An Inverness-based company offering walking and other outdoor holidays in the Scottish wilderness is to embark on a major marketing campaign to target new markets, develop new products and double its turnover in the next 18 months.

Wilderness Scotland was established just over a year ago with start up assistance from Inverness and Nairn Enterprise (INE).

The company now employs up to eight people and has offices in Inverness, Forres and Edinburgh.  With its team of experienced guides Wilderness Scotland offers a range of outdoor holiday options including wilderness walking, sailing, kayaking and mountain biking.

A new marketing plan to continue the company's growth and target new markets, has been awarded a grant of £15,000 by INE.  This will help support the company's objective to establish itself as one of the top three specialist walking operators in the Highlands.

Marketing advisor with INE, Maria Peter, said the company had demonstrated a mature attitude to its promotion and growth in the short time since its inception.  She added:  "Wilderness Scotland is a very efficient operation with a clear focus on development and marketing of the many holiday options provided for its customers.  There is a great deal of international interest in Scotland at the moment, particularly the Highlands, with the new national park and developing transport links.  Also, VisitScotland has identified the walking market in Scotland as an area of significant growth potential.  Wilderness Scotland is quite rightly aiming to tap into this potential as part of its strategy for growth and I am very pleased we are able to help them do that."

The company's plans include a joint venture with Cairngorm Wilderness Walking to develop existing markets and cross sell holidays.  They will also be developing new holiday options for self-guided walking and biking, capitalising on the opportunities created by the Rosyth to Zebrugge ferry link and the new Cairngorms National Park.

The Great Glen Way will also be incorporated in the product range for tailor-made walking holidays and biking itineraries, and the company also plans to develop the corporate market for team-building exercises.

Co-founder of Wilderness Scotland, Neil Birnie, said:  "Wilderness Scotland has enjoyed an excellent first year in business.  We have organised over 400 individual holidays for clients from 14 different countries around the world.  The feedback from our clients for the wide range of walking, sailing and adventure holidays we offer has been unanimously positive.  Without doubt, the start-up funding and subsequent marketing assistance we have received from Inverness and Nairn Enterprise has been absolutely crucial in enabling us to lay strong foundations for our business and to reach a selection of key overseas markets.  We look forward to continuing this growth during 2003."