It has been announced by the Scotland tourism board that they are in search of an official “Ambassadog” who will represent the country. The dog must be well-trained, Scotland lover, outgoing, can walk throughout the country and smell the best drink and food to take part in the competition of representing Scotland worldwide.

The head of global brand and marketing communications at VisitScotland Helen Campbell has said, “We are very excited to begin our search for an Ambassadog for VisitScotland. We are looking for an outgoing, sociable pooch that is able to capture the spirit of Scotland through their adventures and share them to inspire the world to visit.”

“Scotland is the perfect destination for going on holiday, whether with a dog or not. You can explore ancient forests and shaded glens, take a walk along an award-winning beach and discover fascinating history in castles. We can’t wait to meet our new furry advocate and we hope lots of fabulous dogs and their owners apply.”

National tourism organization VisitScotland has taken the initiative to work with Denholm Associates, a recruitment agency for finding a dog to give its ‘paw of approval’ on the journey all over the country. VisitScotland’s search for an outgoing Scottish Ambassadog is a part of the organisation’s new Spirit of Scotland campaign that has been launched in the month of February 2016.

As tourism continues to grow, businesses are seeing the potential to invest in the region – quality serviced apartments for businesses looking for short term rental accommodation and contractor serviced accommodation. Both the winner and the owner must agree to travel all over Scotland and probably in United Kingdom to represent as international ambassadors for the country and guide in visiting Scotland to the tourists. People have the option to recommend their lovable dogs for the same position by submitting an application as to why they are the perfect fit for the post.

Eligibility for the post

Any dog living in Scotland and its surrounding areas is eligible to apply for the job. The chosen pooch must have the eagerness and capability to travel with the owner across Scotland and the rest of United Kingdom. The dog and the owner will be hired to represent international ambassadors for tourism in Scotland for the year 2016 to attend various promotional events and probably meet well-known faces.

Since dogs cannot write, owners will have to jot down within 500 words on why their pet is the ultimate choice for visiting the beautiful place called Scotland. The owner should send a snapshot or video of their dog to the tourists so that they can see how the dog is enjoying a holiday in this beautiful place. Other things to take into consideration are:

  • Walk in some of the best places in Scotland
  • In depth knowledge about the sights and smells in Scotland
  • Behavior of the tourist in big groups and amongst other animals.
  • Photos in social media about exploring Scotland
  • Special tricks dogs make to be unique

Besides, the dog will be able to bark on the tourists for visiting some of the best places of Scotland and its surrounding areas. They will also draw attention of the visitors on ongoing adventures that are taking place in the country.

Application procedure

Anyone who wishes to apply for the post should go to Denholm Associates for completing the submission process. Owners will have to click on apply now option for their dog to participate in the event. Alternatively, they can send an email at [email protected]

The closing date for the application is on Wednesday, 6 April 2016. The following details to be included with the application are – dog’s name, age, breed, location, owner’s name, telephone number, email address and postal address.

Terms and Conditions

  • Search for Ambassadog is open to all dogs in and around Scotland.
  • Any dog selected must be residing in Scotland
  • Six dogs and their owners chosen for “Ambassadog” job will be given invitation to attend an interview in late April or early May at Edinburgh.  The best ambassadog candidates will be “interviewed” in Edinburgh at the end of April. There must be full attendance for the role of Ambassadog.
  • The traveling cost for the dog and the owner will be covered if both of them live in Edinburgh for the lowest transportation charges available. There will be proper lodging if the journey takes more than three hours in both ways to Edinburgh.
  • The selected dog and the owner will have a paid holiday arrangement in Scotland for the year 2016.  There is no cash alternative available for this option.  The trip will be for three nights at the most and at a targeted destination agreed between owner of the dog and VisitScotland.
  • The dog owner will have to share their adventures and travels in Scotland with their dog on social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter throughout the year 2016.  The dog’s owner will be managing and updating the account by providing some input by VisitScotland. The four-legged friend will have to follow the footsteps of the owner in everything Scotland has to offer and that will be posted on social media sites.
  • The owner must be pleased with the involvement in PR opportunities for VisitScotland campaign in this year.  This may include travel outwith Scotland.  Some examples of PR opportunities are – writer taking an interview of the owner for printing an article in the magazine or owner appearing on live TV for an interview.  The owner will be provided traveling expenses for such kind of opportunities.

Scotland is desperately searching for an Ambassadog that can become the face of national tourism organization and convince people to make the place a “must visit” destination for one and all throughout the world. The selected dogs and their owners will be cordially invited to attend an event that will take place by the end of April and early May, 2016 in Edinburgh.

Although the dog and its owner won’t be paid anything for the job, both of them will be considered as a special, motivating and unique during the tenure of “Ambassadog” for the year. Besides, the owner will receive an exclusive and unique dog-friendly holiday in Scotland in this year.

By Eddy

Eddy is the editorial columnist in Business Fundas, and oversees partner relationships. He posts articles of partners on various topics related to strategy, marketing, supply chain, technology management, social media, e-business, finance, economics and operations management. The articles posted are copyrighted under a Creative Commons unported license 4.0. To contact him, please direct your emails to [email protected].