Bosses at Gleneagles Hotel have announced their backing for Perth’s City of Culture campaign.
The five-star establishment is formally supporting the bid for the prestigious 2021 title, which could deliver a multi-million-pound boost to the local economy.
It is the latest big name business after Stagecoach and SSE to officially endorse the council-led push.
Managing director Bernard Murphy said: “Perth has been bringing forward a number of ambitious measures to place culture at the heart of the economy.
“When Gleneagles first opened in 1924, it was described as a ‘Riviera in the Highlands’ and the City of Culture bid echoes our efforts to position ourselves as a destination for culture and pursuits, as well as lifestyle.”
He said his company commended the recently-announced investment in Perth City Hall and plans to redevelop Perth Art Gallery and Museum, which he described as “one of the region’s most culturally significant spaces”.
Mr Murphy added: “Perth has a rich culture and heritage and we believe it has much to offer the 4.6 million potential visitors to the area. With a successful bid for City of Culture, visitors will be able to look forward to a wide-ranging cultural programme of events throughout Perthshire.”
Gleaneagles is preparing to host the European Championships in 2018 and the 2019 Solheim Cup.
Council boss Ian Miller, who chairs the Perth 2021 programme board, said: “The Gleneagles Hotel is one of the most iconic and globally recognised names in the world and we are thrilled to have their support in Perth’s bid for UK City of Culture 2021.”
He said the hotel and the council had a “great track record of collaborating to stage large-scale events” such as the 2014 Ryder Cup which brought about £22 million to the local economy.
Mr Miller said: “The rich cultural programme of events throughout, and leading up to 2021, joined with the national attention that comes with the City of Culture title has the potential to change the face of Perth and Kinross and grow our local creative sectors for the long term.
“We are pleased to have Gleneagles behind our bid for City of Culture 2021 and I look forward to any opportunities to discuss how we can cooperate on the bid.”
