Winton Castle case study

Winton Castle

Company: Hello Scotland

Event: BBQ picnic lunch

Group size: 110

Venue: Winton Castle

On a fabulous Scottish spring day in late April, corporate events venue Winton Castle near Edinburgh was the scene for a picnic and rides in classic cars for guests brought to Winton by their partners at Hello Scotland.

Claire Scott at Hello Scotland, the corporate incentive agency, comments on why they chose Winton Castle, an exclusive use venue, for their event and how it went.

Why did you choose Winton Castle for your client's incentive event?

"The picnic lunch at Winton Castle was a practical stopover to allow our guests to stretch their legs en route from Newcastle to Loch Lomond - but it also had to be 'the House' to encompass what Scottish hospitality is all about - we wanted the ideal combination of delicious home cooking, good natured, friendly staff, attention to detail in the presentation, and flexibility for bad weather." 

"We also wanted a good place to allow the organization of a classic car route for guests to enjoy rides in old British classics.  First impressions visually were as important as the guests feeling free to explore the grounds and castle at their leisure."

Who were the guests at your event?

"They were 110 Dutch World Sales Winners with their partners, taking part in an incentive event with a trip to Scotland as their 'prize'."

What was the feedback from guests?

"The emotion of Scotland was captured by Winton. They had a really enjoyable time in the cars and the food was great!  They loved the weather!"

"I thought the picnic layout was super - with all the baskets, rugs and hay bales all ready as the guests arrived.  This also allowed guests to 'pick their spot' in advance of the usual queue at the buffet station.  Because of the free flow nature of this (with some food already in the baskets) guests could start nibbling during the short wait for food."

Do you have any comments to make on the quality of Winton's hospitality?

"Morag Morrison was fantastic and offered flexible solutions in the case of bad weather. She also advised on the best layout based on their previous experience. They went out of their way to provide pictures before the event so that my clients could visualize in advance how the layout would work."

Is there anything unique that makes Winton stand out compared to alternative venues?

"Their friendly, 'non-stuffy', yet fully professional approach when preparing for the event. Then seamless service and good teamwork on the day made the event a real success.  There was no need to 'hand hold' the event staff as they are seasoned professionals who you can fully trust."

*Source: Hello Scotland