rural wants to encourage this emerging demographic to visit Scottish farms and crofts for day trips, holidays or to buy food and drink, while raising their awareness of Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb.

Over the summer months, the brands will be featured in a series of online and print features across The Times, Sunday Times Travel Guide and the Scottish Sun, achieving a claimed reach of more than than 1.3 million.

Building on the knowledge that consumers are questioning their food choices and production methods, this activity expands on QMS’ ‘Make It Field Cred’ campaign to further deepen understanding around what buying Scotch really means.

QMS director of marketing and communications, Lesley Cameron, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with VisitScotland and Scottish Agritourism on this campaign which promotes field to fork at its finest.

“The activity will allow visitors to learn where their food comes from and further their appreciation about the fantastic countryside and farms we have in Scotland.

“We are looking forward to reaching consumers with recipe inspiration, hints and tips, encouraging them to buy and enjoy red meat as part of their Scottish Agritourism experience.”

Sector lead at Scottish Agritourism, Caroline Millar, added: “Around 80% of our agritourism members produce Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb and we are seeing an increase in demand for being able to enjoy tasty meat on a BBQ as part of a farm visit, taking part in unique field to fork dining experiences or having a full stocked fridge with local produce as part of a holiday. Working with QMS and VisitScotland on this campaign will help to support many hundreds of agritourism businesses across Scotland to drive sales as well as raising the profile of the Go Rural brand as a trusted source when booking an agritourism experience.”

VisitScotland’s director of marketing and digital, Vicki Miller, said: “Agritourism is a fantastic way to enjoy the best of rural Scotland and has become a growing trend in recent years. Working with QMS and Scottish Agritourism, the campaign will build on this by encouraging visitors to seek out local produce to further immerse themselves in the destination.

“VisitScotland is focused on the recovery of the industry, building a destination and visitor experience which allows tourism and events to flourish now and in the future. We’ll continue to work with, and support, businesses to ensure we rebuild this vital part of Scotland’s economy,” she concluded.