Edinburgh- one of the top ten conference destinations in the world.
Edinburgh, the well designed capital city of Scotland was rated as one of the top ten conference destinations by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). With the global recession hitting almost all sectors of business, cost plays an important role in deciding the meeting venues and Edinburgh has been rated as a destination that provides the best value for money. Edinburgh has always been considered as one of the most popular business destinations in the world and the fact that this beautiful city could retain this title even in the current economic scenario is something that is laudable. This review is expected to give an important edge to this city in this competitive world
The cost comparison survey was conducted by staging an association meeting attended by over 1500 delegates with associated exhibition space, catering, wireless connectivity, accommodation and dinner. In Edinburgh, the whole event cost was £624,558 , which was £25,000 less then Brussels, which was the nearest competitor. Glasgow, with a cost of £705,052 was placed third in the Visit Britain review. Edinburgh is currently 28th in the ICCA rankings. Some of the other cities in the review included Paris, Vienna, Barcelona, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York and Geneva .
In the past month itself, Edinburgh bagged confirmed orders for 23 new events, which would bring thousands of delegates into the city and pump £5.1million into the local economy and in the current financial year Edinburgh has won conferences worth £51.2 million, which is a notable achievement indeed.
Scotland’s first gold mine – beneath the snow-capped peaks
Its a glittering prospect that’s lying beneath the snow-capped peaks of Ben Chuirn. The southern slopes of this mountain is now engaged in mining activities after gold was discovered. Talk about exploring a gold mine!
The villages are high in their aspirations as Scotland’s first gold-mine is to begin production in 2011. The mine is to produce some 20,000 ounces of gold will be mined annually, representing revenues of $22 million (£13 million), along with $1.2 million-worth of silver. Each tonne of the best rock is likely to yield up to 10 grams of high-grade gold, worth around £200, enough for a very large wedding ring.
Ever since the British Geological Survey found evidence of gold in the Western Highlands in the 1960s, there has been talk of commercial extraction in the mountains around the village of Tyndrum. Tyndrum a popular tourist village, is on the West Highland Way, and has a campsite, hotel, bunkhouse and bed and breakfasts to accommodate walkers. With Glasgow, Stirling, Oban and Fort William as its nearest cities, tourists and visitors are sure to be attracted to the spectacular scenery and the tranquil way of life here.
It was in 2007, that Scotgold bought the mine. The company had estimated that it needed a price of around $650 per ounce to have a viable business, but with the recession pushing the price to $1,113 it now has the prospect of reaping untold riches. With the village on its side, Scotgold expects approval from Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Planning Authority by early summer.
It’s always great to find a treasure but when you find a gold mine well… everything follows.