Perth building branded ‘unappealing and ugly’ after Visit Scotland departs city

An empty council-owned building has been branded ‘ugly’ and ‘unappealing’ after Visit Scotland moved out.

The tourist board left its Perth High Street hub on Monday, leaving the windows smeared with paint.

The premises have been earmarked for £500,000 of funding to turn the site into a showcase for Perthshire food and drink.

However, this is dependent on £5m of levelling up funding from the UK Government, and meantime the shop is empty.

‘It’s unappealing’

Perth local Michael Stefani, 72, told The Courier: “It isn’t appealing and it looks rather ugly.

“There’s no indication as to what’s happened – you’d think they would put a sign up saying what’s happened.

“To leave a shop empty like that with no information isn’t friendly looking.

“I live locally and I’ve always used them and seen other people use them too – the staff were always friendly.

“It’s important to have them as there are a lot of tourists here.”

Another passer-by added: “You often see buildings just left like that, but I don’t think there’s much more they can, I’m just used to it.

“If it was up to me I’d have all the buildings restored to their original colours and have the street looking fresher.”

St Andrews iCentre to close in January 2025

Visit Scotland announced it was closing all of its iCentres in Tayside, Fife and Stirling last year.

The Stirling branch shut in September, with Aberfoyle to follow in November and St Andrews in January.

The tourist body says the closures come in response to changes in the way people plan trips – and a 42% decline in footfall since 2019.

Perthshire-based MSP and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Business, Economic Growth and Tourism, Murdro Fraser, said: “The closure of both Visit Scotland’s Perth and Pitlochry information centres is very sad and very concerning.

“This decision is largely a result of the SNP cutting the budget for Visit Scotland.

“I realise many visitors and tourists book trips and accommodation online these days, but I feel there is a place for information centres, especially in rural areas.”

A Visit Scotland spokesperson said: “We remain committed to continuing to work with our partners, industry, and stakeholders across the region to make Scotland a year-round sustainable tourism destination.

“Our marketing activity, including social media and our website, continues to drive bookings by providing a wealth of inspiration and advice to millions of people across the world.

“We also continue to work closely with our partners to reach new and existing audiences, and directly with businesses to help make them more discoverable and bookable online.”

Perth & Kinross Council has been contacted for comment.