Outdoor businesses take off as visitor sector rebounds transformed after COVID-19

Abigail Taylor

Following months of the ‘stay at home’ message and no mixing indoors, island entrepreneurs have taken the initiative, moving group activities outside and into the environment.

Holiday trends have changed from travelling abroad to exploring places closer to home that may in the past have been taken for granted.

Studio Vans, based on Airport Road in Balivanich, is bouncing off the staycation trend and encouraging people to take in their local environment in a different ‘five-star experience’.

Robert Hall founded the business to make innovative, ready-to-go fit-outs for campervan conversions.

“Originally we had plans to have rental vans here at the airport as it is a great location to get customers out and about, but following lockdown, that idea turned upside down. We changed direction a bit and amplified the design element of the business to what we are doing now, which is the fit-out part of the design, allowing people to get out and about in their own vans. We are happy to work with any vans, big or small,” explained Robert.

Serving locals and visitors alike, encouraging more people to “connect to their own environment” is part of the mission of Studio Vans.

“Once someone has made that connection with the environment then ideas to help and protect it start to form. I think until that happens, there is less of a willingness to change behaviour towards the climate crisis. It’s all about that initial connection,” continued Robert.

Shifts in how people view life have encouraged the team at Studio Vans to enable a comfortable means for people to experience the outdoors, said Robert.

“People are trying to achieve a better work-life balance and are looking at how they can get away in the most sustainable way. Being able to go away and have a comfortable holiday while staying local is now a real priority for a lot of people. We have a strong focus on the environmental side of the business. We are surfers and we see the changes here due to climate change.”

Having a plastic processing machine has enabled the Studio Vans team to take action on the immediate causes of the climate crisis.

Calum Ferguson, who works on production design, said: “It’s things like this that drive us to do better. It may be harder this way but ultimately the steps between the world and the economy, individual behaviour pre-pandemic and where we need to be in the future, it requires a change of behaviour. We are doing things differently here because we feel that obligation to do better for our own environment and for the future.”

“I think travelling within your own country is extremely important because, if you just look across Scotland, there are so many different cultures and ways of life to explore and if we can encourage people to do that in style and comfort then that’s great,” added Robert.

Similarly, the local environment encouraged Guy Stratton, originally from Lancashire but now living on North Uist, to open his outdoor business, Bike Uist.

Providing e-bikes for hire, Guy wants to “promote Uist outside of cars and campervans”.

“We have the great Hebridean Way here, it’s a beautiful place and from it came the idea to get some bikes to rent. Some of the tracks and roads here are quite difficult with the wind and hills so my thinking was to make it as easy as possible for people and to get e-bikes,” explained Guy.

Making use of the charity ‘Cycle of Good’, which takes old post office bikes, renovates them and put an electric motor on them, as well as donating a bike to Malawi with every sale, Guy bought five bikes to see how it goes.

“I deliver the bikes with helmets and high visibility jackets and they will go for about five or six hours. I then collect the bikes at the end of the day. My plan over the winter is to put together different routes and tours for people to take while out on the bikes so that they know how far they can go.”

Having an electric motor makes the activity more accessible as the bikes are “perfect for slow touring” and ideal for those who may not be “super fit” for cycling.

Norma MacLeod, an open water coach and lifeguard recently left her permanent nurse post to go full-time with her new business, Immerse Hebrides. She hosts regular outdoor swimming experiences, trips for locals and tourists, and offers swimming holidays and sea safety courses online.

Outdoor swimming has been very popular during lockdown and the trend has continued as restrictions have been lifted.

Immerse Hebrides was among the first group of businesses to be able to restart, due to being outdoors based, and since restrictions were lifted this has proved very successful.

“Uptake in outdoor swimming seems to be mostly females aged 35 and over but more recently I have noticed an increase in male participation. We mostly cater for adults but as our coach availability increases so will our kids sessions,” said Norma.

Immerse Hebrides, which is based in Stornoway, now has plans to expand to Uist.

“I think after the situation with COVID-19 it became clear people were avoiding other people and seeking quiet places, places to escape the fear of what COVID-19 could be and was. Green and blue spaces were proving their worth as other distractions were removed. Lack of holidays, shopping and socialising made us all turn to the outdoors. This has worked well for most outdoor businesses and could well make the nation healthier through an unprecedented situation.”

Making use of the elements and what Uist has to offer, Steven MacDonald from Baleshare began his business venture Paddle Hebrides.

“Growing up here we had the Uist Outdoor Centre, which sadly closed down, but it was brilliant to have and visitors and locals loved it. So when I came home I wanted to start something like it based on the water. Setting up something for myself, not having to rely on an outside source for a job, I believed I could really use my degree in sports coaching and go for it,” said Steven, who recently returned to North Uist.

Being passionate about outdoor pursuits after previously working on Loch Lomond offering kayaking, wakeboarding and other water sports, Steven has had requests from local people interested in getting out on the water as well as visitors enquiring to book.

“I have six boards currently but come next summer I want to at least double the number of boards and be able to take tours out to the neighbouring islands,” continued Steven.

Boards are available to hire every weekend in different locations.

“Lochmaddy is a great bay with rocks for climbing and a shipwreck to explore, the options are vast and every bay and beach is different with their own characteristics. Coldwater immersion is so good for your physical and mental health, so getting out and learning a new skill is just amazing and people really want to reap the benefits of what the islands have to offer.

“My biggest passion about the business is showing off Uist to visitors. I lived away for so long and was desperate to get back. It’s such an amazing place and while there is a lack of opportunities, it is improving and I want to be a part of it all. I have a brand and am ready and raring to go.”

Paddleboarding is a very accessible activity for all ages and safety procedures are in place to enable anyone to take part. Steven supplies a life vest, safety leash, paddle and board, with the potential of wetsuit hire in the future.

“I want this to become an opportunity for school leavers to get extra qualifications or apprenticeships and placements into college. If there are any young people keen to learn new skills, get in touch and come out and join in. I will help in any way I can to get them to the level of employment in adventure tourism,” concluded Steven.