This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Welcoming the world
13/05/2005
Striking new images of contemporary Scotland will
welcome visitors arriving at all Scottish airports this
summer as part of a new campaign launched today.
First Minister Jack McConnell and Finance Minister Tom
McCabe unveiled the adverts at Edinburgh Airport.
They use images created by five of Scotland's top
photographers and highlight the excellent quality of life
on offer in Scotland's cities and countryside, as a place
to work or study in or to do business with.
The campaign is launched as part of Executive's response
to Eric Milligan's Review of First Impressions of Scotland,
which looked at the welcome people arriving in Scotland
receive.
The Executive's Action Plan details the work already
underway to ensure all visitors to Scotland are warmly
welcomed and identifies further activity required.
Mr McConnell said:
"When I launched our drive to raise Scotland's
international profile last year I said we had a choice. We
could wallow in our past glories, or we could speak to the
world about our great future.
"And that is what we have been doing, telling the world
that Scotland has the people, the culture and the education
and enterprise to compete with the best.
"This year is an important time for Scotland. In two
months time the eyes of the world will be on us as the G8
summit meets in Perthshire. And we want to make sure that
all visitors to Scotland get the best possible welcome when
they arrive in the best small country in the world."
Mr McCabe added:
"Scotland already has a reputation as a warm and
welcoming nation but we all know that first impressions are
vital and we must ensure visitors feel as welcome as
possible.
"In conjunction with BAA Scotland and other airport
operators we have secured key sites throughout Scottish
airports which will mean that these exciting images will be
seen by millions of visitors arriving in Scotland. The
adverts will ensure that these visitors, arriving from all
over the world, see immediately some of what Scotland
offers."
"Ensuring visitors get a positive first impression of
Scotland is the responsibility of all Scots. But Ministers
are committed to taking the lead and ensuring we raise our
game to compete with the very best in the world."
The adverts will appear at key sites in airports in
Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Dundee from
next month, with a special G8 version at Prestwick Airport
for four weeks. The images give a taste of some of
Scotland's highlights including walking in Glencoe,
research facilities in Dundee, mountaineering near Fort
William and a graduation ceremony at St Andrews University
and incorporate images of the Scottish saltire.
Around 7.5 million people pass through Edinburgh Airport
every year and just under 3 million people will pass the
sites being used at Edinburgh Airport.
The five photographers commissioned to provide their
perspective on modern Scotland are Paul Dodds, Gerry
McCann, Euan Myles, Tina Norris and Robert Pogson. The
images they have produced are being incorporated in a range
of marketing and promotional material to promote
Scotland.
Biogs
PAUL DODDS
Paul Dodds began his career as a press photographer
in his home town of Newcastle, where he worked for local
morning, evening and Sunday newspapers. He moved to
Scotland in 1995 to become Picture Editor of The Scotsman
before joining The Daily Record as East Coast Picture
Editor. In 1998 he decided to become a freelance
photographer. Working mainly in Scotland he has covered
subjects as varied as fashion, food, features sport and
news for both magazines and newspapers. He has illustrated
3 food books and now works extensively in the corporate
sector for companies like the Royal Bank of Scotland,
ScottishPower, Glenfiddich, and VisitScotland.
GERRY McCANN
Gerry McCann is one of Scotland's leading
photo-journalists. He has covered major political and
social events, conflicts, and the harrowing effects of
human catastrophe in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Romania,
Nepal, Gazza, West Bank, The Phillipines,
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Spain. Powerful and often
thought-provoking his images have appeared in publications
as diverse as The Herald, The Times, The Independent on
Sunday, The Economist, Japan Today and Der Spiegel. Gerry's
work has also appeared in books, educational publications
and on the web. With a passionate interest in contemporary
issues, Gerry is keen to collaborate with groups and
individuals to help use his visual skills in the interests
of social justice.
EUAN MYLES
Euan Myles was brought up in Nottingham but by virtue
of having a Scottish father he spent many childhood
holidays north of the border. After completing a
photography course in Newcastle in 1990 the lure of the
Scottish landscape beckoned. So he moved to Edinburgh.
Since then his career has flourished and he is now one of
Scotland's top advertising photographers winning national
and international awards for Irn-Bru, Black Bottle and
Tennents. He has exhibited extensively in Edinburgh and
London. Euan is a keen fisherman. When it's not the moment
he's trying to capture, it's probably a rainbow trout.
TINA NORRIS
Tina Norris moved from London to a staff
photographer's job at the Edinburgh Evening News 10 years
ago. For the past 7 years Tina has been freelance,
concentrating primarily on documentary photography. Her
recent projects include ten days' whitefish trawling in the
North Sea and work with European sculptors on Skye and at
the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. Tina has travelled widely
in Asia and India and one of her recent commissions, which
focused on education in Indonesia for the British Council,
was exhibited at the World Trade Centre in Jakarta. Tina
also undertakes press and public relations work, as well as
picture editing for the Sunday Herald.
ROBERT POGSON
Robert Pogson moved to Edinburgh in 1985 shortly
after finishing art college in Somerset. He spent 7 years
working as an Illustrator before deciding to pursue his
first love, photography. Following an exhibition in London
Robert got himself an agent and a shoot in the States for
Saatchi & Saatchi. He never looked back. Combining a
mixture of advertising and editorial work Robert has shot
for clients as diverse as the Royal Bank of Scotland, BMW,
Remy Martin and The Brazilian Tourist Board. Robert lives
in Alyth, Perthshire. Which is more or less the
geographical centre of Scotland: the perfect location for
photographing the country.