Despite losses at Pictavia averaging around £18,500 a year since it opened 10 years ago, Angus Council maintains the Pictish heritage centre at Brechin is “a four-star attraction.”
But the council acknowledges the centre could do better, and councillors will be asked to back a further spend of £50,000 on various works aimed at increasing visitor numbers.
According to the council, last year the centre attracted 4598 paying visitors giving an income of £13,900 against an operational cost of £27,594.
The worst loss of £33,877 came in 2006/07 when income was £6994 against an operating cost of £40,871.
But the council maintains the centre’s success cannot be judged solely on visitor numbers, but on the contribution they make to the wider Angus economy.
“Pictavia is a four-star visitor attraction depicting the history and heritage of the Pictish Society in Angus,” says infrastructure services director Eric Lowson in his report to the committee.
“It performs a key function as a wet weather attraction thus widening the appeal of Angus as an all-year-round destination.
“The original purpose of Pictavia is to attract people from outwith Angus and orientate them around heritage sites and places within Angus.
“The overall aim is to generate additional tourism revenues. This is very different from other types of facilities that are geared more to local patronage.”
It is estimated the centre helps draw in between £500,000 and £800,000 per annum into the economy of Angus.
Apparently up to 90% of Pictavia visitors are also first timers, both at the centre and in the county, thus introducing a constant stream of newcomers to Angus.
While group visits had been in decline in 2007, with only nine group bookings, last year that had risen to 36 group bookings, including 28 school visits.
The net operating costs of Pictavia are estimated at around £15,000 for 2009/10.
Pictavia lies within the grounds of the Brechin Castle Centre owned by Dalhousie estate.
An offer from estate factor Richard Cooke was made to the council some months ago to purchase it outright with a view to converting two thirds of its floorspace into a retail area.
But Mr Lowson argues that would make Pictavia unviable as a tourist attraction as originally intended, and councillors will be urged instead to back spending £50,000 on improving the entrance, providing new storage and kitchen facilities and upgrading the touch-screen computers.