A special deal designed to encourage out-of-season visits to the Orkney island of Westray is being launched in the run up to Christmas.

Islanders who helped design the holiday package hope it will be seen as an ideal way to provide an unusual present for family and friends.

On offer under the Westray Winter Warmers initiative is free ferry travel for a car and two people.  A wide range of accommodation is on offer for two and three night stays at hotels, self-catering cottages and hostels during January, February and March.

A similar venture was run last winter and turned into a tourism success story for Westray, with visitors spending a total of 432 nights on the island during the three-month period.

But the mini-break deal is being made even more attractive for 2003, with traditional music on offer at Cleaton House and the Pierowall Hotel and a range of activity weekends planned for Seatters Studio.

Anyone wanting to learn a new craft - or brush up their skills - will find plenty on offer, with short courses covering spinning, pottery making and glazing, working with digital pictures, bird drawing, and tapestry weaving.

The Westray Winter Warmers initiative was developed and funded by the Orkney Marketing Scheme, whose funding partners are Orkney Enterprise, Orkney Islands Council and the European Regional Development Fund.  It is also supported by Orkney Ferries and the Westray and Papa Westray Tourist Association.

Linda Hagan, who chairs the association, said: "Westray Winter Warmers are back by popular demand.  Some of the people who took up the deal last winter wanted to come back for a second visit during the three month period, that show is it very good value.

"With a good range of activity weekends and live music in the hotels, a stay in Westray should be even more appealing over the coming months.  We have an expanding number of craft businesses who will welcome visitors and it is worth remembering that breaks can be taken mid week as well as at weekends."

John Clarke, marketing consultant for Orkney Enterprise said the Kirkwall-based development agency was keen to see the programme repeated and extended: 

"We believe the addition of music and activity weekends will make an already excellent promotion even more popular.  That will help those participating develop the initiative to the point where they can take it forward themselves in future years.

"We also think this is the ideal time to launch Westray Winter Warmers for 2003 because an out-of-season break on the island would make a great Christmas present."

Malcolm Stout, owner of Cleaton House Hotel, said the deal represented exceptional value for money and had proved extremely popular last winter.

"We had a great mix of customers new and old.  For guests who had been before it was an incentive to come back and the free ferry fare definitely tipped the balance for those who had always wanted to spend some time in Westray."